Revit Server Roles
Host : Revit Server is similar to a central server . The host would enable Revit Server instances geographically or organisationally to be central .
Accelerator : In this role , a Revit Server assimilates data from different sources . Members in the same local area network ( LAN ) as the Revit Server Accelerator enjoy better performance when connecting to central models .
Administrator : The Revit Server Administrator management tool is used to create , delete , rename and move folders and central models on Revit Server hosts and configures user or group level permissions .
To better understand how these roles function , let ’ s look at an example . If a company has its main office in London and others contributing to the project are in Bristol , Revit Server allows employees from both offices to work simultaneously on a Revit project file . This central file is saved in a local data server within its local area network ( LAN ). Individuals can access the central file on the data server . However , Revit automatically creates a copy of the central file on the individual client workstation , which is referred to as a local file , rather than open the central file . With subsequent changes , local files evolve differently from the central file . Hence , each local file is synchronised with the central file . This is better known as work-sharing .
In a LAN , load and sync speeds are fairly rapid , as the data is close to end users . When the same work-sharing occurs between two or more offices over the wide area network ( WAN ), the speeds of load and sync are slower . Revit Server lets two or more servers communicate across the WAN by caching ( or replicating ) the data on one server to the other . Thus , what is needed is to keep the data close to the end users . For this , each office must install a single instance of Revit Server on their data servers , creating a Revit Server Network .
The Revit Server in London could play host and administrator roles while the Revit Server in Bristol assumes the role of Accelerator . Thus , all central files would be in London and would be cached to Bristol . Using the Revit Server Administrator site via a web browser , the Revit Servers in the network can be administered .
What is C4R and what are the benefits ?
When teams are working on a local area network ( LAN ), C4R , the cloud file-based worksharing method , enables accurate performance . It does not need the installation of a Revit Server .
Similar to Revit Server , the C4R method uses cloud computing but this time also for storage and hosting of the model . Using BIM 360 Team , C4R provides access to , and collaboration on , central Revit models on the cloud to project teams across varied disciplines , locations and companies . This means that individuals or teams from any of the locations can add , delete or modify elements of the project at any time so that the alterations can be viewed