Alibre Vault Installation, Licensing, and Initial Setup Contents Important Notes Before you Install / Modify the Vault... 2 Class files to avoid deleting... 2 Object types to avoid deleting... 3 Terminology... 4 Vault Client... 4 Vault Server... 4 Single Computer Setup... 4 Multi Computer Setup... 5 Recommended Single User Setup... 5 I use Alibre Design on one computer... 5 Single license, multi computer setups... 5 Recommended Multi User Setups... 5 Obtaining a License Key... 6 I want a single user setup... 6 I want a multi user setup... 6 Installing the License Key... 7 Creating Users Accounts... 9 Assigning Users to a Vault... 12 Installing the Client... 14 Configuring the Client to See a Vault... 14 Configuring Alibre Design to use the Vault... 18 Migrating Data to the Vault... 18
Important Notes Before you Install / Modify the Vault For most people the following information will not be needed. However, if you plan on modifying the structure of the Alibre Vault, it is mandatory that you read this section to avoid data loss. General Rule: Do not delete or modify any Alibre Vault items with an ID less than 100. Once the Alibre Vault is installed, you have the ability to modify the meta structure. It is important to note that Alibre Design requires certain class types and object types in order for it to work properly with the Alibre Vault. In general, you should not delete or modify any class objects that start with Alibre. Also, you should not delete or modify any object types deleting is not required if your goal is simply to not have them show on a particular meta card. Class files to avoid deleting Do not delete these class files in the Alibre Vault Server Administrator. Doing so will make Alibre Design unable to save to the Alibre Vault.
Object types to avoid deleting
Terminology Vault Client This is what is installed on machines that need access to the Alibre Vault. The Vault Client is the front end and is what users will see when they navigate the Vault, save files, search for files, etc. This means that the Client will be installed on end user machines. To access data on the Vault Server, the Client needs to know several pieces of information: 1. Where is the server? a. Can use TCP/IP, SPX, and LPC b. The port to access 2. How to authenticate the user a. Can use Windows user or specified usernames/password on the server 3. Which Vault on the server to access After inputting this information, the Client can connect to the Server and view all the files on the server that the user has rights to view. Vault Server This is what stores all the data all CAD files, Word documents, Excel files, etc. The Server contains the license indicating how many users are allowed to connect to the Server, as well as the user list. It also contains the data structure, permissions definitions, and other settings. You can perform backups of your data from the Server as well. The Vault Server can be installed in the same machine as the Vault Client. It is recommended for multiuser setups that a dedicated computer with a static IP or network location be used so that everyone can access the Vault at all times. Single Computer Setup This means that you do not need to share data with anyone else through the Vault. Your Vault will have a license with a single user, meaning only you can access it. Single user setups are quick and easy, as the Server and the Client are on the same computer. The connection to the Alibre Vault is set up automatically, and the Client is immediately usable upon installation. You do not need to pay attention to anything except installing the license key, creating yourself a user name, and adding yourself to your Vault.
Multi Computer Setup This means you have multiple people that each have separate access to the Alibre Vault as part of their Alibre Design license or through the purchase of additional Vault licenses. For example, you could have three users at your company with Alibre Design Professional. Since the Vault is substantially more useful when everyone accesses the same data (on the same Vault), the typical scenario in this case is that you would combine each of your single user licenses into one multi user license and install that license on a Vault Server. When this happens, each of the three users in the above example would access the same Vault Server, see the same data, and be able to share files. Recommended Single User Setup I use Alibre Design on one computer If you plan on using Alibre Design and the Alibre Vault on a single computer, then you can install both the Alibre Vault Client and the Alibre Vault Server on the same computer using the Single Computer set up option in the installer. This is the default installation. You will then acquire and install a single user license in the Vault Server and you will be able to access all the functionality immediately without further implementation. Single license, multi computer setups In this case, you need to pick a computer that will always be running and accessible (via a network connection or IP address) from wherever you will need to be using the Client. For example, if you have a work computer, a laptop, and a home computer, it is recommended you install the Server on the work computer since it is most likely to always be running. You would install the Client on the work computer, the laptop, and the home computer and configure the Clients on each of the computers to point to the Server on the work computer. Depending on the type of network at your workplace, there may be additional steps. It is recommended you ask your IT department about configuring networked aspects of the Server. Recommended Multi User Setups In the case that multiple users are connecting to the same Vault, it is highly recommended that you pick a dedicated Server computer with a static IP or network address. While a dedicated server is not required, as the amount of data in the Vault grows better performance can be obtained if there is a dedicated Server computer.
Obtaining a License Key I want a single user setup Sign in to www.alibre.com, go to the Download page, select the Alibre Vault link, and select the Request License link. I want a multi user setup In this case, there will be a single Alibre user account that is considered to be the Master Account. Only the Master Account can obtain a license key. Each Secondary Account will be associated to the Master Account, allowing the appropriate amount of users to be given in the license. If you are not the Master Account user, you will not need a license key. Example: 4 people at your company have Alibre Design Professional and you all want to connect to the same Vault Server. One person would be selected to be the Master Account, and the three other people will have their Alibre accounts associated with that Master Account. When the user with the Master
Account requests a license key, the generator will recognize that there are also 3 other people associated with his account and will give a 4 user license key, which will allow everyone at the company to connect to the same Vault. If you want to set up a Master Account, need to add additional people to a Master Account, or otherwise configure how your licenses are set up, please contact Alibre. Installing the License Key After installing the Vault Server, you can install the license key that was generated for you. This is a straightforward process. Right click on the icon in your System Tray or browse for the item in Start > Programs. Select Settings > M Files Server Administrator as shown below. The Server Administrator comes up. Select Local Computer, and the pane at the right will update with options available for that selection. One of the available options is License Management. Select it.
The License Management dialog pops up. Enter in the Serial Number and License Key you obtained from the Download page. After pressing OK, you will see the number of available licenses based on your license key.
Click Refresh. Press OK to exit the License Management dialog. Note: Subscription Expires refers to your Vault Maintenance. This is tied to your Alibre Design Maintenance. After the Vault Maintenance expires, you cannot install newer versions of the Vault over your existing Vault. Creating Users Accounts After getting the proper amount of users installed using the license key, you will need to create some users and associate them with the Alibre Vault. After this is done, end users can use the Client to connect to the Vault. To create log in accounts, select the Login Accounts item shown below. Select New Login Account.
After clicking New Login Accounts, you are taken to the screen below. Here, you can begin filling in the information people will use to log in to the Vault using the Client. Enter as much information as possible. Select the type of Authentication you want to use. M Files Authentication is a good choice if users are not often logged in to their Operating System, or need to access the Vault from multiple locations where they would not necessarily be logged in as themselves on the computer. In this case, the user simply needs to enter their username and password. If your system is set up to where everyone has an account on a domain, you may want to select Windows Authentication.
Select the License Type for the user. You cannot create more than the number of users of a particular license type than is specified in your Vault License in the License Management page in the previous steps. Select which Server Roles, if any, you would like to grant the user. End users typically will not need to have server roles but this will depend on your situation. Click OK. Repeat the process until all your licenses have been defined.
Assigning Users to a Vault Now that you have created some user accounts, you need to associate them with a Vault. Select the Alibre item under Document Vaults. Then, select the Users item. On this screen, you can add users to be able to access this Vault. Select New User The User Properties dialog pops up. Using the Login Account drop down, select which user you want to add to the Vault. Select any options you want this user to have. For companies that do not require specific control structures, you may want to assign everyone Full Control of Vault, meaning anyone can get into the Vault and perform any action they wish. If you plan on setting up access rights, or need a higher degree of separation between end users and administrators, you can select exactly what you want this account to be able to do.
After you are finished, click OK. The user becomes added to this Vault. Repeat the process until all your users are added. As of this point, for most people, the Server installation, licensing, and setup phase is complete. If you wish to perform more exotic tasks such as connecting to an SQL database, you will have additional work
to do. Information about these tasks can be found in the comprehensive M Files Help, located under the Help menu. Installing the Client Installing the Vault Client is easy just begin the installation on every computer that will need access to the Vault and select only to install the Client during installation. Configuring the Client to See a Vault After installing the Client, the last page of the installer will provide a checkbox to begin configuring the Client. If this is checked, press OK to continue with the configuration. If for some reason you have skipped this step, simply right click on the item and select Settings > M Files Client Settings. The M Files Client Settings dialog appears. The Vault list should be empty at this point (assuming you did not do a Single Computer setup, in which case this is automatically configured). Select Add
Here, we will point our Client to the Vault we set up previously. For in depth information regarding this section, select the Help button at the bottom right of the dialog. Select the Name of the Server. You can name this anything you want. Select the Server Location (name). This can be an IP address or a network name. Select the Port. By default, this is 2266 when installing the Server. Select the Protocol. If your Vault is on your local machine, you can use RPC. If you are connecting to a network name or IP address, select TCP/IP. TCP/IP is typically used to connect to Vault Servers that are located on a different computer.
Once you enter the Server Information, click Test Connection. If it is successful, move on to the next section. If it is not, ensure you have entered all the values correctly or contact your system administrator. Under Authentication, select the type of authentication that was configured for your account on the Server. After successfully testing the connection to the server, a list of Vaults to which you have been assigned access rights is listed select the Alibre Vault. Select your log in options, and press OK. After successfully configuring the Client to connect to the Vault, you will see the Vault listed.
Now, you can browse the Vault through the Windows interface by going to M: in My Computer. M: is the default drive to which the Alibre Vault is mapped. As of this point, the Vault is completely set up and able to be used to open, save, and search files.
Configuring Alibre Design to use the Vault You must tell Alibre Design whether you want to save items to the File System or to the Vault. Note that this setting only applies to NEW items. In the Home Window, go to Tools > Options > General tab. Select the Use Vault option, and select which Vault you want to use (almost always the Alibre Vault). Migrating Data to the Vault There is a data migration tool that will take V10 Repositories, ARB files, or items on the File System and migrate them into the Alibre Vault. The advantage of using the data migration tool is that meta data is automatically filled in for you, assuming you have filled out items in the File>Properties>General tab of your parts and assemblies (design data). The location of the migration tool is \ADINSTALLATION DIRECTORY\Program\repomigrationtool.exe On the first page of the migration tool, there is a link to the Migration Tool Documentation PDF, which can also be accessed directly from this directory (shown above, 1 of 2 files highlighted repodoc.pdf).