What are the benefits of network version?

Why go with the network version of AutoCAD?
What benefits are there?
At what point and for what reasons does the network version make more sense
than the stand alone version?

 

Greg,

The biggest benefit I see from a Network version of a Stand Alone version,
is you have the ability to say have 10 licenses of AutoCAD and install it
on 20 computers, but because of the license manager only 10 people can run
AutoCAD at a time.

Thanks,
Danny Hubbard
Autodesk Product Support
http://www.autodesk.com/support

 

So basically that is the only time when it makes sense to use the network
version of AutoCAD? When you have designers that only need to use AutoCAD
on a limited basis?
Is there any administrative functions that the network version simplifies?
I run 22 going on 23 seats of AutoCAD stand alone version and am trying to
get a handle on administering AutoCAD. The users use the software all day
every day. It takes so much time to have everyone having their config file
on their local hard drive. It would be nice if there was a way to have
everything run off the network. That way when a hard drive crashes it's a
simple process to get all the settings and customized stuff back quickly.
Does Autodesk support AutoCAD running on MS Windows 2003 Server?
If so when will it?
Thanks for your input

 

You don't specifically need the network version to make administration
easier for a lot of users. First, I'd suggest getting a multiple seat serial
number instead of individual ones and then using the network deployment
wizard to make an installation image that can include a lot of custom
settings and also include custom files by default when installing AutoCAD.
(If AutoCAD is already installed, you'll probably want to switch to a single
SN next upgrade - it's no charge.)

Once you've got that out of the way you can create custom AutoCAD profiles
and distribute them to all your users, assuring they get the correct custom
settings. If you include this in Windows logon scripts they'll get the
latest settings everytime they logon to Windows.

Below is a copy of the logon script we used for Land Desktop 2000i. The .reg
files are simply stripped down .arg profiles containing only the settings we
want standardized, leaving the rest alone for user control. I also copy a
lot of standardized files down from the server to each computer - again,
this assures they always have the current standards. Save a file like this
on the network as a batch file and then specify it as the logon script in
Windows profiles, (you could also put it in each user's Startup group), and
anytime you have to adjust your standards, modifying just the source set of
files is all that's needed.

Sample logon script, (watch linewrap, and the last line just calls a
hardware/software inventory program we have):
----------------------------------------------------------
regedit /s \\0ds1\DATA\Cad\master.reg
regedit /s \\0ds1\DATA\Cad\map.reg

md "C:\land projects r2\temp"
md "C:\Program Files\MapCAD\Labeling2000"
md "C:\Program Files\MapCAD\MapCheck1.5"
md "C:\Program Files\MapCAD\PlanSetMgr"
md "C:\land projects r2\templates-org"

move /y "C:\Program Files\Land Desktop R2\Template\*.*" "C:\land projects
r2\templates-org"

del /f "C:\Program Files\Land Desktop R2\Plotters\plotstamp.pss"
xcopy /q /s /y "\\0ds1\DATA\Cad\Ctl\drv" "C:\Program Files\Land Desktop
R2\Drv"
xcopy /q /s /y "\\0ds1\DATA\Cad\Ctl\Plot Styles" "C:\Program Files\Land
Desktop R2\Plot Styles"
xcopy /q /s /y "\\0ds1\DATA\Cad\Ctl\Plotters" "C:\Program Files\Land Desktop
R2\Plotters"
xcopy /q /s /y "\\0ds1\DATA\Cad\Ctl\Template" "C:\Program Files\Land Desktop
R2\Template"
xcopy /q /s /y "\\0ds1\DATA\Cad\Ctl\Setup" "C:\Program Files\Land Desktop
R2\Data\Setup"

copy /y "\\0ds1\DATA\Cad\Ctl\Support\csw.mn*" "C:\Program Files\Land Desktop
R2\Support"
copy /y "\\0ds1\DATA\Cad\Ctl\Support\*.apm2" "C:\Program Files\Land Desktop
R2\Data\Menu Palettes"
copy /y "\\0ds1\DATA\Cad\Ctl\Support\acad.pat" "C:\Program Files\Land
Desktop R2\Support"
copy /y "\\0ds1\DATA\Cad\Ctl\Support\acad.rx" "C:\Program Files\Land Desktop
R2\Support"

call track-it.bat
----------------------------------------------------------

 

If you're in a 2005 based software and using standalone. Then you'll have to rely on software activation. In version 2005, you don't have to worry about the Activation headaches if you're using Network Licensing. If your users need to borrow a license. Use the checkout feature. I'm testing network licensing in one of my offices and so far they like it. You can building images and update those images when Autodesk releases a service pack. If you have a significant number of users, look at a redundant or distrbitued server model.

Shobhit Baadkar
Director of Business Development
CVIS, Inc.
http://www.cvis.com