Distributed File System (DFS) support

[m-livezey]

Autodesk webpage at:

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet...linkID=9242018

Published date: 2007-Mar-23

states:
"The Windows Distributed File System (DFS) allows system administrators to make it easier for users to access and manage files that are physically distributed across a network. With DFS, you can make files distributed across multiple servers appear to users as if they reside in one place on the network. Users no longer need to know and specify the actual physical location of files in order to access them.
This feature has not been tested by Autodesk and is therefore not supported. Field reports suggest that use of DFS resources with AutoCAD® can result in program instability, including abnormal program termination and hung sessions. This includes the use of DFS to house or manage administrative images and deployments for AutoCAD."

The products listed do not include releases subsequent to 2008. The lack of an update would appear to indicate that the issue is either closed or not a burning one for Autodesk.

But are not a fair amount of Autodesk users working in a DFS environment? Isn't it correct that in large networks, the use of DFS is common and increasing?

I have maintained 15 AutoCAD licenses for 50 users in a DFS environment for 2 years. No serious problems were identified until the release of 2010. The (sheet) files which worked properly in 2008 and 2009 did not find their xrefs in 2010. This even though the (dfs) path embedded in the drawings was correct. Using xref manager to substitute the non dfs path appears to solve the problem. Although labor intensive, it may be a work around that is acceptable. But the suggestion by Autodesk of "abnormal program termination" and "This includes the use of DFS to house or manage administrative images and deployments for AutoCAD", raises concern about the long term plan of Autodesk to deal with or step around this issue.

Will future releases of AutoCAD be less stable than 2010 in a DFS environment? Is the only solution to move everything to a dedicated non-dfs node on the wide area network?

I would appreciate hearing other experience or knowledge of a solution to this issue.

[RobertB]

We use DFS for application support, but not for our active projects. DFS can be problematic in my experience, especially with mass changes of small files (think catalog updates).

It would probably be in your best interests to get your VAR pounding on a few doors for an update to that article.

[m-livezey]

Thank you Mr. Bell! My VAR is already pounding doors! I am hoping to find others with similar issues and at the very least, get the webpage updated.