Network deployment requires UNC path for log file

Network deployment requires UNC path for log file.
We have multiple locations, each with a "W: Drive" for
the support of AutoCAD.

So, if we could make the log file point to the exact same
place, W:\... then the installations could all be the same
and replicated around the country.

Does anyone know of a way to avoid UNC paths in network deployments?

- Ted Schaefer
WD Partners

 

Hi Ted,

No you can not avoid using the UNC path. But if it can not find the UNC path
it will still work. You will just loose the server side one liner log file.
What you could do is create one NIW deployment. Then at each location run
NIW again but modify the existing deployment to point at that UNC path.
It's very fast to run through the NIW a second time like this and it will
just update the MST file.

Hope this helps.

Bud Schroeder
AutoCAD Test Development
Autodesk Inc.

 

You could also use a local UNC path for logging, then run a script to dump
that to the right place on the WAN, even appending the local log to the main
log.

Note to Bud, AutoCAD should allow UNC, mapped drives and Environment
Variables for EVERYTHING. The lack of drive letters is a problem here, and
the lack of environment variables is a problem for user specific network
plot styles. I am sure there are any number of other similar issues.
Consistency would be a great help.

Best,
Gordon

 

No you can not avoid using the UNC path. But if it can not find the UNC path

It's been some time since I installed off a deployment but if I recall
correctly, you could manually edit some of the deployment files and have
them point to a drive letter destination and it would spit the logs
there despite not having the ability to specify it that way in the NIW.

I've sense quit using the NIW to to various issues like this and instead
deploy my network licenses directly from a CD image.

--
Darren J. Young
CAD/CAM Systems Developer

Cold Spring Granite Company
202 South Third Avenue
Cold Spring, Minnesota 56320

Email:
Phone: (320) 685-5045
Fax: (320) 685-5052

 

Thanks Bud,

If it finds the unc accross the WAN it seems to slow it way down.

- Ted

 

Hi Ted,

Can you give me an example of how much it slows down? Also the log file is
for the deployment only so once the deployment gets going does it speed back
up?

Thanks for getting us the details.

Bud

 

Bud,

For 2004, I think it added 40% to the install time, even with a fairly good
wan connection.
Mainly, I just remember it being painfully slow and wondering why.
I don't think it sped up any. We learned quickly not to do that. So
I haven't done it in over a year. Memory getting hazy.

- Ted

 

Thanks Ted,

I'll look into it and see if I can reproduce it. When I did the testing of
deployments off a CD there was no slow down at all. Now one other thing to
watch for though is real time Virus protection. It will scan every single
file and bring a deployment to it's knees. Next time you try it, try
disabling real time scanning just to see if it speeds up. With NIW we went
to an uncompressed admin image so it's checking every single file.

Hope this helps and have a good weekend.

Bud

 

Thanks!