Error loading package from server

Hi @solamour @jacob.small

I’m trying to load packages from a server location, not the default library path. But I am getting an error:

I have tried unblocking the dll, and restarting Revit but I still have an error.

I’ve also checked that no local version of the same package exists so as to rule out a conflict. Also, the server location has read/write privilages.

Any ideas what is causing this? I was hoping to just migrate all of my local packages to a server location by copy/pasting but Dynamo doesn’t like this for some reason.

Thanks

Keen to see the answer as well if its not an unblock/trust thing, but just wanted to add I’ve generally struggled to get anything but local packaging to work predictably. If i recall correctly Dynamo has a relatively short time-out window for package loading that most modern servers struggle to cater for in my experience.

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This is almost certainly an infosec issue where your IT team has prevented remote execution of code. Generally speaking this is a best practice as otherwise malicious code can be deployed once to a location users can see and then run on every machine in the company. That’s a BIG risk, doubly so as AEC firms are usually at the top of the list for ‘count of impacted companies by industry’.

You can partner with the infosec team to work around this, but you have several added problems to layer on top:

  1. User system updates will cause hassles, as they typically block remote execution by default.
  2. Network updates will cause hassles, as they need to be configured to allow stuff to pass.
  3. Server updates will cause hassles, as they typically block remote execution by default.
  4. Pathing needs to be static or the directory will fail due to the required ‘clearance’ list of directories to execute, so if the G drive is mirrored or pushed to another disc as part of server maintenance the user path might not work…

All of this is to say "unless you have a capable and willing IT and Infosec team, don’t load packages off a server. Considering the strain most of those teams are under (how many companies do you know with 100% rollout of 2024.2 as we approach 2025’s release?) I no longer recommend network pathing as a first means of deployment. Instead keep them on the network and copy them to the local user’s directory (along with Dynamo settings and other stuff) at log-in or on-demand.

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I meet errors when using dynamo player to load file from my One drive. I think it’s the same. You’d better install packages on your local drive.

see Loading Packages with Binaries from a Network Location · DynamoDS/Dynamo Wiki · GitHub

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Sorry for being a bit blunt here, but… loading packages from a server is a terrible way to manage Dynamo. The team even acknowledges that it does not work well in the known issues on Github.

Always copy local. At Parallax, for any client who uses Dynamo, we have startup scripts that copy the packages to their C Drive locally. It enables way better use of Dynamo and an overall better experience.

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Yeah I think I agree. It just doesn’t work as expected. I’ll revert back to local deployment.