GIS Tech News (#54)

Seeking the Ideal Civil 3D Setup, Part 2p>

This installment looks at data preservation options, the future outlook, and more details about file storage with Vault.

By Kenneth Wong

In Part 1 of this article we looked at how two firms, Bowman Consulting Group and David Evans and Associates (DEA), are approaching the migration from Autodesk Land Desktop to Civil 3D. In Part II, we examine three possible Vault setups for firms adopting Civil 3D and the requirements for backup operations.

Alternative Vaulting Schemes
J.C. Davis, DEA's corporate Autodesk administrator and Civil 3D project manager, observed, "Through our research, we found several methodologies for setting up Vault within any organization." He identified a few as follows:

• individual Vault servers in each location with individual working folder locations
• centralized Vault sever with working folder locations at each individual site
• centralized Vault server with a centralized single location accessed by each site

Like many of his peers, Davis is concerned with the impacts to the WAN. "Pipe size isn't cheap," he acknowledged, but added, "The key is where you set up your working folder location. If you have a centralized working folder location for your Vault, your WAN traffic increases greatly each time you check in or check out a drawing, since it travels across the WAN. If you have individual working folder locations in each of your organization sites (offices), your WAN traffic is minimal as the only time the data is transferred across the WAN is when the current file version is not in the same location as the end-user leveraging it. Read more »

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Kenneth Wong is a Cadalyst columnist and former Cadence editor. He explores innovative uses of technology and its implications in his writing. Reach him at kenneth.wong@cadalyst.com.

Solutions from Synergis Tutorial

To Vault or Not to Vault: That Is the Question, Part 2

By Bill Frederick

In my previous column, I discussed some of the options available for collaborating using AutoCAD Civil 3D. Using xrefs and data shortcuts, users can accomplish most of their everyday tasks.

Autodesk also provides a more robust data collaboration option -- Autodesk Vault. Vault is a very powerful tool that will allow the majority of users to work to their fullest capacity sharing data as well as Microsoft-based products. So what is it and how can you use it?

Vault is an application that has existed for several years. Its original function was to support Autodesk Inventor and data management within a project. AutoCAD Civil 3D 2007 introduced Vault into the workflow environment and is in the current release as its data/project management component. Read more »

Mark Your Calendar: GIS Events

AutoCAD Civil 3D Test Drive

Through July 7, 2008
Various U.S. Cities
See how to intelligently link design and production drafting, greatly reducing the time it takes to implement changes and learn ways to streamline office processes, increase project capacity, and improve customer service. Read more »

Spatial Analysis for Business 2008
April 5-8, 2008
Redlands, California
The Spatial Analysis for Business 2008 conference is cosponsored by the University of Redlands and the Small Business Administration. This conference brings together businesses, experts in GIS, and researchers to create a unique learning opportunity. Read more »

Cadalyst's complete list of upcoming events is always available on our Web site. Cadalyst's sister publication, Geospatial Solutions, also offers a full calendar of GIS-related events.