Access from within the Design Software

Created: March 25, 2021 | Updated: December 03, 2021 | Applies to version: 4.0

Now reading version 4.1. For the latest, read: Access from within the Design Software for version 4.0

This documentation page references NEXUS Server (part of the deployed NEXUS solution), which has been discontinued. All your PCB design, data management and collaboration needs can now be delivered by Altium Designer and a connected Altium 365 Workspace. Check out the FAQs page for more information.

Parent page: Altium NEXUS Server

This page has been retired from the documentation set. It is available up to a certain software version and still applies to your currently chosen version of the documentation, but may not apply to the next, or a future version.

For information related to the latest software version, see Accessing Your Workspace.

Interaction with the NEXUS Server can be made from various areas, but there are two main places:

From within Altium NEXUS, through the Explorer panel.
Through your preferred Web Browser using the server's browser-based interface.

From a purely component management perspective, much of the day-to-day interaction with the NEXUS Server will be performed from within Altium NEXUS through the Components panel.

This page takes a look at accessing your NEXUS Server instance from within Altium NEXUS.

After installing and launching a new version of Altium NEXUS, you will be required to sign in straight away to your NEXUS Server. If you don't sign in to the NEXUS Server, Altium NEXUS will not launch. Conversely, if you are using Altium NEXUS and sign out of the NEXUS Server, Altium NEXUS will also close. Offline (unconnected) mode, if it is permitted by your organization's policies, can be enabled by enabling the NEXUS.OfflineMode option in the Advanced Settings dialog, which is accessed by clicking the Advanced button on the System - General page of the Preferences dialog. You will need to restart Altium NEXUS for the change to this setting to take effect.

Signing in to Your Server

The following procedure is for when using Altium NEXUS in its offline (unconnected) mode and wanting to sign in to your NEXUS Server.

Sign in to your NEXUS Server instance from within Altium NEXUS by clicking the Current User control, at the top-right of the main application window (e.g. ). This will be the user that is currently signed into AltiumLive through this instance of Altium NEXUS. In the subsequent menu choose the Custom connection command. The Sign in dialog will appear, with which to sign in to the target server. Enter the URL for the server and your server access credentials, then click the button.

It can be a good idea to enable the Sign in automatically option, so that the entered URL and access credentials are stored, and you don't have to repeatedly enter them to access the server when starting Altium NEXUS.

Signing in to your NEXUS Server instance from within Altium NEXUS.

The server's URL (Server Address) will be in the format http://<ComputerName>:<PortNumber> (e.g. http://impala:9780 for a server installed using the default port assignment). If the server is being accessed from an instance of Altium NEXUS that is running on the same computer on which the server is installed, you may also use http://localhost:9780. If you want to sign in using your Windows login credentials - taking advantage of the server's support for Windows Authentication - enable the Use Windows Session credentials option.

The Altium NEXUS Server relies on a number of Microsoft runtime components for successful operation and access, in some situations these may not be present on the target machine. If you receive an error message about a missing library (DLL) when you attempt to sign in to the NEXUS Server, it indicates that there are missing Microsoft runtime components. Obtain and install the relevant Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Package for your OS.

Signing in to a 'Known' Server

If you have previously connected to your NEXUS Server instance from within the same instance of Altium NEXUS, it will become a Known Server. If this is the case, you can sign in to that server from within Altium NEXUS in a more streamlined fashion. To do so, click on the control at the top-right of the main application window. In the subsequent menu, choose the entry for your server, in the CUSTOM CONNECTIONS grouping. If you enabled the Sign in automatically option when accessing that server previously, you will be signed in straight away. If this option was not enabled, the Sign in dialog will appear, with which to sign in to the target server. Enter the URL for the server, and your server access credentials, then click the button.

Signing in to your NEXUS Server instance from within Altium
NEXUS, when that server is already known.

Note that when the Sign in automatically option is enabled, you will be signed in to the server as the user that last signed in through the Sign in dialog. If you need to sign in as a different user, you will need to use the Custom connection command in the menu associated with the Current User control, at the top-right of the main application window (e.g.

You can also access your 'known' server from the Open Project and Create Project dialogs, when wanting to open an existing managed project, or create a new managed project, respectively. In either case, select the

entry in the Locations region of the dialog, then click the button relevant to that server on the right-hand side. Again, if you need to sign in as a different user, you will need to use the Custom connection command in the menu associated with the Current User control, at the top-right of the main application window (e.g.

Checking Sign-in Status

You can check whether you are currently signed in to your NEXUS Server instance from the following places:

The menu associated to the Active Server control, at the top-right of the main application window. When actively signed in to your NEXUS Server instance, the control will reflect the name of that server (e.g. ). The server will also be highlighted in the associated menu within the section CUSTOM CONNECTIONS (and is distinguished by the icon). Clicking the entry provides access to browse the content of that server through Altium NEXUS's Explorer panel.

Verification of being signed in to your NEXUS Server instance.

The Current User control itself reflects the user who is currently signed in to the active NEXUS Server instance (e.g.

The Data Management - Servers page of the Preferences dialog. When signed in to the NEXUS Server that server will be presented as the Active Server.

You can only be actively connected to one server through the software at a time. If you have previously connected to other servers from that instance of Altium NEXUS, they will be listed as Known Servers. While actively signed in to one server, you could also be connected to another (it will not be the active server).

Once signed in to your NEXUS Server instance it will become the Active Server, as can be seen here.

The Explorer panel. When signed in, the server will be available from the menu associated with clicking on the name of the server currently being browsed.

Note that all connected servers will be listed, but only one will be active and is distinguished by the inclusion of the

icon, and its name boldened.

Browsing the Active Server through the Explorer panel in Altium NEXUS.

Switching Servers

You can quickly switch between any of the servers available to you. To do so, click the Active Server control at the top-right of the main application window (e.g. ). In the subsequent menu choose the entry for the server you wish to switch to. You will be disconnected from the current server, then after a few moments connected to the chosen server.

If switching to another NEXUS Server instance and the Sign in automatically option was enabled when accessing that server previously, you will be signed in straight away. If this option was not enabled, the Sign in dialog will appear with which to sign in to the target server. Enter the URL for the server and your server access credentials, then click the

button. Note that when the Sign in automatically option is enabled, you will be signed in to the server as the user that last signed in through the Sign in dialog. If you need to sign in as a different user, you will need to use the Custom connection command in the menu associated with the Current User control, at the top-right of the main application window (e.g.

Managing Your Server from Altium NEXUS

From within Altium NEXUS you have the ability to manage certain aspects of your connected Server. This is performed from the Data Management - Servers page of the Preferences dialog. Click the Properties control associated with the Server - in the Active Server region of the page - to access the commands, illustrated in the following image and detailed thereafter.

Accessing commands to manage various properties of the server to which you are actively signed in.

Server configuration - use this command to access the server's browser interface in your default Web Browser.
Lifecycles - use this command to access the Edit Lifecycle Definitions dialog, with which to manage the defined lifecycles for the server.
Naming schemes - use this command to access the Edit Revision Naming Schemes dialog, with which to manage the defined revision naming schemes for the server.
Operations - use this command to access the Edit Operation Permissions dialog, with which to define and manage global operation permissions for the server.
Connection - use this command to access the Connection Properties dialog, with which to configure your connection to the server.

Properties cannot be changed for a legacy Personal Vault. For another Altium NEXUS Server instance to which you have a connection (connected or disconnected), you will only have access to the Server configuration and Connection commands.

Signing into a Server from Different Computers

Support is provided for signing into your NEXUS Server instance using the same credentials, but from different computers (other than the computer on which the server is installed). If you attempt to sign in to a server that you are already signed into from another computer - either through Altium NEXUS, or the server's browser-based interface - a pop-up dialog will alert you to this. You can choose from two options offered in the dialog:

Terminate existing session - close the existing session that you have on the other computer and continue to login to the server from the current computer.
Start new session - login to the server from the current computer by using an additional connection license and thereby keep logged into the server from the other computer as well.

The same user can be accessing the NEXUS Server concurrently in different ways (e.g. connected through Altium NEXUS AND signed-in through an external Web Browser) and it only counts as a single connection from the licensing perspective, when access is made from the same PC. If the same user accesses that instance of the NEXUS Server from different PCs, each different PC access will require a separate connection (so extra seat of a Client Access License). You will therefore only be able to login from the current computer as well, provided you have enough server Connector licenses (CAL) remaining.

Signing Out from Your Server

You can sign out from your NEXUS Server instance from within Altium NEXUS in the following ways:

By clicking the Active Server control, at the top-right of the main application window (e.g. ). In the subsequent menu click the sign out control () at the far-right of the entry for the active server.

By clicking the button, associated to the Active Server, on the Data Management - Servers page of the Preferences dialog. A confirmation dialog will appear - click Yes.

Your access to the server will also be terminated when you exit Altium NEXUS. In addition, and for an Administrator of your server, there is the provision to drop a session from the Admin - Sessions page of the NEXUS Server's browser interface, and thereby free up a connection to that server.

Working in the Server

Once you are signed-in to your NEXUS Server instance you can access and create content. The primary interface to the server from Altium NEXUS is the Explorer panel.

From a purely component management perspective, much of the day-to-day interaction with your NEXUS Server instance will be performed from within Altium NEXUS through the Components panel.

When you are working in Altium NEXUS you access full server content through the Explorer panel. For component management only, you'll tend to use the Components panel.

To display a panel:

Click the button at the bottom-right of Altium NEXUS and select the required panel from the menu that appears.
Choose the required panel entry from the View » Panels main menu.

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