Revit File Management

[timf]

Is their a recommended procedure for archiving completed project files from the server to archive DVD's?

[mwiggins]

Does anyone have any advice? Relitive path does not appear to work?

[david_peterson]

The way we've done it without to many problems was to open the central file detached and save as a new project. Any other way and I believe you just created a new local file and not a true archive.
If anyone has better suggestions, I'd love to hear them as well.

[DaveP]

The "correct" way to archive a project would be to open each Central File Detached and SaveAs (with Make this a new Central checked) to the new folder.
Then, once each of the Centrals is resaved, you need to open each one again and repath all of the Links to the new folder.

That's the right way to do it.
To be honest, though, we just copy all of the files to the Archive location or simply burn the DVD from the original location.

The way I figure it, chances are fairly slim that you're ever going to open these backup files anyway, so why go through all that effort if you've only got less than a 10% chance of needing it.
Plus, even if you DO restore those files, you're probably going to put them in a different location than where you Archived them - so you'll have to go through the whole process a second time.
I figure you can go through all the Detach and Relink effort if and when you ever restore the archive.

WARNING:
If you don't do it the "right way", the Archive IS still linked to the original Central file, and you DO stand the chance of someone incorrectly opening the Archive copy and changing the good copy. But, given the real world case, that's a risk I'm willing to take.