Revit Server Guard
Access control, activity logging and backups for Autodesk Revit Server. Everyone sees only their assigned projects and disciplines; actions involving models are logged, and one administrator can manage everything in a browser.
Why it matters
Autodesk Revit Server does one thing well: it hosts central models and allows multiple offices to work on them simultaneously. However, it lacks an essential capability for project managers: access control. Any employee who can reach the server over the network may open any model in any project, save a copy or modify another discipline’s models. Without an audit log, it is difficult to determine who did what and when.
Revit Server Guard (RSG) closes this gap. Installed on the same machine as Revit Server, it grants access to models only to authorised users and only with the permissions you define. Designers do not have to install anything or change their workflow: they open models in Revit just as before.
What it does
1. Project access is restricted to members
Employees can see and open models only in projects to which they have been assigned. Other projects remain inaccessible even if they know their names and the server address. New projects are not automatically open to everyone: an administrator decides who may enter.
2. Discipline permissions: architects cannot edit structural models
Within a project, access is divided into disciplines such as architecture, structures, HVAC, plumbing and electrical engineering. Revit Server folders are mapped to disciplines, while a user’s role determines whether they can only view or also edit each discipline. An architect can work on their own model and view related models without accidentally saving changes in a structural engineer’s model.
Ready-made discipline sets are available for Russia and national standards including the United States (AIA), United Kingdom (RIBA), Germany (HOAI), China, Ukraine, Poland, Czechia and France. You can extend them with your own disciplines.
3. Audit log: who did what to a model and when
RSG records significant events: opening or synchronising models; creating or deleting models and folders; granting or revoking access; access denials; and sign-ins to the management console. The log answers questions that would otherwise require interviewing staff: who last synchronised the model before a failure, who tried to open a restricted project, and when a contractor’s access was withdrawn.
Audit logs and statistics can be exported to PDF and Excel for management reporting, resolving contractor disputes or customer audits.
4. Contractors and team changes without unnecessary risk
When a contractor completes their work or an employee leaves, access can be revoked with a single action across all projects. When someone new connects to the server, RSG does not silently admit them: an administrator receives a request and decides whether, and to which projects, they should be granted access.
5. Scheduled backups
Automatic backups can be configured for each project: nightly, weekly or every few hours. Backup history is visible in the management console, and a manual backup can be started before an important milestone, such as a document issue.
6. An overview of all projects on one screen
The dashboard shows current server activity, including active sessions, denied requests, the most active projects and users, and the event stream. Statistics by project, role and action help managers monitor team workloads and identify problems early.
7. Multiple Revit Server versions on one machine
RSG supports Revit Server 2021–2027. If several versions are installed on the same server, protection can be enabled for each one separately while sharing the same access policies.
How it works for the team
Role | What changes |
|---|
Designers | No additional installation is required. They open models from Revit as usual and see only their projects. |
Project manager, chief project engineer, chief project architect | Team membership and discipline permissions are explicitly defined; any model action can be verified in the audit log. |
BIM manager, administrator | Manages projects, users and roles through a browser-based console; reports and backups are available there too. |
Customer, technical customer | Can verify that project models are protected from unauthorised access and receive a report of model activity. |
Roles
A role specifies what a person may do in each project discipline: view only or make changes. The package includes roles commonly used in design organisations. You can edit permissions, duplicate an existing role or create a custom role.
Role | Default permissions |
|---|
Administrator | Full access to projects, users, roles and server settings; may edit every discipline. |
Project administrator | May edit all disciplines in assigned projects and manage members, disciplines, folders and backups. |
Project manager, chief project engineer, chief project architect | May edit all disciplines in the project. |
Discipline specialist (e.g. architectural specialist) | May edit their own discipline and view all others. |
BIM director, BIM manager, BIM coordinator, BIM modeller, BIM author | May view every discipline; the administrator may grant edit rights as needed. |
Guest | View only. |
None | No access to the project. |
Reliability and data
- All data stays on your server. An internet connection is not required: RSG also works in isolated networks.
- Access to the management console is protected by passwords, sign-in rate limits and a recovery key. All sign-ins are logged.
- Licences are activated with a file, without connecting to RS-Systems servers. The first 90 days are an unrestricted trial with no limit on the number of users.
- The management console is available in 22 languages, with Auto, Light, Dark and RS-Systems themes.
Requirements
- A Windows server with Autodesk Revit Server 2021–2027 installed.
- The Revit Server Guard installer: EXE (includes all necessary prerequisites) or MSI (for IT departments when .NET 8 is already installed).
- Approximately half an hour of administrator time for installation and initial setup of projects, roles and users.
For installation and configuration details, see the Administrator’s Guide for IT professionals and BIM managers.
