Keeping local client PC files up to date with Vault (both directions)

[G_Effland]

I have a Vault Pro 2024 setup that is currently used by about 4 people, soon will have more.  The vault contains mostly inventor files and pdfs but also some DWG, etc.  We are running Inventor using files on the local machine versus "open from vault" (as an FYI).  I am finding it quite a pain to keep everyone's local PC files up to date with the vault files.  Most users are familiar with the way Microsoft's old Source Safe worked, a few are familiar with Git.

A few users have accidentally deleted their unchecked-in files using Workplace Sync.  Workplace Sync defaults to checking for Expired-Managed and Expired-Unmanaged files and if the user isn't careful then all of their unchecked-in work gets deleted when Remove Expired-Unmanaged is checked.  Unless you always default to "Open from Vault" I am not sure why "expired" even means anything and that could be the problem... not understanding the intended way to use Inventor with Vault.

1) Is there some easy way to see a user's unchecked-in files without Workplace Sync and Expired-Unmanaged enabled?  It seems that if expiration for unmanaged is turned off you don't even see the local unmanaged files.

2) Is there an easy way for a user to see what has changed, been updated, deleted, or moved without Workplace Sync?  Workplace Sync seems like the correct place for this... except it is VERY easy to accidentally delete local unmanaged files.

Currently our process is...

1) Run WorkPlace Sync

   a) get warning for >5000 files... Click Yes

   b) uncheck Remove->Expired-Managed  (again not sure why this is even something to check... I don't understand the paradigm... who cares if it is old as long as it is still current)

   c) Collapse "Expired-Managed"

   d) uncheck Remove-> Expired-Unmanaged

   e) Look thru "Expired-Unmanaged" and see if there are any files the user should have checked in but didn't yet.  (Sidenote: It would be a nice enhancement to be able to define a directory, and below, to ignore where users could put their personal non-vault files and not have to do this step with them each time)

   f) If they find file(s) that need to be checked in, write them down on a piece of paper (since can't select to Check-In from this dialog), then later check-in from Vault or the Vault-Add In in Inventor.

  g) Look thru "Deleted from Vault" and select/de-select files as desired.  These are usually files that got moved or older files the user is hanging onto for future reference.

   h) Click Finish

   i) Click on a high level directory like Project Explorer ($) or Designs or other and do a "Get" to get the newer files.

I am aware you can adjust expiration settings for Workplace Sync and I have some stored searches for "Files checked in within last 30 days" and "Files Checked Out" but the current process for keeping the local files in sync with the Vault seems clunky and without me going user by user on a regular basis the files are out of sync.  (Currently all 4 of us are at different sync levels/dates)

Hopefully someone has tips on a better work-flow, other tools, or maybe the best way to keep non-computer experts synced with an ever changing vault that multiple users are using, adding, modifying (not a permissions issue as each user is tasked with areas).

Thanks in advance for tip/tricks/corrections or better ways to keep everyone in sync.

Thanks,
Greg

[G_Effland]

Does anyone have any best practices? or is everyone having similar issues?

[Frederick_Law]

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@G_Effland wrote:

1) Run WorkPlace Sync

   a) get warning for >5000 files... Click Yes

You can turn that off in Vault Server setting.

Setup Workspace sync and run Quick Sync.  It'll answer yes to all the questions.

A few users have accidentally deleted their unchecked-in files using Workplace Sync.  Workplace Sync defaults to checking for Expired-Managed and Expired-Unmanaged files and if the user isn't careful then all of their unchecked-in work gets deleted when Remove Expired-Unmanaged is checked.

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You can setup Workspace Sync to never expire.

You can set all folders to unmanaged.

In that case you don't need Vault.

Why are users not Checking in what they did for over 2 weeks?

It idea of Vault is to share files from Vault.  Local are working copied until it's Check In.

Vault always is the Master.

So if it's important, Check it in.

[Frederick_Law]

I've setup Workspace Sync and run it weekly.

[G_Effland]

Thanks for the reply.

1) I think I found the prompt setting for the "bulk downloads"... we'll see if that gets rid of the one dialog.

2) Yes the team knows that important files get checked-in to the Vault.  Setting all folders to unmanaged would not work.  The main reason we are using Vault is to share parts and assemblies.  The problem isn't managed/un-managed it is making sure the files are in sync between local PC and Vault.  If that means they need to always "Open from Vault" unless it doesn't exist then that may be the fix.  Part of the reluctance is the different feel on some of those dialogs.  No Frequently Used Subfolders, different look/feel. 

    a) The parts and assemblies they create are one of many top priorities that they have, well actually the modeling is probably lower priority in most cases. 

   b) Most don't want to check-in their new files until they are ready to be used by others.

   c) Sometimes they have modeling that is not relevant to the shared Vault, so they have files that are not intended to be shared with others.  Those fall into the unmanaged area.  If everyone does the same folder structure for those files I can probably add it as an excluded folder.

   d) Sometimes Workplace-Sync is used as a way to find out which files they worked on but haven't checked in yet.  If they turn off Expiration-Unmanaged then they don't get a list of those files... but if they click too fast and remove expired unmanaged files is selected, then it deletes those files.

I guess something to think about... maybe the answer is to always Open/Place from Vault instead of local.

Thanks.