You can configure any ProjectWise Design Integration Server, ProjectWise Caching Server, or ProjectWise Gateway Service to store or cache local copies of files existing on other, typically remote, ProjectWise servers. This way when a user checks out or copies out a document whose file is in a storage area geographically very remote from the user, the user will instead receive a copy from a local ProjectWise server's cache.

To configure file caching in the ProjectWise network, the administrator first enables a particular ProjectWise server's file caching capabilities. This server is now equipped to store copies of files stored on another ProjectWise server. The administrator then configures the redirection of ProjectWise Explorer users' file requests, bound for the server where the file exists, to a local server where the user can get a copy of the file instead. A server's local cache of remote files can be populated actively and in advance by the administrator, or passively and on demand as files are requested by users.

The ProjectWise server on which you enable file caching will ideally be one that is local to a user or group of users. If you have users in various geographic locations, you can set up a ProjectWise server that is local to each user location or region, and on that server set up the cache so that it will contain copies of files from some or all of the remote storage areas. Again, any ProjectWise Design Integration Server, ProjectWise Caching Server, or ProjectWise Gateway Service can be set up to cache local copies of remote files.

File caching can also be used to improve publishing time for ProjectWise Web Parts users attempting to view/publish files stored on remote servers. By setting up file caching on a server that is local to the ProjectWise Web Server, you can redirect the Web Server's file requests, bound for a remote server, to the local server instead. The Web Parts users will be able to view files much quicker, since the Web Server already has access to a local copy of the file.