You will need a new computer/ or assign a computer that you already have to be the server for your office, one that is a mac intel. This is the computer on which, ideally, you install the BIMserver. All AC13 will need to be on the mac intel machines. All the other machines using AC13 will have just the BIMserver Manager, a component of the BIMserver and a separate install in the AC13 disc. This is what you will use to log into the BIMserver from each machine using AC13.

The BIMserver and BIMserver Managers in and of themselves will not slow down the computer. However, the AC13 files and libraries take up a lot of space. There have been some discussion about this here on AC talk. Also, look at the WIKI.

For TW2 you will be keeping all your files in one location. I am not familiar with the size of the projects your firm does.

Erika wrote:
All the other machines using AC13 will have just the BIMserver Manager, a component of the BIMserver and a separate install in the AC13 disc. This is what you will use to log into the BIMserver from each machine using AC13.

Erika, I think you do not necessarily have to install the BIM Server Manager on every computer that has AC13 running on it. See my previous post about this:

http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?p=154635&highlight=#154635

It works for me on a pc.

I don't know what this DLL thing is supposed to mean, maybe in certain offices attaching Flash drives to USB ports is not allowed for security reasons? I don't know.

Hi Steve,

I've been mostly offline for a week...

You can continue to use your PPC server as the file server for the office. As you probably know, a server may or may not run a server version of the OS. It is not essential unless you want the features that OS X Server provides (roaming profiles, better response to large numbers of users, etc). I only mention that since there sometimes confusion that a 'server' must run OS X Server, but for most small to medium offices, it is just a computer that has folders shared (and, as yours, backed-up).

The BIM Server does have to be installed on a MacTel machine, but it need not be the same as your file server. Ideally, it should store the project files on fast local disks, but you can configure it to store the project and library files on your PPC file server AFAIK - if it allows you to browse to a network share for placing those files, I'm not sure what the BIM Server will do if that share is temporarily unavailable (the file server is rebooted/etc).

Whether you run AC 13 on the same computer that has the BIM Server depends on the size of your workgroup and the power of the MacTel machine that it is installed on. Certainly no reason not to do so in a small office of 2 to 4 (no idea what the max would be) users and only think about getting a dedicated machine if the server load seems to bog down.

(You would have to be a little concerned about the user on the shared workstation shutting down or restarting the machine while other users are accessing the BIM Server. I have not tested the BS to see if it and AC 13 are robust enough to deal nicely with a reboot of the BS in the middle of a send/receive by one or more clients, for example, but have to assume that GS addressed this.)

Cheers,
Karl

Sorry I have nothing to add except that I thought this was funny, "We have a central computer that no one uses as our server" - which can be read to mean the exact opposite of what it was meant to express. 😉