Autodesk Vault

[#1]

Hi Team,

I could be missing something here but the linked video shows what I beleive to be in Vault 2012 Update1 Inventor client creating versions of files that it should not. This is in base level Vault btw.

http://youtu.be/4I5F40N8ZQE

Video explaination:

Open the assm from Vault, and do a "Vault" refresh see everything in the browser is shown as white NOT green. save the file, no save required everything still white, Vault browser refresh to be sure, yip everything still white...

Check it in, and it then check details, and hey presto it HAS created a version!

Now checking the sub-parts, these correctly have NOT had a version created, so I guess you could argue that you have specifically told Inventor to check that assm in, but if its not changed at all I would expect it to be smart enough to not do it?

Second issue (more important) take a close look at the video at 47secs. See how the client sends all 21 files to the server, but the server discards 20 of them and does NOT create a version. Since the local Vault client AND the Inventor addin both know these files have NOT changed why are these sent across the network at all? On checking in a big drawing with a revised note or similar it can take a loonnngggg time to check in all the sub assms and parts when only a couple have changed. Also this is killing remote VPN users, why send files that are going to be discarded?

Yes I know there is Vault collaboration versions, but for the few time we use it VPN is fine, well at least it would be if it did not generate all this redundant traffic!

I could have sworn in the early days this was a selling feature of Vault, it was supposed to be smart enough to know what has changed and only send/checkin those files....?

Is there some settings Ive missed?

Ta Brian

[#2]

Hi Brian,

Thanks for reporting this issue.

I agree with you that if there is no change in the Assembly and its Part, Check-in should not create a Version. So I am wondering what is the change that is causing this version update.

Can we run few more tests?

1. Now you have the New version - Version 15. What happens if you check-in again? Do you see an increase in the Version?

2. If the answer is YES to the above question, can you close the assembly, reopen again and then Check-in? Do you see the increase in version?

If the answer is then I may need the dataset to check. You can send it to me at senthilDOTkumarATautodeskDOTcom

Regarding the 2nd issue - Why we need to check-in again?

Actually we are not checking in the files when there is no change in the file. We run the Undocheck out command so that the version is not changed.

Hope the above helps. Please let us know if you need any further information or help.

Thanks!

[#3]

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Senthil-Autodesk wrote:

Regarding the 2nd issue - Why we need to check-in again?

Actually we are not checking in the files when there is no change in the file. We run the Undocheck out command so that the version is not changed.

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Senthil,

You have missed th epoint of Brians 2nd problem. He's not checking them in again. He is saying that when he checks 'any' dataset in then all the files which haven't changed get sent over the network as well. Essentially you have confirmed this happens by saying the server/add-in performs the undo check out command on files which haven't changed. Why do you do this? Is it because the Add-in is essentially dumb and has no idea if the files are the same, so its only once the file has been checked in and compared to the previous version (by the server) that it realises the file is a duplicate and therefore undoes the check in? Is that right? If so its a very inefficient way to do it in my opinion. There may be technical reasons for it, however, sending a file over a network from the source to the server instead of the add-in querying the server side data then the server returning some metadata (of some kind) back to the addin would result in faster transfer speeds and a lower drain on netwrok/internet bandwidth.

Brian is essentially asking why Vault/Inventor is sending files which haven't changed in any way over the network. Is this behaviour unique to Base Vault or consistent across all versions?

cheers

Scott

[#4]

Thanks Scott,

I have been wondering how to better communicate that, and you hit the nail on the head.

problem one is consistent on any file I create even from scratch so you should be able to duplicate it.

Problem 2, is weird. As I see it the client already knows the file is not required thats why it gets a white dot in the UI.... Surley when sending files it could re-perform the query its already doing client siude and only send the files that have changed to the server.... Maybe this is a base Vault thing?

Brian

[#5]

The clients don't send the file bytes to the server if they are the same as the last version in vault. However a check-in request is still raised and the server gets the final say about versioning. It looks at the manta data of the file, things like association with the visualization file and version of the dependencies, and decide if a new version is required. If nothing changes for both file bytes and manta data, there should be no version bump.

[#6]

Then based on the video in this thread and the simple data set it shows. You have a fairly serious bug on your hands!

[#7]

The progress bar might give impression that the adding is sending the files but actually it isn't for the scenario we are concerning here. It's more of indication that the adding is *processing* the file. You can compare the time taken to check-in a big file for 1st time with that of 2nd time without change. The later should be much faster.

[#8]

Regarding the increase in File Version, I tried and I am unable to reproduce. Here is the video showing the workflow.

http://www.screencast.com/t/mzcuicxkKby

I would like re-iterate what Junyi is saying.

File version will increase if any of the following happens.

> If there is a change in the DWF settings (ON/OFF)

> If there is a change in Children - ex. New Children added, Modified Children is getting consumed in the assembly

> Change in Properties, BOM etc.

So if you see the the Assembly version is increased do the following as I mentioned earlier.

> Check out all again

> Check-in all again.

Check the version. If you still see the version change then we need your Dataset.

[#9]

Cheers guys I will work through this example when I get my pc back as well

[#10]

Thanks Junyi,

I guess if you try using Vault over a VPN or otherwise slow network you will see the issue much clearer

I can assure you the frustration levels are high when it takes an hour to send the files across to the Vault, only to find afterwards that 3 of the 200 were indeed checked back in, the remainder the Server side app has discarded

Whatever "check" the server side is performing, cant the client side do this? which will still generate some traffic, but a lot less than sending 3D CAD files.