NAS vs. Server for Revit firm

NAS vs. Server for Revit firm

Postby archspri » Fri Aug 28, 2015 9:43 am

Office is doing a nice hardware upgrade, and we are making the transition to Revit. We don't need our big server machine, I think, as we only use it for file storage being that we have a cloud based Exchange server, so I'm looking at an NAS setup. Does anyone have experience with NAS and Revit files? We did have an NAS on a tiral basis for working with AutoCAD files (a cheap DLINK DNS-320L) and we noticed considerable slow down in file access and write speeds vs the Server, but I'm looking at getting a QNAP-TS-253 Pro NAS.

Any thoughts?
archspri
 
Posts: 171
Joined: Sun Sep 15, 2013 2:51 pm

Re: NAS vs. Server for Revit firm

Postby ElMasGrecus » Tue Sep 01, 2015 10:59 pm

I just set up a Synology DS415+. I still haven't set up my PC with Revit yet, so I can't speak directly to how worksharing will be with the NAS. My macbooks connect wirelessly right now and it can be slow occasionally when it is very graphics heavy. That may not be the case once I connect to ethernet. You are on the right track with QNAP. A low voltage consultant I know with a lot of experience recommended the QNAP over Synology, but only after I got a Synology. Which works great, by the way.
ElMasGrecus
 
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 9:05 am

Re: NAS vs. Server for Revit firm

Postby tylerfu » Thu Oct 27, 2016 11:34 am

We have been using a pretty low end (in terms of processing 700 mhz and ram 256 mb) seagate central NAS for about 2.5 years. The firms getting a little bigger but still very small 3-4 users attached to the NAS accessing 700mb revit files and it has so far worked pretty well. About 1 time a week if more than 2 people are on the same file we get a "the central model is busy" error when trying to sync... I just checked the read write with our setup (wired, 2016 buffalo network switch) its about 35 mb/s read and 60 mb/s write. I used this which was really simple http://www.808.dk/?code-csharp-nas-performance

I've been looking to upgrade to a RAID system so that if a drive failed we could switch it out without any downtime, and also looking at the possibility of switching to a real server, though so far I don't see the benefit of a full fleged server vs NAS. Any IT/Architects out there who use a real server, what's the advantage?

Tyler
tylerfu
 
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2014 2:05 pm

Re: NAS vs. Server for Revit firm

Postby pscharnett » Mon Nov 28, 2016 8:53 pm

As our resident IT guy who migrated from an old Windows SBS 2003 environment to a NAS, I can tell you that if your firm has less than about 40 people, a NAS is probably all you need unless you want to host your own email and web server and/or Active Directory is important to you. But you do need fast internet and a decent processor.

One item I did encounter: my Linux server environment (Synology) had syncing issues versus Windows server environments when using Revit. Also, RAID is not a backup. You need to use the 3-2-1 rule for backups--Google it. I tell you all this through my own mistakes and failures in hopes you can avoid my pitfalls!

tylerfu, how are you using your NAS for the Central Model?
pscharnett
 
Posts: 34
Joined: Sun Jan 19, 2014 6:11 pm

Re: NAS vs. Server for Revit firm

Postby ElGrecus » Tue Nov 29, 2016 9:53 am

I run a small two-person firm. I set up a Synology DS415+ and I am running Revit with no major issues. We use iMacs and Parallels which launches Bootcamp. It has been working fine as long as all users access the drives via the IP address (not SMB, etc) otherwise synchronizing is a problem if one user access the Revit file via an IP address and the other via an SMB address.
ElGrecus
 
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri May 30, 2014 10:28 am

Re: NAS vs. Server for Revit firm

Postby rwwon » Tue Nov 29, 2016 4:16 pm

ElGrecus wrote:We use iMacs and Parallels which launches Bootcamp.


How's your performance with this setup? I remember people in college using this setup for Revit. By the end of the semester they wiped their computers and installed only windows lol.
User avatar
rwwon
 
Posts: 184
Joined: Sat Dec 05, 2015 11:26 pm

Re: NAS vs. Server for Revit firm

Postby ElGrecus » Fri Dec 02, 2016 8:00 pm

rwwon wrote:
ElGrecus wrote:We use iMacs and Parallels which launches Bootcamp.


How's your performance with this setup? I remember people in college using this setup for Revit. By the end of the semester they wiped their computers and installed only windows lol.


It has not been a problem yet. I worked at a much larger firm previously using Revit on PCs with a dedicated IT department. The performance is no worse, and maybe a touch better, than that server setup. I have no complaints about the NAS. The iMacs have a graphics card issue that I cannot solve. Inactive viewports will occasionally go crazy--the image streaks across the viewport. Selecting the viewport, or "zooming all" viewports restores the correct graphics. It is minor, but it is there. I set up the iMac so that Parellels points to Bootcamp which runs the latest Windows. So, Parallels is not running the PC operating system, it is only running Bootcamp which has the PC operating system. I found that trick somewhere online... can't remember where. I believe they said it improves performance a fair amount.
ElGrecus
 
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri May 30, 2014 10:28 am


Return to GENERAL DISCUSSION

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: ahamoowu, ekenezuxigak, ielewip, oradebonoyo, ozespewehup, Russellhes, SteveMix, ucibewuzafgel, uhipoceigod and 45 guests

cron