Content Center Restricions?

[geamike]

Hi All,

We use the standard Vault 2011 here with Inventor 2011.  I've made a lot of custom fittings and parts for our Content Center library.  Ideally, once a standard part is placed from Content Center into an assembly by someone, and they check the assembly into Vault, then that standard part would remain in Vault.  When another user places that same part into their assembly, Inventor "sees" that it's already in Vault and goes on from there.  No problem.

The problem we're having is that some users here do not understand how Vault works.  So, they open an assembly that they haven't worked on for a while, and the Content Center cache on their hard drive (the one that links up to the Vault Content Center) is out of date.  So, when they open their assembly, they get a message that lets them know that they have a part(s) that is out of date, and would they like to replace it with the latest version in the Vault.  OF COURSE, they select "no".  Then when they update their assembly and save it, the little window lets them know that they have some Content Center parts that will not be saved....but OF COURSE they select "Yes To All", which then lets them know that those content center parts are "read only".  OF COURSE, they ignore this.  Then, they get a prompt that they should check out the Content Center parts, which OF COURSE they do.  Because that makes the "read only" message go away like magic when they go back and update and save their main assembly!  Brilliant!

So, User Joe does this once.  Then User Vern does the same thing, because now HIS cache on his C drive is out of date, and it becomes an evil loop.  As a result, we have standard Content Center parts in Vault that have 20-some versions....all within a few days! 

Sorry for the long drawn out explanation.  Maybe you've had this happen as well.

Is there a setting to restrict only the Content Center library in Vault so that the average users simply cannot check out read-only files like those in the Content Center cache?  I'd like it so that the average user here can easily check out and modify files within the Workspace and get them back into Vault, and to use Content Center standard parts, but no be able to check out the Content Center files.

We do not have a person here who acts as a Vault administrator, and I'm one of a couple who has admin rights since I have a better grasp of it.

Help!

[r.smith1 · Accepted solution]

Hi geamike,

With basic vault, you have the option to create a user account to manually check out the content center and library files you don't want edited by your users as you describe.  However, this is a workaround only. 

Vault Workgroup, Collaboration and Professional allow you to have these files get locked as they're checked into the vault based on rules, lifecycles and categories.  Benefits of categories and Categorizing not-so-Standard Content Center Parts are good resources of what is described.  

I hope this helps. 

[geamike]

Thanks, Ron.

We are moving up to Vault Professional within the next few months, so that will take care of it.  My supervisor will be happy to hear Pro does that!