stand alone and distrib

[BentleyGuy]

okay guys I need some extra info on something. I need to know what the benefits of using Distributed Mode rather than Stand-Alone mode. I know all the obvious, but I am having a hard time getting through the heads of some of the folks I work with. I want to stay in Distributed Mode and use the full project aspect while I have people wanting to go to stand-alone mode. I am trying to compile a list of what we will lose by going to Stand-Alone mode. So any input would be great.
Oh, and the only reasone they want to go to stand-alone is because of some issues with there document system!

Thanks!

[dave]

Hey Bentley Guy, I know this doesn't help but we only use stand-alone. What's more is we only use it because no one has ever tried making a distributed mode project! Thanks for the post, I will be interested in the results as well.

[Bundsbaek]

We always use Distributed because we often are more than one person working on the project at the same time. We have divided the project area into separate piping models and the using xref(overlay) when going from one model to the other.

[Aplant Monkey]

We do the exact same thing as Bunds but we use Standalone to do it. I would like to hear more as Dave does about this.

[BentleyGuy]

Well here is what I have come up with via personal and searching the web. This all has come about because the Document Management system they use where I work, Cyco AutoManager Meridian, has many restrictions on what can be done in the software. The company wants to go to distributed mode, but can not do so within Meridian. They can in Standalone though. Oh, and to boot, and no big surprise here, the "IT" guys are giving me greif....

My results thus far:

Standalone Mode Advantages-
•Simple - works like AP 2.01
•No need for online access to external project database
•No need for setup and maintenance of
project databases
•No need for 24/7 monitoring/restore of data
•Well supported by Meridian (what they use to store dwgs)

Standalone Mode Disadvantages-
•Limited cross model file functionality (annotation,reports etc.)
•Big mdb files – initial size approx. 2.5 Mb
•Creating project specific setup is troublesome
•Dealing with support can be time consuming
(”Nobody else in the world works that way...”)
•Setup maintenance requires some shortcuts
•May not be supported in the future

Any thought or comments or anything to add would be great!

[AplantAdmin]

Have to ask, but is not all your stuff on Sql??



We do the exact same thing as Bunds but we use Standalone to do it. I would like to hear more as Dave does about this.

[dave]

MSDE here, Why?

[Bundsbaek]

Have to ask, but is not all your stuff on Sql??
Not all of them, but the big projects are and otherwise just a simple accessdatabase (MSDE?). Can't explain it though that I'm not aware.

[AplantAdmin]

We do all projects including the small ones in SQL.

[BentleyGuy]

I wish we did all in SQL. As big as this comapny is you would think they would have it together. No they want to use Access! I told them that it will bring problems in the future on big projects. I am fighting a battle I may not win....LOL!

[Aplant Monkey]

you may lose the battle to begin with but when Access continues to crash and the designers are held up due to the lag, you may find that they are more agreeable. SQL is truly the ONLY way to go with any larger type project.

[AplantAdmin]

SQL or Qracule ( I don't think I spelt that right) is the better way to go. at least so far from my experience.

[dave]

you mean Oracle?

[Aplant Monkey]

problem with Oracle is that it is a VERY heavy DB. you will need an experienced DBM to run it properly and even then it is difficult.
We have run one project (not successfully) with Oracle. All of our projects are run with SQL with little to no problems.

[tw_echo]

Oracle is pretty much the 'cadillac' of databases that come with a hefty price tag.

We do all of our projects on SQL Server and I would not even consider using an Access project anymore. As Aplant mentioned, Access is prone to corruption and performs transactions slower than SQL Server. In addition, security is more reliable on SQL Server as anyone could just go to a network folder and delete an MS Access file. While usings SQL Server, users need to have SQL Enterprise Manager to access the databases (which no one has here, except for Admins).

[BentleyGuy]

SQL is how I would like to go. Oracle, as stated, is the Cadillac of db's. But don't you have to hire a DBA to manage it? I am really pushing for SQL!

[Aplant Monkey]

Unless you are VERY familiar with Oracle you are best to stay away from it. We have DBA's that are specifically dedicated to Oracle and still there are problems. It is a great DB but very heavy on the admin side.

[dave]

Short of getting in there and adding or deleting tables, it's difficult to mess up a project manipulating views and reports. Also, keep in mind that you should never implement changes in a live project but on a test project or test environment. What I am saying is, you don't havef to be a degreed DBA to get in there and figure out what is going on. :)

[Packin31]

I know this is a couple month old thread but I have user that had just receive a new Dell PC (and a big one to boot)(160GB hard drive and memory out the ying yang). IT had AutoCAD 2005 installed already (before that his was on 2004 which I usually installed).

I have loaded up all the AutoPLANT modules. When we fire up his standalone Model we get the database error saying can’t find project database in standalone mode. He said it worked before on his old PC. Is there a setting somewhere I need to change in order for him to work on his models?

FYI,
All of us other designers work in project mode.


Thanks

[Packin31]

Ok I figured it out. The Internal folder (C:\Bentley\Plant Projects\Internal) was not configured. What I did was picked standalone on my machine (Imperial and MMetric) let it build and them copied the files from my PC to his. Bada bing it works now. :)