Centralized management of all configuration data

[#1]

It would be nice to manage things like saved searches, grid settings and plug-ins through the Vault Settings window instead of copying files to each Vault user's computer.

Project Thunderdome is a good start, but I would like to go beyond Thunderdome.  It would be better if the app were easier to use and built into Vault.

[#2]

Allow Administrators the ability to

• manage centralised Extensions within Vault
• manage centralised Saved Searches 
• manage centralised Grid Layout for first time setup

enable mandatory pushes to all clients.

[#3]

Here is a link to the Project Thunderdome app.

[#4]

I like to publish Vault client settings from a central location. These settings could be:

- Search definitions

- Layout defintions. (Colomuns and filters for the presented tables)

- Shortcuts

The user must still be able to create their own search definitions.

[#5]

I didn't see anyone talking about using Vault this way so I wanted to start this conversation. Vault is a data managment tool, but why not use the Vault to enforce settings as a CAD Admin tool. Here are a few ideas, add your own in the comments.

• Enforce defaults on the Vault Prompts
• Prevent Inventor from saving/opening files anywhere but the workspace.
• Prevent Inventor from editing files unless they are checked out. (If you click NO on a check out prompt you shouldn't be allowed to edit the file. I see a lot of designers with files edited out of turn. That scenario shouldn't happen.)
• Enforce Inventor and/or AutoCAD Application Options. This would start out as a global setting (unless you're an admin). Future vault releases would allow applying it to users/groups. (This would facilitate deployment of thousands of seats by enforing settings that shouldn't change)

Discuss!

[#6]

In Vault, we have global settings and user settings.

But how do I manage user settings as an Admin?

Import and export xml files on all workstations?

Why don't make a hierarchal profile manager with profiles and inheritance?

The admin can specify as much profiles as he needs.

Example:

Profile                             Description

SystemDefaults              Default Vault environment installation settings that can not be changed.

   CompanyProfile           Default company profile with all general settings like workflows and

                                       numbering scemes.

      GlobalUserSettings  Settings that can be user settings, but are managed by the admin so

                                       settings can always be overruledbyAdmins.

         UserProfiles          Profile for each user that was inherited from all parent profiles.

                                       As stated above, the admin specifiesinparentprofilessotheuser

                                       canonlyoverrideoraddsettings. Resetting User settings to

                                       (company) defaults becomes an easy task by just clearing the

                                       user profileandtherebyusingtheinheritedsettingsfromthe

                                       globalprofile.

This also means the settings/profiles are stored in the Vault database and not local.

This can make the life of an admin a lot easier as well as that of the user.