Need solution for remote users

[Anonymous]

One of our clients who uses AutoCAD LT has asked us to come up with a solution which will enable their people to work on the road. A simple VPN connection to local network and file server is not practical due to large file sizes and unpredictable internet connectivity. Our first thought was to give remote users access to an RDS Server but I found precious little information on the topic beyond anecdotal posts saying it "just wont work" with LT.

We could simply give each user RDS access to their internal desktop, but leaving every workstation in the company turned on 24/7 "just in case" someone needs to access something seems a patently irresponsible way to go.

Any thoughts or direction the community could provide would be much appreciated.

[hwalker]

Welcome to the Forums

Sound like you need to install Autodesk 360 https://www.autodesk.com/products/autocad-mobile/overview

You can save files to the cloud and retrieve them as well

[Anonymous]

Perhaps I did not provide enough detail.

They want the full AutoCAD LT experience outside of the office. Currently they take laptops on the road and want to work with files from their local server. Simply taking copies creates too much confusion as to who has the latest etc. Opening documents over a VPN connection would be problematic due to speed concerns. An RDS session type solution would be ideal but as I say anecdotal evidence suggests the software just wont behave in that environment.

[hwalker]

1. You can use the Licence Transfer utility to transfer a single licence from a computer to a laptop and vice versa (that sounds like what you want to do.

2. A VPN sounds like the way you need to go BUT remember it will always depend on how good the internet connection is. If for some reason the connection goes down they could loose the drawing.

[Anonymous]

@hwalker wrote:

1. You can use the Licence Transfer utility to transfer a single licence from a computer to a laptop and vice versa (that sounds like what you want to do.

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No. Again, sorry if I'm not being clear enough. The question has nothing to do with licensing a laptop.

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@hwalker wrote:
2. A VPN sounds like the way you need to go BUT remember it will always depend on how good the internet connection is. If for some reason the connection goes down they could loose the drawing.

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Indeed. This is why I said (twice) we dont want to go that route and are looking for alternative ideas, OR a definitive answer on if or why we cannot use LT in an RDS Session type environment.

[hwalker]

1. It is not licencing a laptop as such

Let me try and explain

Person 1 has AutoCAD on their computer and also has a laptop.

Person 1 wants to use AutoCAD on their laptop.

One way it can be done is install AutoCAD on their laptop with the same licence as their desktop. As long as that user doesn't use the laptop and desktop at the same time this is ok.

The other way is using the licence transfer utility (LTU)

This temporarily removes the licence from the desktop so it can be installed on the laptop. When the laptop has finished with the licence the LTU can be used to restore the licence to the desktop.

2. No matter what route you decide to go down you are still relying on an internet connection, which can fail. The only sure way to know the drawings will be ok is to copy them to the laptop and then when finished copy them back.

[Anonymous]

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@hwalker wrote:
The only sure way to know the drawings will be ok is to copy them to the laptop and then when finished copy them back.

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Not true: A remote user connecting to their desktop at the office gets full desktop software experience without the need to transfer files over the internet and no danger of failed saves or file corruption. This option is on the table but is terribly wasteful of electricity (dues to workstations being left on 24/7).

A better way would be an RDS Session server which is the same concept, only shared by many users. From what I can gather this is doable with full AutoCAD but not AutoCAD LT (due to either technical or licensing issues...its not very clear).

It would be good to hear from someone who can comment with experience on this last.

[dgorsman]

Running a program like AutoCAD (and even LT) as a true "remote user" will always have delays.  And a risk a drawing will be left "open" if there's a bump in the connection.  Plus slow speeds if using the laptop wireless transceiver.  You'll likely have some really frustrated users on your hands.

Something to consider is using the Offline Files feature of Windows.  This creates a local mirror of network content (blocks, drawings, and so on) which can be used as if the computer were connected to the network as an authenticated user.  It can be set up to automatically refresh when connected (although I recommend you only do this with a proper, in-office connection as it can take some time when there are lots of changes).

You'll still need some sort of internet connection for licensing, either as VPN to a license server if you get your licenses that way (e.g. from a Suite/Collection) or to the Autodesk license server for Desktop/rental-model (but only for when it needs to "phone home").

On top of all of that, you should probably back up a couple of steps first and ask "Do users REALLY need to be doing work on a laptop while not in the office?".  That doesn't mean "Do they WANT to?".  There needs to be a realistic evaluation of just how much work the employer expects them to get done while elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

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@dgorsman wrote:

Running a program like AutoCAD (and even LT) as a true "remote user" will always have delays.  And a risk a drawing will be left "open" if there's a bump in the connection.  Plus slow speeds if using the laptop wireless transceiver.  You'll likely have some really frustrated users on your hands.

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Less frustrated than if one person copies a file to their laptop....then another does the same, and then one copies their edited copy back only to have it overwritten by the other. 🙂

Seriously though, RDS Server Session model works perfectly as long as the application behaves. We have Servers with dozens of users connecting remotely, running Office, accounting, and sundry other (compete with GPU acceleration).  As I understand it this is a model which AutoDesk explicitly supports (using Citrix), but not with LT (hence my coming here for alternatives).

Thank you for the offline files suggestion. Microsoft is phasing that out in favor of "Work Folders" and that is something which is on the table. The other idea is full VDI but the cost would be, relatively speaking, astronomical.

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@dgorsman wrote:
On top of all of that, you should probably back up a couple of steps first and ask "Do users REALLY need to be doing work on a laptop while not in the office?".  That doesn't mean "Do they WANT to?".  There needs to be a realistic evaluation of just how much work the employer expects them to get done while elsewhere.

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To clarify, we are an IT company who has been asked by an engineering firm to come up with this solution. We asked "what do you want to do?" and the reply was "we want to take our laptops out of the office and work on the documents which are stored on our server".

[pendean]

>>>... enable their people to work on the road...<<<
"road warrior" need to be assigned permanent laptops, no desktops, so they can unplug them and travel with all their files "just in case".

For casual travellers, low-funds companies or those users that insist on only using desktops, your client-company can buy a few laptops for the users to check out with the understanding that if they forget something they need to rely on a colleague in the office to get it to them.

Otherwise if these travellers are actually remote workers, VPN is the one and true fix.

it appears you and your client haven't quite classified these users correctly (or you've not explained it very well).

"...unpredictable internet connectivity..." that needs to be what determines your final solution as well, aka, a permanent laptop assigned to the users.