Does LR work on Servers/Networks?

[Bruce M. Morris]

At work our computers are tied into the main hospital computer network and we have a drive that is just for us to file our images. Boss went to LR seminar and thought it would be great to use for us to finally harness all our files and get some semblance of order. However, when trying to load LR and have the images, catalogs etc all go to the network drive, LR came back with error.
All the information I can find talk about using LR on single PC or Mac as opposed to networked computers. Even the Adobe site is strangely mute on the topic. Anyone have any comments, suggestions, anything on whether LR is capable of use on Networks as opposed to single computers? From what I see here, it will work on multiple drives, but no indication if it will work with multiple terminals.

Thanks to all.

[billbunton]

LR is a single-user application, and enforces that by not allowing a catalog on a networked drive. The images can be on a network drive, but the catalog cannot.

[KenJulio]

Hmm...that's weird, I would suspect if the network drive is mapped to X: that LR wouldnt care if it's a locally(ext hd) or a network drive. I havent tested it as I'm running on mac and ext HD.

A test would be if someone has a NAS setup.

- images stored on NAS with a new catalog without moving the images
- images stored on NAS with a catalog local to the pc without moving the images
- catalog on NAS created by one user, another licensed LR user connects to drive and imports catalog

*shrugs* just thinkin out loud.

[Brains]

I have no problem adding my network drives to LR2.5 .. In the Library category, click on the plus in the Folders group, and add the location. When it goes to import the photos, just select the File Handling option to "Add photos to catalog without moving."

[Bruce M. Morris]

Bill, I had kind of thought that was the case, but it is good to hear that confirmed by someone that has more experience with it.

Brian, 1)Is your experience with just 2.5 or have you done this with earlier versions? I am at a Govt facility and they got us 2.4 and THEN we found this issue with the networking. 2)Just how much HD space do the catalogs take up? In my feeble attempt to understand, the catalog is basically using image data to create something like shortcuts to reference images. Is that right?

[Brains]

2.5 was my first version, so unfortunately I can't be of much help :(

I haven't really dug under the hood too much, so I might be a little off. But as I understand it the physical original image stays put, and any changes you make are put in the Catalog. Looking on disk, that's what it looks like - my catalog library is significantly smaller than the disk space occupied by the original images (ie. a hundred or so megs vs many many gigs).

[hhscr]

Originally Posted by ken74

Hmm...that's weird, I would suspect if the network drive is mapped to X: that LR wouldnt care if it's a locally(ext hd) or a network drive. I havent tested it as I'm running on mac and ext HD.

A test would be if someone has a NAS setup.

- images stored on NAS with a new catalog without moving the images
- images stored on NAS with a catalog local to the pc without moving the images
- catalog on NAS created by one user, another licensed LR user connects to drive and imports catalog

*shrugs* just thinkin out loud.

I tried this also, Bill is correct the photos can be on a NAS but the catalog can not.

What I have also found is that with the photos on the NAS, when you open LR it takes it a little time to complete the links from the catalog to the photos. So if you want to make a quick adjustment to a photo you have to wait for it to get the links complete. Otherwise you get the photo is unavailable error message.

[billbunton]

Originally Posted by Brains

I have no problem adding my network drives to LR2.5 .. In the Library category, click on the plus in the Folders group, and add the location. When it goes to import the photos, just select the File Handling option to "Add photos to catalog without moving."

Yes, this works because the photos are on the network, the catalog (the database with all the metadata about the photos) is on a local drive. It would not work if the catalog file itself were on a network drive. LR specifically checks to see if the drive is local or not.