Cracking the Vault

File Locked! When Releasing A File

When releasing a file, the transition defined for the Lifecycle might be configured to "Synchronise properties and update view using Job Server" or just "Synchronise properties usnig Job Server".

If this is the case then it is possible that the job will fail depending on the user account being used to send it to the Job Queue. (The message displayed in the Job Queue would be "File Locked!")

In Vault x 2011 Update 2 or later, to workaround this, try adding the <Job Processor> User Account to the Security Tab with Read, modify permissions for Released. Then....

1. Go Tools>Administration>Vault Settings
2. Click Lifecycles
3. Select the Lifecycle Definition being used.
4. Click Edit
5. Under "Lifecycle Details", select Released.
6. On the Security Tab, select the "Everyone" user group and untick the Deny tick for Modify and Delete.

Job Server Troubleshooting Checklist

I have just added a new Job Processor Checklist on the Vault Wiki.(click the "Useful Link" on the left to take you there. Then look under Troubleshooting (it will be in draft for a day or two till it goes live)

Dont forget, its a WIKI!! So anyone can modify it, restructure it and add additional questions.

 

Enjoy!!

 

Click this link to view the draft in the interim period.

No Vault Office 2010 Addin Loaded or Enabled

If you have installed the Autodesk Vault 2012 Client on top of Office 2010 Applications, but don't see the Addin appear in Outlook Word Excel or Powerpoint, check the following first.

1) Check that the MS Office and Outlook addin feature is actually installed via Control Panel>Programs and Features>Uninstall\Change>Add or Remove Features.

 

Unable to send visualization task to the Job Server?

When trying to send jobs to the Job Processor you see the following message.

"Unable to send visualization task to the Job Server. The Job Server is disabled"

 

In the Vault client, log in as a member of the Adminstrators group and click "Tools>Adminstration>Integrations" make sure that "Enable Job Server" is ticked.

 

Autodesk Forums Are Now Mobile Enable!

Not sure if you noticed but all Autodesk Forums are now Mobile enabled.

 

Vault Support Checklist

I've been asked to document and publish a list of the questions that I ask customers and partners all the time when troubleshooting Vault problems.

Mostly they are common sense and general, but the fact that they are not written down, can lead to inefficiencies. So I've put them together in a document that I intend to update from time to time.

Just click the link over on the left "A Vault Support Checklist"

 
All suggestions welcome....

 

***Update**** the working document is live on the Vault Wiki. Dont forget....Its a WIKI. Meaning that you can modify it yourself as you discover new questions to ask!!!

Setting Up Vault Revision Tables

Thanks to Alan Ho for putting together this movie showing how to set up Revision Tables (Document Revisions not Item Revisions)

Web Client Cannot Connect to Vault Server

When trying to log into Vault Professional from a Web Client, its possible to get this message.

The Web Client is not compatible with the <servername> hosting the following server applications:

Vault Server version 16.0.56.200

Vault Workgroup Server version 16.0.56.200

Vault Collaboration Server version 16.0.56.200

Vault Professional Server version 16.0.56.200

This can be caused when navigating to a URL of an older Vault Professional Server but entering the name of a newer Server name in the Server field.

 

 

In this scenario server VP2011 is running Vault Professional 2011, whilst “rankinr-Z600” is running Vault Professional 2012.

(I must admit I felt like a dummy when I realised I’d gone to the wrong machine. Still, it happened and I scratched my head for a few seconds, so I thought I’d share it.)

Improving Time to perform a Vault Server Backup

We had some reports about automatic Vault Server backups (via Windows scheduled tasks) that takes several Hours longer after moving the Vault Server to a Windows 2008 Server operating system.

You also noticed that the Performance when backing up through the ADMS console is good.

Background: In Windows 2008 Server Microsoft has changed the behaviour of tasks and there is also a change of the priority of processes in general.

In Windows 2003 Server a scheduled windows task is created with Priority "Normal".
However in Windows 2008 Server the priority of the tasks is 7 which is below normal Priority.

The solution is to make sure that the scheduled windows task is running with a higher Priority.

The priority can not be set to a task directly but there is the following workaround:

1. Go to Start - Control Panel - Administrative Tools - Task Scheduler
2. Find the task which is executing the Vault Server backup
3. On Action Menu go to Export... Save the file as *.xml
4. Open the XML file via Notepad
5. Find the line <Priority>7</Priority>
6. Change the value of the Priority from 7 to a higher Value like 4 or 5
7. Save the XML file
8. Delete the Scheduled task about the Vault Server Backup
9. In the Actions Menu go to "Import Task" and choose your XML File

Your task is running now with a higher priority and it the time that your backup takes should be much lower.

Revit Server 2012 Stops Working after Installing Vault Server 2012

If you install Vault Server 2012 on the same machine as Revit Server 2012, running 64-bit Windows Server 2008 (Or any other operating system running IIS 7), there is a good chance that Revit Server 2012 will stop working after the Vault Server install.

The reason is that when Vault installs, it will set the “DefaultAppPool” to run in 32 Bit mode, although Revit Server 2012 runs in 64 bit mode. So If Revit Server 2012 is also running its Web Service using the same Application Pool, it will stop working.

The solution is to:-

• Create a new Application Pool running in 32-bit more, assign this to Vault,
• Set the Revit Server Application Pool back to 64 bit mode and
• Restart IIS.

 

To create an Application Pool

1. Open IISManager in the Administrative Tools of the Control Panel.
2. Right-click the Application Pools folder. Click Add Application Pool.
3. In the Name field, enter AutodeskAppPL.
4. Leave the other two fields at their default and make sure Start application pool immediately is selected. Please ensure that .NET Framework version is set to .NET Framework v2.0.50727
5. Click the OK button to apply the changes.
6. Once created, Locate the new AutodeskApplPL, Right click it, select Advanced Settings, Change "Enable 32-Bit Applications" to True.
7. Click OK To apply the Changes.

Set the Revit Server Service back to 64-bit mode

1. Locate the original Revit Server application pool. Probably, “DefaultAppPool”.
2. Right click it, select Advanced Settings, Change "Enable 32-Bit Applications" to False.
3. Click OK To apply the changes

At a Command prompt run IISRESET /ALL

 

This does not apply to Windows Server 2003. Its not possible to have two Applications Pools running in  32-bit and 64-bit mode at the same time. See TS1078626