Agile PLM Mobile Tips & Tricks for End Users

What is Agile PLM Mobile?

Agile PLM Mobile is an application you download and install on your mobile device to quickly and easily access PLM data. Users can securely review, respond, and react to a broad range of Agile PLM workflows, change orders, quality issues, CAPA processes, and much more.

What is required to run Agile PLM Mobile?

You must have the patch installed on your Agile server and have the corresponding application installed on your mobile device.

Compatibility of Agile PLM Mobile

Oracle has certified Agile PLM Mobile to work with the following systems. Here is a compatibility matrix for the application:

The Agile PLM Mobile application will work whether your Agile PLM server is running on Windows, Linux, Unix, AIX, or Solaris operating systems.

Server Patches Expected for PLM Mobile 4

There are several prerequisite patches for PLM Mobile, which need to be downloaded from here. These are server-side patches that need to be installed before installing the actual PLM Mobile 4.0 application on the server. These patches are detailed in the table below. Follow the ‘Read Me’ instructions included with each patch for installation instructions.

Once the particular patches for your specific release of Agile have been installed, you’ll need to download the PLM Mobile 4.0 application patch. This will also be downloaded from Oracle support.

On Linux/Unix/Solaris/AIX Systems

Stop the Agile and File Manager services.

As the ‘oracle’ user on the application server (or whatever user account was used for installation)

• $ ./Install.sh

On Windows Systems

Stop the Agile and File Manager services.

As a local admin on the application server, open an elevated command prompt to the directory of the unzipped Oracle PLM Mobile patch.

• > Install.bat

Post Installation Configuration of Agile

SSL and Web Proxy Configuration

If the Agile PLM application server is using a web proxy or SSL, you will need to update the URLs in the connections.xml file.

Extract and edit the archive files:

Linux systems: 

• On the application server, as the ‘oracle’ user, navigate to the /Install/bin directory
• $ ./ExtractArchive.sh 
• $ mkdir /agileDomain/applications/ExpandedEar/ExpandedAgilers 
• $ cd /agileDomain/applications/ExpandedEar/ExpandedAgilers 
• $ /jdk/bin/jar -xvf ../agilers.war 
• $ vi com.oracle.OPLMM/connections.xml 
• Rename all the internal URLs to the external URLs. There will be 5 total. For instance, http://agile11.bgundy.net:7001 becomes https://agile11.bgunderson.com 
• These are on line 8, 28, 29, 44, and 57 
• $ /jdk/bin/jar -uvfM ../agilers.war * 
• $ cd .. 
• $ rm -rf ExpandedAgilers/ 
• $ cd /Install/bin/ 
• $ ./RepackArchive.sh 
• $ rm -rf /agileDomain/servers/
• Start Agile

Windows Systems 

• Make sure that Agile is completely stopped. 
• On the application server, as the ‘oracle’ user, open an elevated command prompt to the /Install/bin directory 
• > ExtractArchive.bat 
• Create a new folder /agileDomain/applications/ExpandedEar/ExpandedAgilers 
• Open an elevated command prompt to the newly created directory: /agileDomain/applications/ExpandedEar/ExpandedAgilers 
• Using the installed JDK on your system, we will extract the agilers.war file 
• > [PATH_TO_JDK]\bin\jar -xvf ../agilers.war 
• For example: 
• > C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_102\bin\jar -xvf ../agilers.war 
• With a text editor, such as Notepad or Wordpad, open the connections.xml file in the com.oracle.OPLMM folder 
• Rename all the internal URLs to the external URLs. There will be 5 in total. For instance, http://agile11.bgundy.net:7001 becomes https://agile11.bgunderson.com 
• These are on line 8, 28, 29, 44, and 57 
• Now repack the agilers.war file. In the same elevated command prompt, type: C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_102\bin\jar -uvfM ../agilers.war * 
• > cd .. 
• Now close your command prompt and delete the ExpandedAgilers folder. 
• In the first elevated command prompt in the /Install/bin/ directory, run the next command.
• > RepackArchive.bat 
• Delete the /agileDomain/servers/ directory. 
• For example: D:\agile\agile934\agileDomain\servers\agile11.bgundy.net-Agile 
• Start Agile 

Proxy Server 

For PLM Mobile to work through a proxy server, you will need to add the proper entries into the configuration on the proxy server. The formatted examples are listed below:

•  ProxyPass /agilers http://agile11.bgundy.net:7001/agilers 
•  ProxyPassReverse /agilers http://agile11.bgundy.net:7001/agilers 

Restart the proxy services.

Installation Verification 

You can check the successful deployment of the PLM Mobile application by bringing up a URL. 

• Secure URL 
• https://%3Cserver_name%3E/agilers/PLMMobileInfo
• For example https://agile11.bgunderson.com/agilers/PLMMobileInfo 
• Internal URL 
• http://:port/agilers/PLMMobileInfo
• For example http://agile11.bgundy.net:7001/agilers/PLMMobileInfo 

You will be asked to enter your Agile credentials, then be presented with the details:

You may also check the ‘Help’ -> About menu inside Agile, which will show the PLM Mobile 4.0 application patch has been installed.

3D Viewing of Files 

PLM Mobile 4.0 can generate and view 3D CAD files from CATIA, SolidWorks, AutoDesk, etc. when used with Agile 9.3.5. To enable this functionality, launch the Java Client:

• Navigate to Admin -> Server Settings -> Preferences and set the attribute ‘Generate Mobile Viewing Files’ to Yes.
  
  
  
  
• For pre-generation of files: 
• Navigate to Admin -> Server Settings -> Preferences -> General Information and set the Thumbnail and Streaming File Pre-Generation field to ‘Enabled’
  
  
  
  
• Navigate to Admin -> Server Settings -> Locations -> File Manager -> Advanced. Select the check-box, ‘Enable Pre-Generation by Vue Server’.
  
  
  
  
• Navigate to Admin -> System Settings -> Viewers and Files -> File Association and check the 3D Viewable column to generate Mobile Viewing Files.
  
  
  

Using the PLM Mobile Application on iOS or Android Devices 

Download the Oracle PLM Mobile application from the Apple AppStore, or Google Play Store, depending on your mobile device. The latest version right now is version 4.

Initial Setup on a Mobile Device 

Launch the application after it’s installed and wait for it to load.

You will need to enter the server address for the Agile PLM Mobile installation. This will be either the internal or external SSL URL you configured earlier. You will need to type this in the format: http://server_name:port/agilers or https://server_name/agilers The URL’s are case sensitive, so make sure this is typed in correctly with no trailing spaces after the URL.

 

Once it has confirmed the server information, you will need to restart the application.

Simply closing the application, or going back to your home screen is not sufficient. You will need to open the task manager on your phone or tablet and quit the application. On Apple devices, double click the home button and then swipe up to close the application. On Android devices, hold in the home button, then close the application by clicking the ‘X’ in the corner. Your specific device may vary from these instructions.

 

Using the PLM Mobile App 

Click on the app to launch it once more. The login screen will appear and, you will need to enter the same credentials you use to login to Agile. *Tech Note* If the user accounts are authenticated against the Agile DB, or integrated with LDAP, the backend authentication is the same as when using the PLM application Web Client or Java Client. There are not separate credentials or authentication sources for the mobile application.

Once logged in, you will see any pending approvals. Click on any of these to see the details.

 

From inside the item, you can click the various options to get additional detail, such as the Affected Items or Workflow. If you click on the icon in the top right of the screen, you are given the options of ‘Approve,’ ‘Reject,’ or ‘Comment.’

If you choose to Approve, Comment, or Reject the item, you are then given the chance to add comments, notify originators, reviewers, or Quality Administrators. The approval and rejection of the items/changes will require you to enter your approval password.

Changing the App Settings

From the home screen on the PLM Mobile App, you can select the gear icon in the top left, which will show the settings. You can logout, or reset the login server information if you need to connect to a different PLM system or with user accounts.

By default, your phone will download the latest relevant data when you log in to the app, but you can also synchronize it with the Agile PLM server on demand from the settings menu.

If you need additional help on any of the topics discussed in this document, please contact us.