Automatic Backups

[chriswade]

I am looking for a way to automatically backup our Revit Models when they are hosted on another company's BIM 360's account.

For example, we are Company XYZ and our client is Company ABC. Company ABC creates the folders and everything on their account, which is where we place our models as well. But we need to be able to keep a copy of our models long term (in the event Company ABC stops paying for BIM 360 or shuts down, etc. we would loose access to our work).

The backups could be to our local system or to another cloud Drive or even to our BIM360 account, but the key part is that it is automatic (ideally every time the model is changed, but timed backups could work too).

[gareth.spencer1]

Hi @chriswade,

If you are looking to for something to automatically create a copy of your files within BIM 360 then you need to look at Autodesk ACC Connect. Is does exactly that as it integrates to software applications allowing you to transfer information one to another. This could also work the other way around were you have your information stored locally or even on another BIM 360 project and it could transfer the information across when you need it to. 

Now if you were working on Autodesk Construction Cloud you can automatically transfer information from one project to another with Autodesk Bridge. So, this is something I would recommend looking at in the future. 

Now I am not a legal expert here but if said company ABC stop paying for some reason or stopped allowing accessing your information for any reason. I would assume there would be something within a contract that should give you back copies of your information. 

[RSomppi]

There's no need for all that. Your local copy can serve as a back-up in case of emergency.

[chriswade]

Unfortunately with 70+ users, keeping a copy of the local model isn't really a viable choice, I mean who's local copy do I choose? This is something that is problematic.

[RSomppi]

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@chriswade wrote:

I mean who's local copy do I choose?

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The one that synched last.

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@chriswade wrote:

Unfortunately with 70+ users, keeping a copy of the local model isn't really a viable choice.

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70 users on the same project? It sounds like you are exaggerating. 

[chriswade]

Unfortunately, ACC Connect only works with your own account as far as I have been able to find, which is indeed useful, but I need these from other accounts.

Once again, Bridge unfortunately only works between projects on your own account, you can't Bridge from one Account to another as far as I have been able to find. Additionally, since I am not an admin on the other accounts, I don't have access to Bridge.

One option that I am exploring is using the Desktop Connector and Backup Software on a system, but that doesn't seem like it should be the best approach.

[chriswade]

Not on the same project, but on various projects, I don't have the IT staff to setup backups for every single project manually on 10-20 users per project and yes, we end up with 10-20 users on a single project (don't ask, I have been trying to get that corrected).

And how do I track who synced last without doing so manually?

I mean any time something has to be done manually there is potential for human errors AND it is time consuming. I mean at any given time we have 20+ projects that this affects with 10-20 users per project.

[RSomppi]

In the very unlikely event that the situation arises, it should be quite easy to track down the most likely candidates and compare locals. I'm just trying to say that the files are already there and could be utilized even without a back-up plan. You wouldn't be dead in the water. I'm not sure why you would need back-ups being created with every synch for something so unlikely. A long term solution would be beneficial and not that difficult with periodic milestone back-ups. Minute by minute back-ups is overkill, IMVHO.

[chriswade]

Honestly, local file are cleaned up often enough that it could be problematic, also systems get replaced for various reasons, etc.

Even if we are looking at milestone backups, they need to be automatic.

[RSomppi]

I'm sorry but you are talking about a very unlikely situation that wouldn't happen mid project. I think an archiving solution would be much more appropriate and, if planning for such an unlikely event is so important, I wouldn't rely on automation alone.

But hey, that's just me.

[chriswade]

My boss dictates backups, backups, backups and rightfully so, we have had such situations happen in the past, given that at some point the economy will go down (as it always does), there will be companies that won't survive. It really isn't that unlikely of a scenario. Also we are dependent on the whims of these other companies to not block our access for whatever reasons, just doesn't seem like a good game plan long term to not have copies of everything.

[RSomppi]

I'm not disagreeing with keeping back-ups. I just don't see the dire need for regular back-ups when an archiving workflow would be more than sufficient.

[chriswade]

Even with Archiving, it needs to be automatic, we don't have enough staff (and can't find anyone to hire) to have people dedicated to doing nothing but manual archives.

[RSomppi]

Do you mean to say that you aren't doing any archiving? For a company that is so concerned about such things, I find that hard to believe.

You've got one excuse after another for anything but something that isn't possible at this time. Dedicated people for archiving is a bit of a stretch to put it mildly.

Good luck and remember that any solution that protects you is viable and useful until better alternatives come along.

[chriswade]

As I said, 20+ projects (just that are affected by this issue) at any given time, this starts adding up quickly when most are fast tracked projects, you do need someone full time just to archive.

Really, it should be able to be automated, this shouldn't be something that is complex.

[RSomppi]

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@chriswade wrote:

this shouldn't be something that is complex.

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It's not, if you stop exaggerating and making excuses. Why don't you find out what other companies are doing since what you want isn't available? Or, better yet, put wording in your contracts that requires the companies to notify you or provide said models before any accounts are inactivated.

[chriswade]

I am not making excuses or exaggerating, it seems you are making excuses for Autodesk not having something so basic in place.

But let's leave that aside for the moment, I am asking here to ask what to do to make this work.

As for contracts, I have absolutely zero control over them, otherwise I would specify that we will always use the latest version of Revit within a month of it being released and that we won't accept any models that are not properly purged and audited, that all architectural updates would take place a minimum of 7 business days before a due date, etc.

[gareth.spencer1]

Hi @chriswade,

Bridge should allow you access other projects on different accounts Autodesk Construction Cloud. I will need double to check this though.

I will check about ACC Connects only a whiling it to can connect your own hub/account.

The other option is look into the API side using Forge. Here are more details.

Why don't you save the files within your own BIM 360 project? Then you transfer them over to the project. This way you keep the latest files saved in your own account and not just on their project.

Have you spoken with your Autodesk reseller or Autodesk presentative directly about this?  I am sure they can advise further.

[chriswade]

I found the Bridge works with one project from someone else that we are working with, it looks like not every project has Bridge available for some reason.

Maybe I am doing something wrong with ACC Connect, so please tell me if I am wrong.

We did try the transfer method, but unfortunately, either we were doing something wrong or our clients were and it broke their links to our models every time that we uploaded a change.

[RSomppi]

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@chriswade wrote:

I am not making excuses or exaggerating, it seems you are making excuses for Autodesk not having something so basic in place.

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I think you are, at least it sounds that way to me.

The situation you describe is highly unlikely to happen on a live project.

It's much more likely that BIM 360 will go down with a deadline looming. It does go down from time to time. What are you doing when that happens? I could have the entire 20 person team up and running in much less than an hour.