Hello everyone,
I have an environment in which we have multiple offices connected via MPLS each with their own server. We have recently begun using DFS to ensure UNC paths remain constant and to ensure a user is mapped to the server local to them. Also, we use a solution that locks files on both servers to ensure that we don't end up with files being edited at both offices simultaneously.
Has anyone had any experience with a similar setup? We are experiencing slow opens despite extremely fast servers/drives. Also, we get intermittent crashes with no explanations. Any insight into how MicroStation interacts with multiple files on the network would be helpful as my gut tells me this has something to do with either DFS or the way Microstation handles locking/unlocking/monitoring changes in files in a project.
PS - I'm a network guy, not a Microstation guru, so please assume I have limited knowledge of MicroStation specifically.
David Baird said:We are experiencing slow opens despite extremely fast servers/drives. Also, we get intermittent crashes with no explanations.
And we're MicroStation guys, not network guys. You introduced three acronyms that may be obvious to a network guy but necessarily to a MicroStation guy. It's a good idea to explain your acronyms if dealing with an audience unfamiliar with your domain of expertise...
If I got those wrong, it's because I'm a MicroStation guy.
David Baird said:We use a solution that locks files on both servers to ensure that we don't end up with files being edited at both offices simultaneously. We are experiencing slow opens despite extremely fast servers/drives. Also, we get intermittent crashes with no explanations.
Your network is probably fighting MicroStation. Unlike most Office apps., MicroStation is designed to operate over networks. It is expected that some files will be open for read by multiple users. When editing, MicroStation uses low-level network protocols continually to ensure that its data are preserved. It behaves more like a relational database than most apps.
Regards, Jon Summers LA Solutions
Jon Summers said:And we're MicroStation guys, not network guys.
Thanks - I'll explain better in the future but I figured that there would be a person with a similar role on here somewhere.
Jon Summers said:When editing, MicroStation uses low-level network protocols continually to ensure that its data are preserved. It behaves more like a relational database than most apps.
Do you know of any documentation that exists as to how this functions? I assumed this was the case based on my knowledge of similar Autodesk products also used in the environment but haven't found anything that describes it in enough detail to aid in troubleshooting.
hi, we tried a setup with DFS a few years ago, to have an allways up to date second file server. but DFS with windows replication service did not work at all. microstation saves data to the dgn file every few mouse clicks ("more like a database") and windows replication does not keep up. it rather allways replicates in both directions and syncs back brevious file states from the backup server to the productive one, and this is what crashs microstation! but we had problems alike even with pdf files. in my experinece DFS with replication is not working at all, just don't use it. there are many sync tools around doing a good job, my personal favorite is syncovery, but there are many other... regrds, konrad
Konrad,
Thanks for sharing your experience. We are not using DFS-R (Replication) as I had read enough from people with your experience to realize it was not up to the task. We are using DFS-N (Namespace) to eliminate problems with UNC paths changing when the server names change and to ensure that everyone is mapped to the server at the site they are currently at. We have a replication technology in place that is separate as you suggested.
Did you have any optimization work to ensure that your synchronization platform didn't lock files up after each of those incremental changes (During the sync) that caused the next change to have issues? I believe that is what I am experiencing.
David Baird said:I figured that there would be a person with a similar role on here somewhere
You may find that the Administration Forum has a better-matched attendance.