Manage custom files in multiple offices

Our streamlined environment now contains custom files, apps (dll and lisp), and other content we want our users to have available in their AutoCAD environment. We have explored some streamlined methods for maintaining this content in a central network location and getting the content to the users with minimal effort - basically a single desktop icon that points to our profile file (.arg).

In this post we will talk about extending this streamlined environment to multiple offices and still only maintaining one set of custom AutoCAD files. That last statement sounds contradictory but using an available Microsoft utility called Robocopy it is very possible and even easy.

Let's first look at the network structure for a multiple office environment. Let's say we have 3 offices (O1, O2, O3) each with its own server (S1, S2, S3), we want to first identify where our custom content will be stored on each server.

Office 1
\\S1\SLD\2010

Office 2
\\S2\SLD\2010

Office 3
\\S3\SLD\2010

Pick a drive letter that can be used consistently in each office (we will use S:\\) and depending on which office a user will be working in the drive letter should be mapped to the server for that office.

An easy way to manage drive mappings is to use a batch file that can be ran directly from a hyperlink on a web based tool such as Microsoft SharePoint.

Here is the code for the batch file to map a network drive:


REM batch file to map S:\ drive to \\S1\SLD\
@ECHO OFF
CLS
REM this line of code will disconnect S:\ if it is already mapped
NET USE S: /delete
NET USE S: \\S1\SLD\
echo S:\ mapped successfully!
PAUSE
ECHO ON

I did not add any error checking in this code but nonetheless this batch file can now be executed directly or by hyperlinking to it and the users' drives will be mapped to the correct location.

Now, each user at each office has the S:\ mapped and it points to the SLD folder which is on that office's local file server. If Office 1 is the master office that is where you will maintain the custom AutoCAD content. Any changes, additions, or deletions will be made on S1 (Office 1 server). We can use Robocopy to copy the content on S1 to S2 and S3. The Robocopy script can be executed on scheduled intervals so you can be assured that your master content on S1 is replicated on S2 and S3 as frequently as needed. The Robocopy script will be a batch (.bat) file. It can be created in a standard text editor and when ready should reside on a server with the Robocopy utility on it.

Here is the code to Robocopy a folder that contains custom files to each of the servers.


REM replicate CAD content to multiple offices
CLS
SET DATESTAMP=%date:~10,4%-%date:~4,2%-%date:~7,2%
REM Use variables to manage offices and servers
SET SOURCESITE=OFFICE1
SET SOURCESERVER=S1
SET TARGETSITE1=OFFICE2
SET TARGETSERVER1=S2
SET TARGETSITE2=OFFICE3
SET TARGETSERVER2=S3
REM Create folders for log files
IF NOT EXIST
 "\\%SOURCESERVER%\SLD\2010\replications\logs"
MKDIR
 "\\%SOURCESERVER%\SLD\2010\replications\logs"
REM Replicate CAD content
ROBOCOPY "\\%SOURCESERVER%\SLD\2010\Custom" "\\%TARGETSERVER1%\SLD\2010\Custom" /xf "*.bak" /eta /r:1 /w:15 /z /MIR /LOG:"\\%SOURCESERVER%\SLD\2010\replications\logs\%DATESTAMP%-%SOURCESERVER%_to_%TARGETSERVER1%-%TARGETSITE1%.log" /np /tee
ROBOCOPY "\\%SOURCESERVER%\SLD\2010\Custom" "\\%TARGETSERVER2%\SLD\2010\Custom" /xf "*.bak" /eta /r:1 /w:15 /z /MIR /LOG:"\\%SOURCESERVER%\SLD\2010\replications\logs\%DATESTAMP%-%SOURCESERVER%_to_%TARGETSERVER2%-%TARGETSITE2%.log" /np /tee
REM Generate Log File
ECHO DateStamp=%DATESTAMP% >  "\\%SOURCESERVER%\SLD\2010\replications\logs\%DATESTAMP%_Information.log"
ECHO SourceSite=%SOURCESITE% >> "\\%SOURCESERVER%\SLD\2010\replications\logs\%DATESTAMP%_Information.log"
ECHO SourceServer=%SOURCESERVER% >> "\\%SOURCESERVER%\SLD\2010\replications\logs\%DATESTAMP%_Information.log"
ECHO TARGETSITE1=%TARGETSITE1% >> "\\%SOURCESERVER%\SLD\2010\replications\logs\%DATESTAMP%_Information.log"
ECHO TARGETSERVER1=%TARGETSERVER1% >> "\\%SOURCESERVER%\SLD\2010\replications\logs\%DATESTAMP%_Information.log"
ECHO TARGETSITE2= %TARGETSITE2% >> "\\%SOURCESERVER%\SLD\2010\replications\logs\%DATESTAMP%_Information.log"
ECHO TARGETSERVER2 =%TARGETSERVER2% >> "\\%SOURCESERVER%\SLD\2010\replications\logs\%DATESTAMP%_Information.log" 
SET DATESTAMP=
SET SOURCESITE=
SET SOURCESERVER=
SET TARGETSITE1=
SET TARGETSERVER1=
SET TARGETSITE2=
SET TARGETSERVER2=
PAUSE


You will notice there are quite a few parameters in the Robocopy command. This script will also generate log files which are handy to make sure the Robocopy is happening.

The key concepts in this post are having a common location in each office, a way for users to easily manage their drive mappings, and the same content at all locations all the time.

The way the Robocopy presented in this post will work is any changes, additions, or deletions to files in the master location will also take place in the target locations when the robocopy script is executed.

The Robocopy script is saved as a batch (.bat) file. You can then set this to run at a desired interval using Windows Task Scheduler.

This opens up a whole new realm of streamlining a design environment as we can now manage custom AutoCAD content in one location but share it with multiple locations.