D-Tools Best Practices
Running System Integrator over a Wide Area Network
Sharing Projects
Use D-Tools Business Manager
If you need to share project files with other users then use Business Manager and set the Project Folder for each client to a directory on the local machine (not a shared network directory). Some users share files by setting the Project Folder to a shared network directory. This is not recommended and can result in slow performance and possible loss of work. When running System Integrator without Business Manager SI scans the project folder for D-Tools project files and displays those files in the Project Lookup page in the Navigator. Setting the project folder to a shared network directory will result in a large volume of network traffic as each directory and file is examined.
Improving Performance
Don’t store other files in the D-Tools project folders
If you have other files related to a project such as contract documents, worksheets, schedules, digital photos, etc. keep them in another directory at the same level (or higher) as the project file (DTL file). In the example below the D-Tools Project folder contains only the 2 project files (DTL and VSD). Other files related to this project are stored in the Other Files directory.
When a project is “checked out” (opened from the Lookup (Server) page in Navigator) the project folder (the D-Tools Project folder in this example) and all files in it are copied from the Business Manager shared network folder to the local machine and placed in the Project Folder. The more files in this folder the longer this takes.
Create Text projects first
When creating new project don’t create a Visio or AutoCAD project until you need drawings. Start the project as a text project. Text project files (DTL files) are much smaller than Visio drawing files and can be copied back and forth to the server much faster.
D-Tools Best Practices: Running System Integrator over a Wide Area Network
Bob Pothier
Nice. . .
Linear Mode
