Installation & Licensing

[#1]

Anyone who can explain the advantages and disadvantages using the
network version of any autodesk product?

Thanks

[#2]

"Autodesk" wrote in message
news:6E6BA14CBB85A526F6385EFC52A481F5@in.WebX.SaUCah8kaAW...
> Anyone who can explain the advantages and disadvantages using the
> network version of any autodesk product?

If you have an office w/ 20 people, only 10 of whom are using Acad at any
one time, with all stand alone copies, you would need to buy 20 licenses.
With the networked version, and 10 licenses, any 10 people could be using
acad at once, but all 20 would have access, just limited to 10 at a time.

Regards,
Gordon Price

[#3]

What are the pros to using it?

1. The ability to share licenses.
2. Quick and simple installation.
3. The ability to monitor AutoCAD usage.

What are the cons to using it?

1. If the ADLM computer goes down, nobody gets to use AutoCAD.
2. If the network goes down, nobody gets to use AutoCAD.
3. If you change network configuration parameters on the computer running
the ADLM, the server code may change and you'll have to get new
authorization codes.
4. If a computer is not connected to the network (laptop), that user cannot
use AutoCAD unless you purchase a stand-alone just for that person.
5. If your network protocols, ethernet connections, etc are not in good
working order, users may not be able to get a license and use AutoCAD.
6. The computer running the ADLM cannot be a remote access server or a DHCP
client, and it cannot be multihomed.
7. Keeping track of your master and license pack serial numbers can
sometimes be a pain.
8. You don't get manuals by default with license pack purchases. This may be
a pro if you like to save trees. You actually may get manuals now - I'm not
sure.

Just a few pro's and con's. There may be some more.

Good luck,

Drew Burgasser
CAD Masters, Inc.
www.cadmasters.com

[#4]

Drew Burgasser wrote in message
<8CEB6D5B12D94025E43A95548721D8DB@in.WebX.SaUCah8kaAW>...

(snip)

>8. You don't get manuals by default with license pack purchases. This may
be
>a pro if you like to save trees. You actually may get manuals now - I'm
not
>sure.

Nope, only one set comes with the master license. But, it doesn't matter
that much since everything that is in the manuals is in the help files now.

(snip)

[#5]

...not to mention that the "manuals" that come with *any* version of
AutoCAD are pretty sparse, these days.
___

"Kevin Nehls" wrote in message
news:89AF806D80B7D4BA2603C24DAB1859C7@in.WebX.SaUCah8kaAW...
>
> Nope, only one set comes with the master license. But, it doesn't
matter
> that much since everything that is in the manuals is in the help files
now.

[#6]

In my opinion, standalone versions are the way to go. If you've ever had to
restart the server while people are working on the drawings, you would know
where I am coming from.
With standalone copies, the users will only have to save to HD until the
server is back up.
If you had network version, you're gonna make allot of people mad.

Scott Fenwick

"Autodesk" wrote in message
news:6E6BA14CBB85A526F6385EFC52A481F5@in.WebX.SaUCah8kaAW...
> Anyone who can explain the advantages and disadvantages using the
> network version of any autodesk product?
>
> Thanks
>

[#7]

You can still have full installs on the client with the network version of
acad. You just you a license manager on a server or workstation on the
network. This can be *very* cost effective in that you don't have to spend
$3,000 + on a seat of acad for each person that may potentially use it.

We have 9 seats of acad with 13 users. Only 9 at a time can use it, but we
have saved well over $12,000 just in licensing costs. If you have to reboot
the AdLM server and inconvenience some people for a few minutes, I think
that is a far cry from $12,000.

If you are needing to bring down a server for any longer than a few minutes
during production hours (on a regular basis) then you should really
re-evaluate your server(s) and network. Also, you can setup redundant AdLM
servers so that is you need to bring one down then you can/should still be
able to check out a license. IMHO, there is no advantage to having
standalone licenses.

--
Kevin Nehls
remove -ns- for direct reply

"Scott Fenwick" wrote in message
news:2DA46C42C93DA8E192244A77AF031351@in.WebX.SaUCah8kaAW...
In my opinion, standalone versions are the way to go. If you've ever had to
restart the server while people are working on the drawings, you would know
where I am coming from.
With standalone copies, the users will only have to save to HD until the
server is back up.
If you had network version, you're gonna make allot of people mad.

Scott Fenwick

[#8]

Are you talking about using ADLM vs. individual licenses?
If so, the users usually get 3-5 minutes notice that licenses will expire.
we use an older workstation as ADLM server, and can often reboot it without
anyone losing their license. Kevins cost savings point is correct - we have
about 25 users with access to LDD2 and only about 16 licenses which makes $$
sense.

We do not use a "network installation" of the software - all the LDD
software is installed on the user's workstations. Drawings, details, fonts,
linetypes, etc are on server - so if the server is down, all CAD users are
down too.

Key is reliable server and network OS. We have much more lost production
from workstation failures than from network problems.

[#9]

Same here. We deploy the installs from the network (which is also a nice,
time saving feature when setting up new clients), with a full install onto
the client machine.

I would also like to add:

If you want "company standard customization" the best way for this is to do
the customizations and have all of those files located on a network share,
then have all of the clients pointing to them with that path at the very top
of their search paths. If you place these customizations on the local
drives then you really have to start worrying about version control of your
custom routines, borders, eco blocks, title blocks, etc. (the list goes on,
and on). Also, if you did copy all of these customizations to the local
machine how would you keep the user(s) from "accidentally" deleting or
changing the files (another version control issue)? Now if the network goes
down, who cares if you have standalone or networked versions of acad, nobody
can do any real work as all of the customizations that they so heavily
depend upon are no longer accessible.

As Mike stated you need stable, reliable servers and NOS; NT, Novell, UNIX,
Linux, whatever, just as long as it stays up for the users to access.
--
Kevin Nehls
remove -ns- for direct reply

"Mike" wrote in message
news:22BD527D398095A491119BBCFBAE8A12@in.WebX.SaUCah8kaAW...

(snip)

> We do not use a "network installation" of the software - all the LDD
> software is installed on the user's workstations. Drawings, details,
fonts,
> linetypes, etc are on server - so if the server is down, all CAD users are
> down too.
>
> Key is reliable server and network OS. We have much more lost production
> from workstation failures than from network problems.
>