Vault Server Administration

Learn about the Vault Server and managing vaults.

The Vault server stores and maintains the files and metadata that make up the vault. This data is managed by Microsoft SQL Server, a Microsoft relational database. The server software can be installed on a server or workstation that is shared by all users. For a single user, the server can be installed along with the client on a single, isolated workstation.

Three primary components make up the Vault server: a web server, a database, and a file store. The following figure illustrates the basic configuration of the components.

Database Server

The database server tracks all the relationships between data. It acts like a library card catalog, containing indexes and pointers of where to find related information. By default, the Autodesk Vault 2021 Data Management Server installs Microsoft® SQL Express Adv 2017. Microsoft SQL Express Adv 2017 can be upgraded any time after the Autodesk Data Management Server components are installed.

See Vault System Requirements and Upgrade Autodesk Vault for more information.

File Store

The file store and the database server work with each other. The database provides the index information for the location of files. The file store is the secure location on the server where the files are located.

Note: Never directly move, delete, or edit a file in the file store. Use the Autodesk Data Management Server console to manage the file store.

Web Server

Autodesk Data Management Server requires that Windows Internet Information Services (IIS) is installed.

Note: If IIS is not installed on the computer that hosts the server, and you require more than a single-user installation, install IIS before you install Autodesk Vault server.

Note: The original Microsoft Windows installation media might be necessary to complete the IIS installation.

The Autodesk Vault server is actually a Web application that uses services to manage the communication between the clients and the server with Web services. The interaction between the clients and the server resembles the way a web browser communicates with a site on the Internet. The Web services use standard HTTP methods, communicating over the Web server port 80 by default. Microsoft IIS is required for multiple-user configurations.

Proxy Server

A proxy server forwards requests of client computers to other servers. Some networks force all client computers to use a proxy server for all web service requests.

If your network uses a proxy server, you can configure it to use a host name or bypass the proxy server of your host clients.

Note: For more information about configuring a proxy server, see Configure Vault to Use a Proxy Server in the Vault Installation help.