Local Server Installation and Configuration

Comments22

• MatthiasKahlert4511Fri Aug 19, 2011 5:12 amIt should be made clearer that the clients which connect to the local server need (at least) ICMP access to the central server as well. Cost me some hours to change the whole vpn setup.
• richard.jacunski@autodesk.comFri Aug 19, 2011 10:33 amThank you for your comment, and I'm sorry if the lack of clarity resulted in extra work for you. It would help us improve this topic if you would be willing to elaborate a bit. Do you think the note that precedes the numbered steps needs to be more explicit, or was it a case of how it was presented graphically or where it was positioned within the topic? Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
  ~Rick Jacunski, Autodesk Revit User Experience Team
• MatthiasKahlert4511Mon Aug 22, 2011 3:07 amHi, my original intent was to setup a vpn directly between the revit servers. I could not get this to work though. I then noticed the clients in the lan with the local server trying to send icmp messages to the central server. (I hadn't provided any routing for that. The local server could of course ping the central server through the vpn.) I then changed the vpn to go from a gateway in one lan to the other and provided routing and nat for all clients. This worked. So maybe the "note" above should be changed to something like: "You must allow ICMP requests through the firewall for the local clients and server to the central Revit server."
• richard.jacunski@autodesk.comMon Aug 22, 2011 7:22 amThe wording of the note has been changed to indicate that both the clients and the local server must have ICMP access to the central server. Thanks, Matthias, for taking the time to help us clarify this point for users.
  ~Rick Jacunski, Autodesk Revit User Experience Team
• hermeytheelfMon Sep 19, 2011 12:03 pmI am curious as to how we would go about changing the location or the name of the folder that houses the Cache folder on a local server. One problem, as I see it, on our Revit Server Network is that we have very inconsistent naming and organization when it comes to Cache folders on Local Servers. I don't see that the Cache folder location is stored as a system variable like the Central Server location is. The only time to set that location seems to be during installation from the original image. Would a reinstall need to happen in order to change this?
  UPDATE: My question was answered by Autodesk QA in the email realm. What I am looking to do is only possible by performing an uninstall and reinstall of the Revit Server application on the Local Server.
• jpoldingWed Oct 12, 2011 1:33 pmFew questions:
  
  Where are the instructions describing the procedure of creating Revit Server Central Files and Revit Server Local Central files? How many central files does the team end up with and where are they? Which one do they point their local porject file to? Where do we put linked Revit and CAD files?
• hermeytheelfWed Oct 12, 2011 2:29 pmMigrating a Central Model to Revit Server
  http://wikihelp.autodesk.com/Revit/enu/2012/Help/Revit_Administration_Guide/0002-Revit_Se2/0003-Revit_Se3/0007-Migratin7
  Only one Central file that exists on the Central Server. The data related to that model is cached to a local server the first time that a new local copy is created in that office. The data is then refresehed evey two minutes by the autoSync service and on-demand when a SWC occurs.
  The user needs to point Revit to the Local Server in their office.
  Link Revit files on Revit server or file server.
  CAD files cannot exist on Revit Server. Link them from a file server on the network. If you have WAN accelerators, other offices experience minimal impact from CAD files that are not local.
• jpoldingThu Oct 13, 2011 8:32 amThanks. Let me get this straight:
  No one puts a file on the Central Server? This is automated by Revit Server?
  Users in remote locations install Revit Server Local and connect it with the Central. Users then connect their Revits with their Local Server. The rvt central file will 'magically' be there. They will then create a local rvt on their machines?
  All links will remain as long as the path is visible from the servers?
• hermeytheelfThu Oct 13, 2011 8:56 amno magic placement of Central File. The page that I linked to describes opening an existing central file detached and saving it to Revit Server as a new central. After that, everyone works like traditional Revit, making local copies of a Central File, only now they browse to the Revit Server instead of a file server.
  Links remain but just like regular Revit, don't link to a local drive and avoid linking to mapped drives. Link to other RS models or link to full UNC path on your network.
• jpoldingThu Oct 13, 2011 9:39 amSo why install a Local Revit Server and a Central Revit Server? Why not just install a Central Server then?
• leemichaelbThu Oct 13, 2011 9:53 amjpolding:
  In short, the central server resides in one location which for the majority of your users may be across the WAN where network performance (and therefore the user experience) tends to be sluggish.
  
  The local servers exist to mirror critical pieces of the data from the central server. If each site has its own local server, this has the effect of bringing some of the data closer to the users, within a LAN where performance is faster, rather than across the WAN.
  
  Please refer to the following documentation section:
  http://wikihelp.autodesk.com/Revit/enu/2012/Help/Revit_Administration_Guide/0002-Revit_Se2/0003-Revit_Se3
  There is some content there - including multimedia - that you may find helpful.
  
  Thank you,
  Mike Lee
  Autodesk Revit Server QA
• jpoldingThu Oct 13, 2011 10:09 amThanks Mike, I understand the concept just not the procedure. Do you saveas to the central file to the 'Local Revit Server' or to the 'Central Revit Server'?
• leemichaelbThu Oct 13, 2011 10:26 amahh ... from a UI / user experience perspective, in file navigation, where you save a central file, all you see is "Revit Server" - it does not mention which specific server. In reality, what is happening is that the file being saved is being stored on the central server. if that user happens to be connected to a local server (which they would accomplish using the Connect to Revit Server dialog on the collaborate tab of ribbon) then in the process of doing so, some of the data will also be dropped off at the local server transparently.
  Hope this helps,
  Mike Lee
  Autodesk Revit Server QA
• jpoldingThu Oct 13, 2011 12:26 pmThanks Mike, still not quite the answer I was looking for. The quesiton is:
  
  Where should the user initially save/create the Central File; the Local Revit Server or the Central Revit Server? Please tell me which one of those choices are correct, Central or Local Server?
• leemichaelbThu Oct 13, 2011 2:24 pmThe user will not have a choice in the matter, as there is no place in the UI where we draw a distinction between the two and give them the option of choosing. When the user initially saves the central file, it will always go to the central server.
  
  Mike Lee
  Autodesk Revit Server QA
• leemichaelbThu Oct 13, 2011 2:26 pmTo clarify: the master copy of the data is always stored on the central server. The local servers mirror part of this information for purposes of improving performance, but this is completely transparent to the user.
  
  Mike Lee
  Autodesk Revit Server QA
• jpoldingThu Oct 13, 2011 3:51 pmThanks Mike, that does help. What if the user points their Revit to the local server instead of the central server?
• leemichaelbThu Oct 13, 2011 7:35 pmDoesn't change a thing... From their perspective, the user experience is exactly the same: file navigation looks exactly the same, and when they save their model, it still goes to the central server. The only difference in this scenario is this: some of the model data is also dropped off and made available at their local server, improving performance for operations with this model for any user that is also connected to this local server. But all this is completely transparent to the end user. It all happens behind the scenes.
  
  Mike Lee
  Autodesk Revit Server QA
• pattygaleFri Oct 14, 2011 5:30 amYou might find this information and video helpful:
  Revit Server Overview
  -- Patty Gale, Autodesk Revit User Experience Team
• jpoldingFri Oct 14, 2011 6:14 amThanks, Patty. The issue is not understanding what it does but HOW to do it. Does the user save the central file to the Central Server then, even if his Revit is connected to the Local Server?
  What do people do at remote locations?
• leemichaelbFri Oct 14, 2011 7:09 amDoes the user save the central file to the Central Server then, even if his Revit is connected to the Local Server?
  >> Correct. And the user doesn't have to do anything special - it "just happens," because from the user's perspective they are just saving to "The" Revit Server; they don't get to specify which one.
  
  People at remote locations will all do the same thing. The only difference will be that they will be connected to that central server via a local server which is specified in the Connect to Revit Server dialog.
  
  Mike Lee
  Autodesk Revit Server QA
• jpoldingFri Oct 14, 2011 7:43 amThanks Mike! That clarifies for sure.