Is it possible for AutoCAD to run as well off the Network?

[darthyoga]

We have been smashing our way through test runs of every type of configuration and we just can't get AutoCAD to work as well as off the network as it does off the local.We deal with 3D and XREF files and have gone so far as to set up a machine where we can open a drawing because it takes so long that we can actually work on another drawing while we wait for the first drawing to open.

Is working off the network a pipe dream? Am I the one who is nuts?

[cadtag]

Can you clarify what you mean by working off the network? Local install of CAD- dwg's on a LAN server? dwg files across a WAN? Acad installed on a server share? Remote Desktop access to autocad? need more information!

[BlackBox]

By the sounds of it, the OP is working with Network Drawings/Models (not install).

In my limited experience at both Computer Animation (i.e., 3D Modeling, texturing, lighting, rigging, animating, rendering, etc.), and engineering design, working on the network is a non-issue... When working off of a local server.

The only issue I have experienced is when attempting the same from corporate VPN (which bounces in and out of the country, between my computer, corporate office, and the desired server), or when connecting to another office's server in a far away city, and/or with a slow intranet connection.

On occasion, I will work remotely (off my local disk), but even then, I most commonly use Offline Files for a given project instead of DOS Subst function, etc. to retain network paths to project, and support files.

HTH

[darthyoga]

We have AutoCAD installed on the local machines. The drawings live on the server two provinces away. Is there a configuration that will allow us to edit the drawings with the speed we see when we work off our local machines?

[dgorsman]

Yeah, I can see where that would be a problem. We don't do that between offices, and they're in the same city. Not sure if Vault could do it, but essentially you would need something to mirror changes file changes to local servers (or direct to the user computer) and have some means of physically or organizationally indicating which files which are "checked out".

[FabriCADed]

This is something I have been wondering as well. Our company has talked about going to Citrix based machines and giving us junkers to remote into central machines with all our projects on those servers. Has anyone had experience with this? Pros and cons?

[cadtag]

Citrix - Unless licensing has changed, Autodesk's EULA specifically bans that except for a special version of Map3d. Outside of that little legal gotchach that could potentially open the employer up to huge penalties, it's one of the worst ideas I'm aware of. There are places that it might make sense to run some software that way, but CAD is not one of them. I keep hearing people talk about doing it, but it's (IMHO) totally asinine.

Working across two provinces:

Now that we better understand what you are asking, the answer is "While the laws of physics do not make that impossible, it's non-trivial to acomplish".

Option 1 would be to implement Riverbed or equivalent caching appliances at either end on the intranet link. It's what we do here, and works 'ok' - not perfect and there's definitely a lag on open and save, but it's workable. Once the drawing is opened, the data is local and we don't touch the remote box again until a save operation.

Option 2 - implement server replication so that changes/updates on server A in Timbucktu are transparently replicated to server B in Calcutta. The theory is good, but implementation is the key to success. And there will be lag, so it's possible for a person in each office to think they are the only one working on a drawing and ending up with conflicting edits. If overnite replication is adequate, then it's simpler to implement.

Option 3 - hope you have a huge budget and implement fiber all the way from Timbucktu to Calcutta. You might be able to get 100Mbt speed between the two locations, which is close enough for transparent working on remote servers. That may be something we end up doing in our little remote shop - the landlord has paid to extend fiber to the building for his own purposes, and we are discussing piggybacking onto that instead of the paltry T1 line we currently use.

If working on remote files is SOP, you might be best served with combining an EDMS with the selected option. Adpet from Synergis software is one that's designed from the ground up to work with CAD files, and there are others out there.

[Wanderer]

We have AutoCAD installed on the local machines. The drawings live on the server two provinces away. Is there a configuration that will allow us to edit the drawings with the speed we see when we work off our local machines?

Hopefully CADtag's options make sense to your IT folks, I'm clueless on that end.
Just wanted to chime in and say that we used to have problems with accessing our files on our network as well, and I'd usually copy them to my workstation to modify. At some point, IT switched our data center from an old one on our campus, to a shiny new one out in the countryside, and I haven't had an issue since then.
Sadly, I don't know anyone to ask on our network team about what was done with the data center or any intervening infrastructure (our IT's departmental org chart looks like a spider on rollerskates, can't tell one bit from another ~shrug~).

[FabriCADed]

Citrix - Unless licensing has changed, Autodesk's EULA specifically bans that except for a special version of Map3d. Outside of that little legal gotchach that could potentially open the employer up to huge penalties, it's one of the worst ideas I'm aware of. There are places that it might make sense to run some software that way, but CAD is not one of them. I keep hearing people talk about doing it, but it's (IMHO) totally asinine.

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=13959101

While our company may do many things by cutting corners, I'm sure they are in the clear on this one. If not, I will suggest to the CAD management that it may not be legal, which may influence them otherwise. I still lean towards that our legal department and CAD team have figured that stuff out though. My thoughts on Citrix have been similar, I have mentioned this many times, as I feel it would be a waste of good designers time... But since when does management make decisions after consulting and giving weight to the people that actually do the work?

[cadtag]

thanks for the link -- it looks like the legalities can be addressed these days.

Doesn't change the facts my opinion that it's an incredibly poor way for production cad to be implemented. might be okay for Excel or Word, but a huge step backwards in production work. Of course it keeps coming back - whether you call it SAAS, CitrixXen, thin client computing, or what have you. Soemone always seems to think its' a great idea, but never works well enough nor problem free enough to matter.

[darthyoga]

We have tried the Citrix install and it stinks. Its laggy and unless we update to a video card that can service 10 machines running 3d at once its not likely to be production worthy. The other options are something we are looking at but our It service is really wanting to just make some configuration tweaks. (changing filepath locations etc) My gut instinct is that its not really going to work.


Citrix - Unless licensing has changed, Autodesk's EULA specifically bans that except for a special version of Map3d. Outside of that little legal gotchach that could potentially open the employer up to huge penalties, it's one of the worst ideas I'm aware of. There are places that it might make sense to run some software that way, but CAD is not one of them. I keep hearing people talk about doing it, but it's (IMHO) totally asinine.

Working across two provinces:

Now that we better understand what you are asking, the answer is "While the laws of physics do not make that impossible, it's non-trivial to acomplish".

Option 1 would be to implement Riverbed or equivalent caching appliances at either end on the intranet link. It's what we do here, and works 'ok' - not perfect and there's definitely a lag on open and save, but it's workable. Once the drawing is opened, the data is local and we don't touch the remote box again until a save operation.

Option 2 - implement server replication so that changes/updates on server A in Timbucktu are transparently replicated to server B in Calcutta. The theory is good, but implementation is the key to success. And there will be lag, so it's possible for a person in each office to think they are the only one working on a drawing and ending up with conflicting edits. If overnite replication is adequate, then it's simpler to implement.

Option 3 - hope you have a huge budget and implement fiber all the way from Timbucktu to Calcutta. You might be able to get 100Mbt speed between the two locations, which is close enough for transparent working on remote servers. That may be something we end up doing in our little remote shop - the landlord has paid to extend fiber to the building for his own purposes, and we are discussing piggybacking onto that instead of the paltry T1 line we currently use.

If working on remote files is SOP, you might be best served with combining an EDMS with the selected option. Adpet from Synergis software is one that's designed from the ground up to work with CAD files, and there are others out there.