How to Determine the Number of Files in PDM
When evaluating the size of a SOLIDWORKS PDM vault, one common question is, “How many files are stored in the vault?” The answer can vary depending on whether deleted files, file versions, or only active files are included in the count.
This guide explains several methods to determine the number of files currently stored in a SOLIDWORKS PDM vault. Unless otherwise noted, these methods count only the active (non-deleted) files and exclude deleted files that have not yet been destroyed. Historical versions are not counted separately, meaning a file is counted once regardless of whether it has one version or one hundred versions.
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Method 1: Using PDM Search
This method works in both SOLIDWORKS Standard and Professional and is typically the easiest approach for a quick snapshot of files.
Advantages
- Available in both PDM Standard and Professional.
- Does not require administrative access.
Limitations
- Large vaults may take some time to return results.
- Results depend on user permissions. Files the user cannot see are not counted.
Steps
- Open a vault view in Windows File Explorer.
- Click the Search options in the SOLIDWORKS PDM task pane and select the Complete Search.
- Leave all search criteria blank.
- Ensure Include subfolders is enabled.
- Run the search.
The search results window displays the total number of matching items in the status bar (bottom left corner). Note this includes files and folders unless the ‘Name’ field is set to specific file extension, which the results will only show the number of items (files) for that extension. See the second image for an example of .sldprt.
Example searching a specific project folder for .sldprt only.
Method 2: Using Windows File Explorer Folder Properties
This method provides a quick estimate of the number of files visible in the local vault view. Note this will only display the files cached locally in the specific vault view.
Advantages
- Very easy to perform.
- No special permissions required.
Limitations
- Counts only files currently present in the local vault view.
- Results may vary depending on cache contents and PDM permissions.
- Not a reliable method for determining the total vault file count.
Steps
- Open the root folder of the vault view.
- Right-click the vault root folder and select Properties.
- Allow windows to calculate folder statistics.
Method 3: Using SQL Query (Total Files, Files Per Type, Files Per Folder)
For administrators, querying the vault database provides the most accurate count of active files. Copy and paste the various query examples into Microsoft SQL Studio and run it against the selected vault.
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Example Query 1: Total Files in a vault
SELECT COUNT(DocumentID) AS [Total Number of Files]
FROM Documents
WHERE Deleted = 0
Example Query 2: Files by File Type
SELECT FE.Extension, COUNT(D.DocumentID) AS NoOfDocuments, SUM(R.FileSize)/1000000 AS TotalSizeMB
FROM Documents D
LEFT JOIN Revisions R ON R.DocumentID=D.DocumentID AND R.RevNr=D.LatestRevisionNo — Latest revision file size only
LEFT JOIN FileExtension FE ON FE.ExtensionID=D.ExtensionID
WHERE Deleted<>1 — Only current files
AND D.ExtensionID>1 — Exclude
GROUP BY FE.Extension
ORDER BY COUNT(D.DocumentID) DESC — use this line to sort by number of documents
— ORDER BY SUM(R.FileSize) DESC — or use this line to sort by total filesize
Example Query 3: Files by Folder
SELECT P.Path, COUNT(DIP.ProjectID) AS [Number of Files]
FROM Projects P
JOIN DocumentsInProjects DIP ON DIP.ProjectID = P.ProjectID
JOIN Documents D ON DIP.DocumentID = D.DocumentID
WHERE P.FolderType = 1
AND D.Deleted = 0
AND DIP.Deleted = 0
AND P.Deleted = 0
GROUP BY DIP.ProjectID, P.Path
ORDER BY [Number of Files] DESC
Method 4: Using SOLIDWORKS PDM Report (PDM Professional Only)
SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional includes a built-in Report Generator that can execute formatted SQL queries and present the results.
Note: To import or remove queries from the report generator, the logged in PDM user must have PDM administrative permission ‘Can update report queries.’ Once the query has been imported once, all other users will be able to access and run the query.
Advantages
- No need to connect directly to SQL Server Management Studio.
- Results can be shared with other administrators.
- Results can be exported to CSV file.
- Reports can be expanded to include file types, file sizes, and other vault statistics.
Limitations
- Requires SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional.
- Requires Report administrative permissions.
Steps
- Download example report: PDM_Current_file_count_and_size.crp
- Open a PDM local vault view (File Explorer)
- Select Tools > Report Generator
- Select File > Import Query
- Import the “PDM_Current_file_count_and_size.crp” file
- Run the report.
The report returns the total number of active files in the vault.
Understanding File Counts vs. Version Counts
A common source of confusion is the difference between files and versions.
- Files are the current active file names in the vault.
- Versions are digital copies of the files stored on the Archive server. The versions are linked to numerical values that can be retrieved from the Archive when getting previous versions.
For example:
The vault contains:
- 3 files
- 18 total versions (digital copies of files on the Archive server)
Most reporting and sizing discussions refer to the number of files, not the number of versions or total vault size on disk.
Vault Size on Disk / Usage
The easiest way to determine the size of your PDM vault (usage on disk) is to find the actual location of your archives. You can do this by going to the following registry location on the archive server:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\SOLIDWORKS\Applications\PDMWorks Enterprise\ArchiveServer\Vaults\[Vault Name]\ArchiveTable
This will give you the location of the archive folders for the vaults on your server. Navigate to the folder locations and use the folder properties to find the total size.
Summary
For the most accurate vault-wide file count, use a SQL query or a PDM Report. For quick estimates, a vault-wide search is usually sufficient.
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