Multiuser
Back in 2006, ProVI switched to storing all the data in project databases – and with good reason. Multiple users at different locations can work together simultaneously on the same project, which enables efficient teamwork. This is an invaluable benefit when it comes to managing the increasingly complex challenges of today’s design projects.
The project database acts as the central “project room” where specialist planners from different trades can work together – a fundamental principle of the BIM working methodology.
Each and every user always works with the very latest data status. Data that is currently being edited is locked; it can be analyzed by other users, but not changed while it is being worked on.
Compared with other design systems that store their data in CAD drawings, ProVI allows you to work on much bigger projects – and much more speedily, too. Database access has been systematically optimized for maximum performance to enable smooth working even on wide-area networks (WANs) and mobile networks with VPN access. For example, the required bandwidth has been reduced by 70–80% because all the data is automatically compressed before being transferred.
For large-scale projects involving multiple users, users and rights can be managed within the project. Specific users or user groups can be assigned access rights to specific database folders or files (or have these rights removed); for example, to control the area of responsibility of a user group.
To ensure the security of your data, we use Microsoft Access and Microsoft SQL Server – database systems that have proved their worth over many decades. Microsoft Access users can also convert their projects to Microsoft SQL Server projects (or vice versa), making it easier to share data with other offices and ensuring a high degree of scalability. For example, you can start projects in an Access database or the free Express Edition of Microsoft SQL Server and, if necessary, seamlessly switch to an even more powerful SQL Server edition.