Best practices for moving from Windows Server to cloud?

[Anonymous]

I am a general IT consultant with a client who is an architecture firm.  They have three AutoCAD stations.  Two are running, or upgrading soon to, AutoCAD 2015.  Files are currently kept on a Windows SBS 2003 server.  They have about 55GB of AutoCAD data.  I would like to migrate them to some sort of a cloud solution.  I don't have much experience with Autodesk products.

Is there a best practice document for using AutoCAD with cloud services?  Is there a preferred cloud service (DropBox, Box, A360, or someone else?)

Where do I go to learn more about the potential pitfalls?  I have tried searching, but thus far have found little that would help me.

Complicating matters, they have a fairly slow DSL and older computers.

Thank you in advance.

[dgorsman]

Cloud storage for dynamic access ie. drawing are opened and saved directly in the cloud isn't the best of ideas unless you are working with a big multinational that has an office on top of a major communications hub.  Not to mention some clients get squirrely when their drawings are kept outside your domain of control.  Otherwise its best used with a check in/check out type solution, where drawings are checked out of the cloud for working on locally and the cloud copy is locked from changes until the checked out drawing is checked back in.

[Anonymous]

I suspected that a checkin/checkout solution would be best.  Does the A360 for teams include that?

What do typical small forms do?

Dan

[Anonymous]

s/forms/firms/p

[dgorsman]

I think the most uptake for cloud-based solutions is operating a very lean or zero-footprint/virtual office ie. there is no physical office, or that office only has reception and support staff but no AutoCAD users.  When there is a central office, AutoCAD users are expected to be there most of the time, and the IT infrastructure is needed anyways for other workers then there isn't much benefit to cloud services.  If you're expecting them to regularly work from home or remote locations, or be able to push work to out-of-office contract staff then have a look into the A360 products.

Just be mindful that service interuptions can cause major problems - something as simple as a vehicle backing into a pole or a fire in the service providers building (yes, those have happened here) can completely cut users off from what they need.