Plan Infrastructure

Before you deploy ThingWorx Navigate, evaluate your current infrastructure to find out what changes you need to make. Consider impacts on other systems, such as how more users will affect the load on those systems. Involve the project members who will configure the infrastructure and those who designed the app who know what systems and data you need to connect with. 

Refer to the ThingWorx Navigate Platform 9.0x Sizing Guide. If you're deploying via PTC-hosted cloud, consult the PTC Cloud team.

Take into consideration:

• Deployment
  • Will you deploy ThingWorx Navigate on-premises, via PTC-hosted cloud, or private cloud?
• Availability
  • Will the app always need to be available? Is downtime acceptable? Consider both planned downtime (upgrades, updates, maintenance) and unplanned (failures, outages).
• Development environments for each system involved
  • How many development environments will developers need for each system (ThingWorx Navigate, Windchill, etc.)? How many users will each environment need to support? Developers use different environments for different purposes. Refer to your source control and testing plan to see what they require. We recommend at least 4 environments:
    • Dev: create new apps, features, or work on patches
    • Test/QA: validate and test new versions, patches, and configurations
    • Staging: a close replica to your prod environment to do integrated, end-to-end tests such as for scale and load
    • Prod: host the live, tested applications that users will interact with
• Connection to systems
  • Refer to your integration plan
• Security
  • How will security requirements affect your infrastructure? How might security change over time?
  • What changes will need to be made if you’re using single sign-on (SSO) for authentication?
• Usage
  • How will increased usage affect each system involved (ThingWorx Navigate, Windchill, etc.)?
  • What hardware will you need for each system involved?
  • How much processing power and memory will the hardware require? Consider:
    • The number of users during peak usage
    • The number of data points called during peak usage
    • The complexity of the business logic and Mashups being used
• Networking to support users
  • Do you have the network to support the users of your app?
  • What devices will your users be using?
  • Will end user devices impact the network design?

If you need additional help determining server sizing, PTC offers the service “Evaluate Your ThingWorx Server Sizing Requirements,” linked in the services below.  

Take note of what you’ll need to purchase and document any changes to your infrastructure. Your IT group will need to prepare to make these changes.  

Make sure the project manager and sponsor understand how infrastructure changes will affect the project planning including costs, timeline, and skills needed to complete the work. You might consider how to adjust your app design to work within the constraints of existing architecture until you’re able to upgrade.

If you need additional hardware, buy it as soon as possible. This is especially important if the procurement process at your organization requires multiple approvals or takes a long time.