RAM Concept v24.00.02 introduced significant changes to the program methods used to open and save .cpt files stored in network directories (referred to as network files hereafter).
This article summarizes those implementation changes and outlines new program errors and warnings that users may encounter.
Background
In RAM Concept 2024 (v20.00.00.93), the .cpt file format was changed from a binary file format to a SQLite database. After the release, some users reported the following issues with network files
- Model corruption due to missing file data.
- Program hangs and other performance issues during file open and save operations.
These problems were traced to known issues with writing data to SQLite databases saved in network directories. Additional information can be found here.
To address these issues, two major program changes were introduced in RAM Concept v24.00.02.
- Automatic temporary local file saves for network files
- A file locking mechanism to manage multi-user access of network files
Temporary Local Files
When a network file is opened or created, a temporary local file is created automatically in the following directory.
%UserProfile%\AppData\Local\Bentley\Engineering\RamConcept\NetworkFiles
When the network file is saved, the model file is saved first in the local directory and then copied back to the network file directory to replace the original file.
When the model or program is closed, the temporary local file is deleted.
In the event that the network connection is lost during the save process, RAM Concept cannot copy the local file back to the network directory and a network failure error dialog is displayed.
Network File Locks
When a network file is opened or created by a user, a .lck lock file is automatically created in the network directory. This lock file prevents other users from accessing the network file. Users who own the lock are able to open the file on other machines or in concurrent program sessions on the same machine.
Two types of network file locks are supported: temporary and permanent.
Temporary locks are automatically acquired when a network file is opened or created and are automatically released when the user closes the file or program. In the event of a program crash or abnormal termination, automatic release of the file lock is not possible, and users will need to manually delete the lock if other users need to access the network file.
Permanent locks are intended to prevent other users from accessing network files even while the file is not open or when offline use without a network connection is expected. They are acquired manually using the Network Lock options in the File menu and remain in place after the file or program is closed. Permanent file locks can be released through the File menu options or by manually deleting the lock file.
The lock file is an xml file with a .lock extension that is saved in the same directory where the network file is saved. This file stores information about the lock and its owner. See the image below for details about the file contents.
Program Errors and Warnings
RAM Concept may display the following errors and warnings while processing network files.
An error has occurred. Network connection failure.
This error is issued when the network connection is lost and a network file save, close, or a file lock change is attempted. In these cases, the network connection failure prevents RAM Concept from updating the temporary local file or the lock file.
A copy of the network file was detected in the local working directory.
This warning is issued when a network file is open and an exising local file that is linked to the network file is found in the local working directory. This most often occurs when a network file is opened simultaneously in multiple RAM Concept sessions on the same machine. As noted in the warning, RAM Concept will open the existing local file.
An error has occurred. Network file is locked to another user.
This error is issued when a user attempts to open a network file that is locked to another user. This applies to both temporary and permanent file lock types.
Network File Lock Notifications
The messages below are produced when a permanent file lock is successfully acquired or released.
An error has occurred. The file could not be opened.
This error is issued when attempting to open a network file and information cannot be read into the lock file due to a connection issue. Typically, this error is caused by a weak network connection. If the error persists after several tries, copy/paste or save the network to a local file directory and then try again.