Pat Hill, Technical Solutions Manager, AEC
Many Autodesk users require the ability to work remotely. Businesses are asking questions about how to prepare and implement a strategy so they can successfully enable remote work with Autodesk software.
This article covers installation and use of standalone installations, multi-user network access, and finally some options for working with the project data. Leveraging these solutions will empower your team to work remotely.
Autodesk Licensing Methods
Autodesk currently uses two licensing methods for their software:
Most organizations will need to implement some other solutions to allow remote use of the multiuser licenses from the FLEXLM application on organizations server. There are several solutions available that will allow remote communication back to your FLEXLM application on your server. The most common method is to create a Virtual Private Network.
Virtual Private Network (VPN)
Your IT manger or third-party IT management service can implement a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN can be used to create a connection back to your server, which will allow your Autodesk application to contact FLEXLM and use a license if one is available. This is a common method of utilizing a multiuser license when working remotely. There are some recommended additions that need to be made to the client machine to better allow communication to the FLEXLM server back at your office.
The use of a VPN will introduce lag time between the client and the server. If the lag is too great, the client will timeout and not receive a license from FLEXLM. It is recommended that when using a VPN to request a license from the FLEXLM server, that a Windows environment variable be configured on the client computer.
On the client computer an environment variable named FLEXLM_TIMEOUT needs to be created:
The recommended variable for FLEXLM_TIMEOUT is 3,000,000. The variable tells the Autodesk application to wait 3 seconds for a response from the FLEXLM server. The value can be edited for higher latency issues.
These recommendations should allow your Autodesk application to contact and receive the license information needed for the remote install to work.
To summarize, when using an Autodesk multiuser network license:
Project Data
Getting the Autodesk application to run on a remote system outside of your office is only half of the solution. Your project data needs to be accessible for your design team to use in the Autodesk software.
There are several solutions that are available to allow users to have access to the project data files. The data files could be as simple as one file that needs to be edited or could involve using multiple files that need to be coordinated to create a final project solution.
These are the tools required to allow remote use of Autodesk software. Each setup will have slightly different needs, so we encourage you to contact TPM to discuss in more detail. We're here to help you successfully implement the right strategy that meets your needs!
Call TPM Support at 1-888-313-1688 or email Support@tpm.com for assistance with accessing your Autodesk Services from home!