Install an on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing

The on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing is a private alternative to the public cloud-based sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing. For example, you can use your own on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing to privately share models in projects where security requirements do not allow sharing models using the cloud-based service.

You can use both the cloud-based sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing and an on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing for different models at the same time.

You do not need to install an on-premises sharing service if you only want to share models using the public cloud-based sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing. For information about the cloud-based sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing, see Tekla Model Sharing.

If you are a Tekla Structures user, you can work with different models that are shared using the cloud-based sharing service and an on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing at the same time. The person who manages Tekla Structures for you enables and sets up the on-premises sharing service for you. Tekla Structures remembers which sharing service is used for each model and automatically connects to the service when you open the model.

Note: These instructions are for the IT administrator who sets up and manages the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing. There are no tasks for Tekla Structures users in this guide.

Prerequisites for installation of the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing

Before you install the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing, ensure that these requirements are met.

To install the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing, you must:

Have knowledge about your company's IT infrastructure.
Have the necessary permissions to manage the Windows Server operating system and SQL Server databases.
Be familiar with the 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.

Ensure that the server computer has enough storage space for your shared models. The storage requirements depend on the size of your models and how much data you share with the models. For example, you need more storage space if users often create baselines of shared models because baselines upload a complete copy of the model to the on-premises sharing service.

Compatibility with Tekla Structures

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.

Installation workflow for the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing

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

Download and run the on-premises sharing service installer.
Create the SQL database and schema using the SQL script from the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing installer.
Set up Windows authentication and access rights to the database for the SQL Server.
Start the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing.
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.

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

Before you can download the Tekla Model Sharing On-premises server installer, you must have:

Ordered a license from Trimble.
Created a Trimble Identity for the named person who will download the installer.
Received a confirmation that Trimble has enabled the installer download for the named person.

Download the Tekla Model Sharing On-Premises server installer from Trimble Downloads.
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.
On the SQL Configuration: SQL Server database parameters page, fill in the information.
1. Define the SQL Server host machine.
  Check the SQL Server name in Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio studio and use the same name here.
2. Use the default database name.
  The default database name is DataSharing9.
3. Select Windows Authentication.
On the SQL Configuration: Ports, data storage folder and SMTP mail server address page, fill in the information.
1. In the TCP/IP port number for clients to connect box, enter a TCP/IP port number that is not in use by another service.
  The default port number is 9997. We recommend that you use the default port number unless there is a port conflict or another problem because of other services or a firewall.
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. In the Internal TCP/IP port for data transfer box,a TCP/IP port number that is not in use by another service.
  The default port number is 9000. We recommend that you use the default port number unless there is a port conflict or another problem because of other services or a firewall.
4. If you want the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing to send invitation emails to users, configure the SMTP mail server address for sending email.
  Model owners can change access rights for shared models using Tekla Structures even if you do not configure the SMTP mail server address.
5. If you want to specify a default owner for all shared models, enter the email address of the users in the Owner user (email) for all the models box.
To start the installation, click Install.

Next, create the SQL database and schema.

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.

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.
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.
Close the script window and click Yes to commit the transaction.
Select the database list, click Refresh, then verify that a database called DataSharing9 was created and that the database contains tables.

Next, set up Windows authentication and database access rights for the SQL Server.

Set up Windows authentication and access rights for the database

Using Windows authentication is recommended as a security best practice. When you use Windows authentication, the username and password for the SQL Server are securely stored in a Windows account.

For more information about authentication methods for the SQL Server, see the SQL Server documentation on the Microsoft website.

In Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio, connect to the database server.
In the Windows Services app, right-click the Tekla Model Sharing 3 service, then select Properties.
On the Log On tab, ensure that the correct Windows account is selected.
In Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio, on the User Mapping page, ensure that the Windows account that the Tekla Model Sharing 3 service uses has the db_owner role.

Next, start the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing.

Start the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing

Using the Computer Management console compmgmt.msc, or the Services management console services.msc, locate the Tekla Model Sharing 3 service.
Start the service.
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.

Next, run the Enable Tekla Model Sharing On-Premises client setup on users' computers.

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

Note: These instructions are for the IT administrator who sets up and manages the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing. If you are a user who works with shared models, the person who manages Tekla Structures for you does these steps.

Download the Installer to Enable Tekla Model Sharing On-Premises.
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 Windows registry path HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Trimble\Tekla Structures\<version>\Settings and adds a DWORD (32-bit) Value OnPremises with a value of 1.
In Tekla Structures, add the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing to the list of known services.
1. In the Select service dialog, click + to add a new Tekla Model Sharing service.
2. Enter the name and port of the on-premises sharing service for Tekla Model Sharing.
  The default port number is 9997.
3. Click Add.