For the past few years we have been using a Linux SMB file server, located within the office LAN, to host all of the project files.
It works well because it is fast enough that I can mount the SMB share on each workstation, and users can access/save the drawings directly. This way, there is no need for a check-in/check-out system.

We are building new offices in some remote locations and will need to come up with a new solution that will allow users anywhere on the internet to collaborate and work on the same projects.
The office will have a dedicated fiber connection with 3mb/3mb and 5mb/5mb burst throughput, so some kind of server located within the office may be a favorable option.
A VPN might be too slow for users to work directly on the server from a remote location in the same way that they do now with the SMB server.


I have heard that Microsoft Sharepoint was notoriously unfriendly with CAD programs because of the way they put locks on files.

I looked at Autodesk's Buzzsaw this week, and signed up for a free trial.
It looks attractive to me because it is designed to work well with CAD programs, handles check-in/check-out, and includes a version-tracking feature.
Can Buzzsaw be installed on a local server? Can I install it on a file server in one of my offices, and then serve it to the users in other offices, or am I stuck to having Autodesk host everything?
Does anyone have any opinions about this product in general? Is it quirky and linear, and will it prevent me from doing something strange? Will it work with non-Autodesk products like BricsCAD?


I am open to any and all alternative ideas. I have met someone who has written custom code for a check-in, check-out system; someone who has set each employee up with his personal project folder so that he couldn't overwrite anyone else's work. How is your remote office set up?