This section addresses topics specifically related to the unique environments associated with replicating data to multiple work sites.
Scalability of File Store Replication
Replication uses a single database for all sites and replicates the file store to each location. This architecture has distinct advantages in ease of implementation, end user experience and the instantaneous nature of the information availability. This architecture is not suited to multiple sites that are distributed over great distances or poor networks. It is recommended that the replication environments are not distributed across multiple continents.
Introduction to Content Center with Replicated File Store
Autodesk Inventor Standard Content is delivered in the form of library databases that are hosted by the Autodesk Vault Server. Users access these library databases through Inventor to automatically create selected library components as Inventor part files. Once instanced these components are stored in a folder defined by the Inventor project file. When the assembly is then checked into Vault, the instanced Content Center components are also checked into Vault.
In a Replicated Autodesk Vault environment we can tune the performance of Content Center by altering the configuration of the Inventor project file.
Assumptions
The following examples assume all software including the Content has been installed. These examples also assume the reader has a functional understanding of how Content is instantiated and referenced. If required please reference the Content Center help.
The diagrams show the SQL server as a separate computer for clarity. SQL Server may be on a separate computer or on the Autodesk Vault Server, either case is supported and has no impact on the workflows detailed in this document.
Private Content Center Folder
The default configuration when using Inventor is for each client to have a private Content Center folder.
- Suitable for assemblies that have a high volume of Content Center components by eliminating network traffic for existing local components.
- Allows each user to have only the content they use in their Private Content Center folder.
- Consumes considerable disk space on the client
- Each client must instantiate each referenced component in their Private Content Center folder
Private content example:
- Client 1 creates an instance of a component from the Content Center database. The instanced part file is written to the Private Content Center folder located on the client computer.
- User checks in the instanced component as part of an assembly. The Content part is copied into the Vault file store.
- Client 2 inserts the same component that Client 1 used. Since the part does not yet exist in the Private Content Center Folder for Client 2 it must be instanced from the database.
- Once instanced the assembly may be checked into Vault. Vault knows that this component already exists and resolves the assembly with the existing component in the file store.
- During the scheduled replication at each Autodesk Vault Server the Content Center components are copied to the local file store at each site.
- Client 3 inserts the same component that Client 1 & 2 used previously. The component must be instanced from the remote database. This is the same process as Client 2 in step 3, but the instantiation delay may be increased based upon the distance and network latency between the client and the SQL Server.
Seeding the Content Center Folders
The re-instancing of existing components can be avoided by performing a Get Entire Folder from the Vault thick client. This will seed the Content Center Folder with all instanced Content that has been checked into the Vault. This applies to both the Private and Shared Content Center Folders. In environments where new content is created frequently it may be advantages to perform this operation on regular basis.
Public Content Center
The Content Center files are installed on the Autodesk Data Management Server. For more information about Content Center files and installing them with Inventor, see What is the Content Center.