Install an on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing

Tekla Structures
Not version-specific
Tekla Structures

Install an on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing

The on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing is an alternative to the cloud-based sharing service. Follow these instructions only if you do not use the cloud-based sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing.

For information about the cloud-based sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing, see Tekla Model Sharing.

Note:

Starting from version 2024, each version of the Tekla Model Sharing On-Premises expires on June 1 of the year after release. For example, the 2024 Tekla Model Sharing On-Premises server expires on June 1, 2025. When the current version of the Tekla Model Sharing On-Premises server expires, it stops working. Customers who renew their on-premises subscription must download and install the new version of the server to continue using the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing.

Prerequisites for installation

To install the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing, you must be familiar with SQL server installation process and database management.

The on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing requires a Windows Server operating system and Microsoft SQL server with SQL Server Management studio.

  • Use the default compatibility settings for the required SQL Server.
  • Usually, each user's computer runs the Windows system locale that matches the language requirements of the user. For more information, see Server collation in SQL Server.

Installation workflow

The main steps for installing an on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing are:

  1. Download and run the on-premises sharing service installer.

  2. Create the SQL database and schema using the SQL script from the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing installer.

  3. Set up the SQL Server database for mixed mode authentication.

  4. Set up SQL Server authentication and access rights to the database.

  5. Start the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing.

  6. Run the Enable Tekla Model Sharing On-Premises client setup on the computers where Tekla Structures users will use the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing.

Step 1: Download and run the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing installer

To download the on-premises sharing service installer, you must have:

  • Ordered a license from Trimble.
  • Received a confirmation that Trimble has enabled the installer download for the named person that has a Trimble Identity.
  1. Download the on-premises sharing service installer from the Tekla Downloads service.

    After you sign in, you can find the installer on the Tekla Model Sharing On-Premises server page.

  2. Run the TeklaModelSharingService.exe installer in one of these ways:
    • If your Windows account has administrator permissions, double-click the TeklaModelSharingService.exe installation file.
    • If your Windows account does not have administrator permissions, right-click the TeklaModelSharingService.exe installation file, then select Run as administrator.
  3. On the SQL Configuration: SQL Server database parameters page, fill in the information.
    1. Define the SQL server host machine.
      • If the SQL Server is running on the same server as the on-premises sharing service, use the default value for the SQL Server host machine.

        The default value is a single dot (.).

      • If the SQL Server is on another server, or is a named instance, change the dot (.) to the correct value. For example:

        • DBSERVER for a default instance on another server called DBSERVER

        • .\SQLSERVER for a local named instance

        • DBSERVER\SQLSERVER for a named instance on a server called DBSERVER

        If you use a non-standard TCP port to connect the SQL Server, enter the port number separated by a comma after the SQL Server host machine. For example: SQLSERVER,61435.

    2. Use the default database name.

      The default database name is DataSharing9.

    3. Use the default SQL Server login name.

      The default SQL Server login name is datasharing.

    4. In the SQL Server login password box, enter the password that you created for the SQL Server login in Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio.
    5. Depending on the SQL Server authentication mode, select Windows Authentication or SQL Server Authentication.
  4. On the SQL Configuration: Ports, data storage folder and SMTP mail server address page, fill in the information.
    1. Use the default TCP/IP port number for clients to connect to.

      The default port number is 9997.

    2. Specify the model data folder.

      The default model data folder is ..\TeklaModelSharingData\. You can use the default folder or change the folder.

      Ensure that the folder has enough disk space for the estimated usage of the service. The required disk space can vary from a few gigabytes to terabytes, depending on the number of Tekla Model Sharing users and the size of the models.

    3. Specify the internal TCP/IP port for data transfer.

      The default port is 9000.

      If the ports cause conflicts or other problems because of other services or a firewall, you can change the ports.

    4. Configure the SMTP mail server address for sending email.

If you need to change the configuration of the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing after installation, run the TeklaModelSharingService.exe installer again, then select Repair.

If you change the location of the model data folder, move the previous model data to the new location.

You can also use the service configuration file TmsConfiguration.xml in ..\ProgramData\Tekla\ModelSharing\v3\ to modify the Tekla Model Sharing service installation. Edit the TmsConfiguration.xml file using any standard text editor, such as Microsoft Notepad. To ensure that you can save the file in the same location from which you opened it, run the text editor as an administrator.

Step 2: Create the SQL database and schema

Create the SQL database and schema using the SQL script from the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing installer.

  1. In Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio, open the CreateSchema-DataSharing92.sql file, located in .. \ProgramData\Tekla\ModelSharing\v3\.
    If the ..\ProgramData\ folder is on a network drive, it is a hidden folder. Enter the folder path in the Open file dialog box or in the Windows Explorer address bar.
  2. To run the script, click Execute.

    The database schema is created and the database content is initialized as part of the script. The execution of the script is interrupted if the database already exists.

  3. Select the database list, click Refresh, then verify that a database called DataSharing9 was created.

Step 3: Set up the SQL Server database for mixed mode authentication

  1. In Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio, connect to the database server.
  2. Right-click the database server, then select Properties.
  3. In the Server Properties, go to the Security page.
  4. Under Server authentication, select SQL Server and Windows Authentication mode.
  5. Click OK.
  6. To restart the SQL Server service, right-click the database server, then select Restart.

Step 4: Set up SQL Server authentication and access rights for the database

  1. In Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio, under the selected database engine, right-click the Security folder, then select New > Login.
  2. On the General page, set the following options:
    1. Enter a name for the login, such as datasharing.
    2. Select SQL Server authentication and enter the password for the login in the Password and Confirm password boxes.
    3. Clear the Enforce password expiration check box.
    4. Optional: Select DataSharing9 as the Default database.
  3. If you use Windows Authentication for SQL Server, set the Windows account and password for the Tekla Model Sharing 3 service after the installation.
    1. Open the Services application.
    2. Locate the Tekla Model Sharing 3 service, right-click it, then select Properties.
    3. On the Log On tab, set the Windows account and password.
  4. On the User Mapping page, grant rights to the database for the new login.
    1. From the Users mapped to this login list, select DataSharing9.
    2. From the Database role membership for list, select db_owner.
    3. Click OK to create the login and the user.

Step 5: Start the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing

  1. Using the Computer Management console compmgmt.msc, or the Services management console services.msc, locate the Tekla Model Sharing 3 service.
  2. Start the service.
  3. Using the Windows Event Viewer, verify that there are Information messages showing that the service has started, and that there are no errors from the service.

Step 6: Run the Enable Tekla Model Sharing On-Premises client setup on users' computers

  1. To enable On-Premises Server selection, download the installer and start the service.
  2. Run the Enable Tekla Model Sharing On-Premises client setup on the computers where Tekla Structures users will use the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing.

The client setup checks the Tekla Model Sharing On-Premises registry values and enables Tekla Model Sharing On-Premises.

Upgrade the Tekla Model Sharing On-Premises server to a new version

Once a year, a new version of the Tekla Model Sharing On-Premises server is released and the previous version expires. To continue using the on-premises sharing service with your ongoing Tekla Model Sharing projects, and to use the on-premises sharing service with the latest version of Tekla Structures, you must upgrade the server.

Six months before the current version of the Tekla Model Sharing On-Premises server expires, the server writes the following warning in the Windows Event Log:

This on-premises server version stops working {DATE}. Download and install the new version when it becomes available.

After the version expires, the on-premises server will not start and it writes the following error message in the Windows Event Log:

This on-premises server version is no more working after {DATE}. Download and install the new version.
Note:

If you are installing Tekla Model Sharing On-Premises server for the first time, do not follow these steps.

  1. Download the new version of the on-premises sharing service installer from the Tekla Downloads service.

    After you sign in, you can find the installer on the Tekla Model Sharing On-Premises server page.

  2. Run the TeklaModelSharingService.exe installer in one of these ways:
    • If your Windows account has administrator permissions, double-click the TeklaModelSharingService.exe installation file.
    • If your Windows account does not have administrator permissions, right-click the TeklaModelSharingService.exe installation file, then select Run as administrator.

    The Tekla Model Sharing 3 Windows Service stops automatically and attempts to start automatically.

If the database schema has changed, you must also upgrade the database schema.

Upgrade the database schema for Tekla Model Sharing On-Premises server

Upgrade the database schema when the database schema changes.

Note:

If you are installing Tekla Model Sharing On-Premises server for the first time, do not follow these steps.

  1. To upgrade the SQL database schema, run the upgrade script.

    You can check the current database schema version using the GetSchemaVersion.sql script located in ..\ProgramData\Tekla\ModelSharing\v3\.

    Run all the needed upgrade scripts in the right order. The order depends on your current database schema version.

    The upgrade script checks the current database schema version when you start to run the script. The script stops if the current schema version is not older than the schema version in the upgrade script.

  2. In Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio, open the UpgradeSchema-DataSharing<version>.sql file located in ..\ProgramData\Tekla\ModelSharing\v3\.

    If the ..\ProgramData\ folder is on a network drive, it is a hidden folder. Enter the folder path in the Open dialog box or in the Windows Explorer address bar.

  3. Click Execute to run the script.

Back up and restore data

We recommend that you back up the data regularly, for example, daily. Ensure that your data is backed up before you begin any software or hardware upgrade process, such as upgrading the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing version or the SQL database.

The on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing uses the SQL database for the bookkeeping of shared models. The model data is stored in the file folders in Windows.

The database name and the path for model data settings are in the service configuration file TmsConfiguration.xml in ..\ProgramData\Tekla\ModelSharing\v3\:

  • DsConnectionString is the name of the database

  • DsStorageFolder is the storage for the model data

For best practices for SQL Server database backups, see Back Up and Restore of SQL Server Databases.

  1. To back up the SQL database and the related file folders:
    1. Stop the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing to get a consistent snapshot of the SQL database and the related file folders.

      Optionally, you can first create a backup on the SQL database, and then take a backup of the file folders. If you do this, the references in the SQL database will find the related files with a successful backup or a restore.

    2. Take a backup of the SQL Server database.
    3. Take a backup of the file folders.
    4. Start the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing.
  2. To restore a backup:
    1. Stop the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing.
    2. Restore the backup of the SQL Server database.
    3. Restore the related file folders.
    4. Start the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing.

Troubleshooting

If you cannot connect to the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing from Tekla Structures:

  • Ensure that the Tekla Model Sharing 3 Windows Service is running.

  • Ensure that your firewalls do not block the TCP/IP ports that Tekla Structures uses. The default ports are 9000 and 9997.

  • Ensure that the SQL Server is running correctly.

If the service does not start:

  • Check the Application Log in Windows Event Viewer for possible errors.

Compatibility

The on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing is backward compatible, but not forward compatible.

To use the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing with the latest version of Tekla Structures, you must upgrade the Tekla Model Sharing On-Premises server to the latest version.

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