Corrupting revit files over the network

[Wagurto]

While ago I posted here a problem when I open revit files over my network. The files get corrupted with no way to recovered it. I contacted revit technical support but nobody got me answer why this is happening to me. My only way to work revit files over my network is coping the file to a local machine and then movinig the to the server. This situation is creating a file management nightmare. Does anyone else experiencing this problem?
or I am alone in this one?
Thanks

[dhurtubise]

Which OS are you running on the local machines, XP or Vista?
Are you creating a local file everyday?

[Wagurto]

I am using XP32 I am not using workset. I just copy the file to be edited to a local machine and the move it back to the server for storage in order to not corrupt the file.
thanks

[guitarchitect7]

I just had this issue happen to me as well just a week ago. I contacted tech support and they couldn't find a resolution. Actually the corrupted file ended up corrupting their system as well.

Anyway, I ended up having to start over after installing the latest build. I havn't had it happen again, so maybe just getting the latest build could help your issues.

[Wagurto]

It really seems to be an isolated case. Nobody else seams to have an issue saving and opening files through the network. I wonder if it's an issue with windows or something else. The strange thing it's that only happened with revit files.
Thanks anyway for you input.

[truevis]

Perhaps it's a virus-checker thing again. Who really knows what those things do?

[mlgatzke]

I had this problem a couple of years ago. I contacted several people I "know" and was told that Revit has a known deficit when saving over a network. Autodesk's recommendation is to NEVER save over a network. Users should make local copies of the file they wish to work on, saving locally while they work on the file, then copy the file back to the server at the end of each day - similar to the procedure for Worksets.

I won't expound on this any further as I don't want to get anyone in trouble or bombarded with email and hostile responses. Just know that (2 years ago anyway) they knew about this deficit and didn't have a solution, only a work-around. To this day, I still have everyone make local copies, do their work, then copy the completed file back to the server - and haven't had any problems since.

[Steve_Stafford]

...I won't expound on this any further as I don't want to get anyone in trouble or bombarded with email and hostile responses...Hi Mike, this just doesn't sound right. If true in the past I sure hope it isn't true today.

[Wagurto]

Mike thank you very much, this is the first time that I heard something honest about this problem. I started using workset for all my projects since I have corrupted several files and lost many valuable hours of work. I hope you don't get in troubles just for telling the true.
I hope some day Autodesk comes with a solution for this problem.

[sbrown]

This is definately true, but rare and next too impossible to reproduce since the factory can't reproduce your network settings.

Basically as I understand it. Revits files are large and therefore prone to corruption if there is interuption in the network connection during saving. I thought they fixed this by now actually saving to local mem, then while your not looking it moves it to the proper location. I'm just guessing at that. We have one user that this happens to frequently and we can't figure it out. Do you have a busy network? do you have gigabit connection? this seemed to happen alot more with the 100mb cards.

I would suggest not necessarily moving your files to your local drive, but frequently doing a dual save, do a save as to your local, then a save as back to the network. Just so you don't lose a lot of work. You may just have a fautly nic card. Its really hard to say.

[Wagurto]

Thanks Scott, good try, but our network its very small. Only 3 pcs all machines with 1gb cards and the files corrupt are not only small files but they are single families files saved thru the network. It just takes open a file located at the server and saved it to corrupt the file.

[Steve_Stafford]

Thanks Scott, good try, but our network its very small. Only 3 pcs all machines with 1gb cards and the files corrupt are not only small files but they are single families files saved thru the network. It just takes open a file located at the server and saved it to corrupt the file.Are you actually using a server and server operating system or are you using peer to peer workstation software where the server is just another workstation? Workstation operating systems are not as robust as server operating systems for concurrent transactions. I've seen peer to peer setups corrupt files in AutoCAD, Word etc in the past when there is too much activity for the peer to peer transactions and operating system to contend with.

[Wagurto]

Hi Steve, I am actually using a peer to peer networking nothing especial but I never got a corrupted file for any other application running on windows xp. I am conviced that there is something about Revit running on a network that fails to save correctly. I just wonder if its just me or Its a known issue with Revit.If you are not having this problem I would like to know what do you do different than me and try to do the same.
Thanks

[Steve_Stafford]

...I am actually using a peer to peer networking nothing especial...So by nothing special do you mean that you do not have a server computer running Windows Server software? If yes then it is very likely that this IS the culprit. Other software does not tax the operating system like Revit. I worked in an office that did not use a real server originally and we had sporadic saving problems, just regular AutoCAD files. When I upgraded the office to a real server the problem never occurred again. If you check the web you should find ample evidence that workstation software does not truly provide as robust a network environment as a true server and server operating system.

[studio3p]

We had a problem with network-based Revit files about a year ago. After way more frustration than I thought possible, our sometimes IT guy discovered that our router hadn't been told which machine was the server. It took about 3 1/2 minutes of his time and the problem literally disappeared. Have you had someone who knows what they're doing look at your network configuration?

[Wagurto]

Thanks Joe That maybe the problem. I am going to check with my IT to see if that could solve my problem. Thank you guys for all your help. This has been very fustrating for us.

[mmiles]

today, our server ran out of hard disk space. AutoCAD and Revit files throughout the office (18 workstations) could not save, and once a save command was executed, many of those files become corrupted.

It seems that our save attempts were being interrupted by the lack of space on the storage device. It took us a couple of days for the problem to rear its ugly head, but we have restored space to the server/storage device by moving certain large items off of it. But, the fact remains, we have Revit (latest 2008 build) files that no longer open.

is this a coincidence? Or, is there really a not-to-well known issue with Revit and network saves?

[mlgatzke]

My problem happened when we were still running on a 10Mb network and have since stepped up to 100Mb cards and switches. Still slow, I know, but I can't get anyone to upgrade me. Maybe I'll hit them up about it again.