Best Practices for Implementing Autodesk Vault

I wanted to document some of the best practices for implementing Autodesk® Vault software. To start, I will cover standard methods for deploying Autodesk Vault. Although these are not the only methods for deploying the software, they are the most robust and easiest to maintain.

Use this guide as a starting point. You can always change your configuration later if your business demands it.

Understanding the Vault Architecture 

One of the keys to understanding Autodesk Vault is to understand the two main components that make up its architecture: the vault clients and the vault server. Each component is explained in more detail in the following sections.

Vault Server 

The vault server is the core of the vault, holding all the data and software. There are three key components to the server: the web server, the database, and the file store.

• Web Server—The web server uses Microsoft® Internet Information Services (IIS). IIS hosts components known as .NET Web Services. The web services provide all the logic needed for the vault to operate. Web services communicate with the other components via standard HTTP methods. In fact, all vault communication is via these Web Services over the web server’s port 80.
• Database Server—The database server stores all the metadata for the vault. By default, Autodesk Vault installs a limited release of Microsoft SQL Server Express. You can upgrade SQL Server Express to full SQL Server at any time. Please contact your local Microsoft® reseller for details on pricing and availability. The metadata stored in SQL is crucial to the operation of the vault. It maintains the file relationships for all the data in the file store.
• File Store—The file store is the secure location where files are stored. The file store and the database server work together, pairing metadata with actual files to provide all the data needed to do your work. This location is controlled by Autodesk Vault. Never access or manipulate the file store directly. Instead, access the file store only through the vault clients, such as Vault Explorer or an application integration, explained in more detail in the next section. Likewise, perform file store maintenance only using Autodesk Vault Manager.

Vault Clients 

A vault client is any application that connects to the vault server to perform vault operations such as Autodesk Vault Explorer or any of the application integrations.

Vault Explorer

This application is a generic interface to the vault server. Think of it as you would any desktop explorer functionality.  You can browse the complete vault structure, add any file to the vault, and perform just about any operation generically.

Vault Application Integrations

Most other integrations fall into this category. These are specialized integrations within a parent application, such as Autodesk Vault for Autodesk Inventor® software, Autodesk Vault for AutoCAD® software, Autodesk Vault for Microsoft® Office, and so on. These clients provide two things:

• Direct access to the vault via the application
• More data knowledge to the vault when interacting with the vault server

Autodesk Inventor relationships are one example. When data is added to the vault using the Autodesk Inventor add-in, the vault maintains all the complex relationships that are created by assemblies, drawings, presentations, and so on.

Note: As a general rule, if an integrated client is available for a particular application, managing files using that client minimizes loss of data, such as the assembly relationships. Autodesk recommends that you use the integrated clients whenever possible.

Installation

There are many ways to set up a vault server and its related clients. The most robust way is to install the Autodesk Data Management Server on a separate computer dedicated to Autodesk Vault and allow the appropriate clients to communicate with the server.

Note: A single, dedicated server means that other competing business applications do not interfere with the operation of Autodesk Vault. Other applications known to interfere with Vault are Microsoft Exchange, using the computer as either an Internet or intranet server and other data management and document management systems.

Other Configurations 

There are many other ways to configure and install Autodesk Vault; however, the single server model is the solution recommended by Autodesk for the following reasons:

• Installation and configuration—When you use a single computer to host all server software, there are far fewer parts to diagnose should any problems arise. Few tools are currently available to diagnose different configurations, thus increasing guesswork.
• Performance—When clients access data from the server, the data is located and then passed back to the client. This process works best when all data is stored on a single machine reading files directly from the local disk.
• Backup and restore—Backing up data is much more efficient on a single server machine. Because the backup process involves an extensive transfer between files, keeping the components as close to each other as possible improves performance and reliability of the backup process.
• Reliability—In general, the more parts you add to your system, the less reliable it becomes and the more troubleshooting it requires.

System Requirements 

Before installation, verify that your hardware meets the minimum system requirements. Of course, you should meet the preferred requirements if possible. See the Autodesk website for the latest system requirements:

• Visit www.autodesk.com/vault for more information about Autodesk Vault system requirements.

Upgrading from a Previous Release 

If you already have Autodesk Vault installed, follow these steps to upgrade your system:

1. Back up your vault! Always make sure you have a valid backup of your data created using the supplied backup utility before upgrading your software. It is important to use the backup feature in Autodesk Vault Data Management Console to back up your vault.
2. Check the Autodesk Knowledge Base (http://support.autodesk.com) for any additional information regarding the upgrade.
3. Follow the directions in the Managing Your Data manual that comes with the software.

Multiple Vaults 

Autodesk Vault can create and manage multiple vaults.  A vault is a separate storage repository, like having multiple hard drives on a computer.  The following section details benefits and downsides of using more than one vault.

Note: Using a single vault is the recommended method.

Benefits of Using Multiple Vaults 

Following are some of the benefits of using more than one vault:

• One of the best reasons is to provide training areas where users can feel free to experiment without interfering with the main vault. It is even possible to create a new vault for each user for training purposes, deleting them when they are finished.
• For companies that specialize in engineering consulting, it may be useful to create a separate vault for each customer you work with. This enables you to keep templates, standards, and project information separate and isolated.
• You can support different departments within your group. If you have multiple teams that work on separate projects and do not need to share data, multiple vaults may help.

Downside of Using Multiple Vaults 

The most important thing to remember when working with multiple vaults is that the data is completely separate and can never be merged. The only way to combine two or more vaults is to remove data from one vault and manually add it to the other, resolving any conflicts that may occur.

Jason Summerfield
Premium Support Specialist