Enterprise Networking Guide
Multi-Site Design Branches, Subcontractors, and Job Sites Sharing a BIM Collaboration System: How to Connect a Cross-Region Network
For regional design branches, detailing subcontractors, and construction sites sharing the same BIM collaboration server, remote graphics workstations, or cloud platform, we use existing broadband at each location to connect a cross-region and cross-border network via preconfigured gateways or existing enterprise cloud and virtualised environments, restricting subcontractor and on-site access to approved targets, scaling up bandwidth with project schedules, and closing network paths upon notice when the project ends.
In multi-discipline architectural, municipal, or industrial engineering projects, the main design institute, regional branch institutes, detailing subcontractors, and on-site project offices at construction sites often need to continuously share the same BIM and engineering drawing environment. Using existing broadband over the public internet at each office and construction site, we connect distributed offices and on-site project teams to the network hosting your central collaboration server or remote graphics workstations via preconfigured on-premises appliances or gateways deployed in your existing cloud and virtualised environments; if the project uses a software vendor's public cloud platform, we route cross-region or cross-border access paths by designated target address.
Once connected, engineering models, clash detection results, and phased design submission drawing sets remain in the main institute's data centre or existing cloud environment without repeated packaging and copying across teams. Subcontractors and construction sites can only reach enterprise-approved project servers or workstation entry points, helping multi-site teams synchronise central models, draft over remote desktop, and conduct joint drawing reviews more smoothly.
Connecting distributed branch institutes, subcontractors, and construction sites to a shared engineering system
Built around the server room or cloud environment hosting your engineering collaboration system, we establish connectivity based on existing infrastructure at both ends: on the main institute's data centre side, we can connect a physical gateway, or if the enterprise already has an existing virtualisation platform or public cloud resources, deploy a virtual gateway in that virtualised or cloud environment without migrating existing collaboration servers, drawing management backends, or remote graphics workstation pools; at regional branch institutes, detailing subcontractor offices, and on-site project offices at construction sites, teams connect directly over existing local broadband or cellular networks, avoiding construction waits for new physical dedicated lines and achieving shorter provisioning times than traditional physical dedicated lines.
For regional branch institutes or temporary offices at construction sites without dedicated on-site network staff, once local broadband access is available and required network policies are prepared, we can ship physical appliances preconfigured with site parameters and routing policies so on-site staff can join the project network simply by plugging in power and network cables. If internal branch institutes also need to access specialised software licence services at headquarters across cities, provided the enterprise confirms that the applicable software licence agreement permits cross-site usage, we can include the licence server address in the intranet routing path as well.
Network connection methods for central collaboration servers, remote graphics workstations, and cloud platforms
Collaborating on models across locations requires that the engineering software itself supports a cross-site collaboration architecture in that version. Opening model files directly over standard LAN file sharing (SMB) is not guaranteed to work across all Revit versions and multi-user concurrent editing scenarios over long-distance inter-city or cross-border networks; our service establishes network connectivity from each location to your target systems, while model conflict merging, software licence authorisation, and 3D graphics compute remain handled by your engineering software and host environment.
For the three system deployment models commonly used by engineering teams, our network access and routing arrangements are as follows:
| Existing collaboration environment location | How we connect both ends | What you keep and daily improvements |
|---|---|---|
| Central collaboration servers and drawing systems hosted in the main institute server room or private cloud | Using existing broadband at each location, connect branch institutes, subcontractors, and construction sites to the server intranet via a physical gateway in the server room (or a virtual gateway in your existing virtualised or cloud environment), configuring forwarding paths by project subnet | Servers and drawing directories remain in place, improving transfer stability when multi-site teams pull central models, synchronise edits, and upload design submission files |
| Remote graphics workstations and virtual desktops centrally deployed in a server room or public cloud | Route traffic from offices and construction sites to remote desktop entry points over cross-region or cross-border transmission channels, with dual-appliance or multi-path backup configured for critical sites | Large drawings and 3D computation stay in the central data centre, reducing screen freezes, keyboard and mouse lag, and mid-session disconnects during remote operation across regions |
| Software vendor public cloud collaboration platforms or online drawing review portals | Split traffic at site gateways by target platform domain or IP address to exit via cross-region or cross-border access channels; if fixed source IP registration is required, egress addresses can be planned and confirmed in advance | Keep existing vendor cloud accounts and workflows while reducing loading timeouts and sync interruptions when accessing cloud project workspaces across borders or carrier networks |
Restricting subcontractor teams and on-site project offices to approved project targets
Engineering projects frequently involve external consultants, detailing subcontractors, and on-site general contractor staff working together. To let external teams work smoothly without exposing the main institute's entire network, we enforce access controls at access gateways and along forwarding paths based on enterprise-approved target addresses: network traffic from subcontractor offices or construction site project offices is only permitted to reach the current project's collaboration hosts, designated drawing directory entry points, or remote workstation addresses assigned to that project, and cannot communicate with the main institute's finance, HR, or other confidential project subnets.
If individual consultants or travelling engineers across different locations need access to the project, we also support deploying your chosen third-party zero-trust application connector on the access appliances to control access permissions alongside your existing account system and endpoint management rules, while we carry the underlying cross-region and cross-border data transmission. Project directory permissions and user accounts remain managed on your existing platform without replacing the software tools used by employees or subcontractors.
Adding sites as the project grows, scaling up bandwidth for drawing peaks, and closing network paths upon demobilisation
Participating locations and traffic demands in construction projects change across project phases. When adding an on-site office mid-construction or bringing in a specialised design team temporarily, existing local broadband can be used to connect the project channel quickly without ordering a traditional physical dedicated line with long construction lead times for a temporary field site.
During multi-discipline model federation reviews, intensive construction drawing reviews, or bulk submission deliveries, traffic for synchronising models and transferring drawing sets across locations rises significantly. Based on existing access links and available resources at each site, enterprises can request temporary channel bandwidth increases by site and usage period, then adjust back to daily capacity after the drawing peak passes. When a subcontractor completes its work package and demobilises or the entire engineering project concludes, in addition to deactivating the corresponding accounts in your software platform, simply notify us as scheduled and we will close the network paths for the respective subcontractor office or temporary construction site and remove the forwarding rules and egress arrangements opened for that project.
Basic information to prepare before a consultation on BIM and engineering collaboration networks
- Locations to connect (such as the cities or countries of the main design institute, regional branch institutes, detailing subcontractor offices, and on-site project offices at construction sites).
- Your current BIM collaboration method and target entry location (such as a central collaboration server in the headquarters server room, a cloud-based remote graphics workstation pool, or a designated vendor cloud platform).
- The scope of target systems each participating party needs to access, along with an overview of existing broadband or cellular networks at each office and construction site.
- Any explicit requirements from your enterprise or the project owner regarding subnet isolation, fixed egress IP addresses, or project phases; you do not need to provide a complete network topology or troubleshooting report for an initial consultation, and please do not send account passwords, licence keys, source engineering model files, or unreleased drawings in forms or emails.