Editor’s Note: This is the first installment of a series of four evaluation articles of CAD/PDM systems for SMBs.
Overview
Autodesk Vault Profession is one of three levels available from the company. Also available are Vault Basic and Vault Workgroup.
Vault Professional is a standalone application providing access to vault data. Integrated add-in clients for CAD and non-CAD applications are used to manage data. When working on files managed by any vault-type system, it is important to note that copies of files that are stored in the vault are checked out. Files are never directly edited in the vault; these files are read-only until they are checked out. In effect, copies of files are checked out of the vault for editing. In a vaulting scheme, a file can be checked out only by one user at a time. Changes made to checked out files are sent back to the server when a file is checked in.
