remote login to TW2 - Library issues

[Anonymous]

AC13, Vista 64bit machines.

Have logged in our office network via a VPN from my home pc and joined the TW2 project successfully. Project looks fine except all library parts from the BIM server libraries are not loaded.

Library manager says all BIM server libraries are unavailable.
Manage BIM server libraries shows all libraries available.

When joining the TW2 project the BIM server's name came up as an IP address rather than its usual name. Could this be the issue? How would one go about fixing this issue?

[Karl Ottenstein]

Accessing the office via VPN is quite different than accessing over the internet without a VPN. You can always access the project. But having libraries get located properly depends on the server path - IP number or DNS name and how you are connecting (local network = same as VPN, or general internet).

When you connect via a VPN, you are assigned an IP address on the office network and your machine will behave as if it is on that network.

When connected via VPN, you can not use the public IP address for the BIM Server. If the server and project/libs were set up for non-VPN internet access, then they will refer to the server by an external DNS name. Your home machine must then be set up just like the ones inside the office and have its HOSTS file edited to map that name to the local IP address of the BIM Server. (Libraries are recognized only if they are accessed exactly the same way as when they were loaded/linked, so this may at least give you a hint if not the exact solution.)

See this Wiki article about editing the HOSTS file:
http://www.archicadwiki.com/Teamwork/BimServerRemoteConnection#Editing_hosts_Files_when_both_Local_a...

Note! If at some point you access the BIM Server over an ordinary internet connection and not via your VPN, you will have to edit the hosts file again to remove the created entry so that the internet DNS will look up the proper IP address for your BIM Server.

Cheers,
Karl

Edit: typos

[Anonymous]

Thanks Karl!
Your legendary status will be confirmed tonight when I sort the issue.
This looks like the solution for the Mac clients I've been having the same issue with too separate thread
Will post again when resolved.

[Anonymous]

Are we there yet?
...Well not quite. No.
Found the host file which was not straight forward as we run vista 64
For the record it's the same as for Vista 32 - ie "C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc" not to be confused with "C:\Windows\SysWOW64\drivers" - you won't find any "etc" folder in there and you might be left scratching your head for awhile (...like me)
So with that out of the way, after editing the host file to add the same BIM server name (DNS) to the IP address and a re-start I re launched AC13.
At the join TW dialogue the same BIM Server named as the IP address came up so I selected "add more BIM servers" and entered the DNS as per the host file, as per the same BIM Server name used in the office.
After a couple of tries and mucking about with the syntax of the host file (and incidentally just as I was about to pack it in and go to bed) it worked.
The projects list came up. I joined the project (first time for this user name). After many minutes of VPN transfer the project opened but still no library objects. The Library manager still says the BIM server libraries are unavailable although this time the "manage BIM server Libraries" shows all libraries available under the correct BIM Server name, as well as for the IP BIM server name.
Tonight I will try to remove the IP BIM server instance to see if it makes a difference. (will have to install BIM server software I believe).
More when it happens.