Use AutoCAD on Terminal Server

Maybe some of you already read this posting on AutoCAD.2005 newsgroup.

Does anybody know why AutoCAD 2005 cannot be run on terminal server?
You can run it for 2 users (or 1 user 2 simultaneous session) only. I
don't understand the reasoning, because it does claim 1 license per
session, so we are not trying to get free license. AutoCAD 2000 works
fine on Terminal Server, AutoDesk deliberately put code on version 2002
onwards to prevent tis.
We have to use Terminal Server because we are doing work cross country,
some drafter in US and some in other country and our file server is in
US. it will be crazy to open DWG file cross country without Terminal
Server (I read some posting about the slowness opening DGW on WAN. Tis'
exactly the reason we use Terminal Server).

Anybody know other way around this?

The only choice I can think of right now is to use Microstation V8 to
work with DWG file then. Don't like to, but have to since AutoDesk is
such an asshole. If this works out fine, we might drop all AutoCAD
licenses altogether since Microstation V8 can work with DGN and DWG.
Why pay for two programs.

 

I agree with your assesment about the Terminal Server problem.

Terminal Server is the ONLY way to share dwg projects using LDT & ADT
because the link to access database files makes it IMPOSSIBLE to work
projects over a WAN. The open/save latency is a minor issue compared to
waiting ALL DAY for simple menu functions because they're linked to access
database files over the WAN. They should have a SQL backend for companies
that need to work on projects over a WAN to correct this ASAP!

The license "cheating" issue, in my opinion, is a LIE. FlexLM can handle
the license issue associated with Terminal Server to prevent "cheating". In
my opinion, Autodesk did this because more and more companies are off
shoring jobs and the license agreement states that a license can only be
used in the country that it was purchased for.

 

FLEXlm could handle Terminal Server, by changing the setting so that
multiple sessions pull multiple licenses.

However, this would penalize most people, who don't run TS and have multiple
sessions for only a single user. In this case, multiple licenses should not
be pulled. But with TS, there's no way to tell the difference on the back
end.

--Cy--

 

Why not make a TS version of AutoCAD that would pull a license for each
session? We would be happy to pay for it.

Our company needs this kind of service for some complicated centralized
applications. Because Autodesk is not willing to solve this problem we have
to get other software.

TS is not a license problem, we have about 1000 Autocad licenses at the
moment, in the future the number is going to decrease instead of increasing
because Autodesk is not willing to give us solutions. We are not interested
in small refinements, the main applications and features we are using were
programmed 15 years ago (...the Apollos had some interesting programming
tools... .

Autodesk should wake up, we live in a international, internet world where
cross-country operations are routine.

Juha

 

I agree with you that TS should be better supported. Regarding Cy's comments
I think that could be solved by having separate FLEXnet features for AutoCAD
for TS and regular desktop AutoCAD.

--
Best Regards, Jimmy Bergmark
CAD and Database Developer Manager at www.pharmadule-emtunga.com
Blog: http://jtbworld.blogspot.com
JTB FlexReport (FLEXnet / FLEXlm report tool) -
www.jtbworld.com/jtbflexreport
SmartPurger (Purges automatically) - www.jtbworld.com/?/smartpurger.htm
or download some freeware at www.jtbworld.com
More on AutoCAD 2005 and 2006
www.jtbworld.com/autocad2005.htm
www.jtbworld.com/autocad2006.htm

 

A TS version was produced a few versions back. Don't know what happened;
anyone else?

--Cy--

 

They used to have a TS version but didn't tell us it was available.

When the product was discontinued they sent us a notice, this was how we
learned about the product...

Juha