Necessary steps for working with online projects

The following section provides an overview of the necessary steps for working with online projects. You only need to carry out steps 6 and 7 if external users (who are not part of the Allplan workgroup) are to access projects.

1st step: setting up the FTP server (Allplan administrator or system administrator)

Allplan Workgroup Online requires an FTP server. You can use any FTP server, provided it can be accessed via a static IP address. To set up and manage the FTP server, you can use the free FileZilla program.

An FTP server is an application program providing access for FTP clients. Using an FTP server, you can share a part of the file system on the computer running this program so that other computers can access this part over the Internet.

The data for the FTP server can also be stored on an existing Allplan workgroup server.

Recommended approach: use an additional computer for the workgroup server; set up the FTP server on this computer; move the projects for online use to this server; prepare the projects for online use.

2nd step: setting up FTP users and user rights on the FTP server (Allplan administrator or system administrator)

After having set up the FTP server, you need to set up the users and user rights on the server. Users require full control of the respective project folder. Please do not forget to consider data security. Access via Anonymous FTP is not possible.

Recommended approach: create a separate, password-protected account for each user.

3rd step: informing users of login details for the FTP server (Allplan administrator or system administrator)

You need to provide the users who are to access the online projects with the login details for the FTP server. These login details are required for adding an online server. Users who are part of the Allplan workgroup only require the login details for the FTP server; external users additionally require the password you assigned for Manage Allplan users (see step 6).

4th step: adding the online server (Allplan users)

So that Allplan users can work with online projects, they have to inform Allplan of the login details for the FTP server where the projects reside. These details, which can be obtained from the system administrator who is in charge of the FTP server, are saved in a user-specific manner.

To add an online server

5th step: turning projects into online projects (Allplan administrator or project owner)

Before a project is available online, it must be prepared for online use.

This requires the following steps:

• The resources are set to project-specific and copied to the project.
• The way the project folder is named is set to 'same folder name as project name'.

You can prepare a project for online use at creation time or later. Projects that are created directly on an online server or copied or moved to an online server are automatically prepared for online use. Projects that reside on a workgroup server which is also used as the FTP server must be prepared for online use.

To prepare a project for online access

You only need to carry out steps 6 and 7 if external users (who are not part of the Allplan workgroup) are to access projects.

6th step: creating external users in Allplan (Allplan administrator)

The Allplan user administration must include the email address and password for each external user who is to access an online project. An external user must enter this information in order to open an online project. Users who are part of the Allplan workgroup are detected automatically; they can open online projects without having to enter an email address and password.

To create an Allplan user

7th step: defining the authorized users of an online project (Allplan administrator or project owner)

If external users are to access the online project, you need to grant these users permission to open the project. You can do this using the shortcut menu of the project: Properties in the New Project, Open Project dialog box.