A steel detailing firm protects its irreplaceable Tekla models with layered backup: frequent backups of the model server, at least one copy kept isolated so ransomware cannot reach it, an off-site or cloud copy, and regular test restores, all underpinned by good security to keep threats out in the first place. Models represent months of work and cannot simply be redone, so protecting them is protecting the business. For most firms this is part of managed IT at about £45 to £100 per user per month. Here is how to keep them safe.
Your models are the firm’s crown jewels, the product of huge effort and impossible to recreate quickly. Losing them would be catastrophic, so they deserve serious protection. Here is what that means.
Back up the models frequently
The model server should be backed up often enough that you would never lose more than a small amount of work, with a clear schedule rather than an occasional copy. Frequent, automated backups mean that whatever happens, a deletion, corruption or failure, you can return to a very recent good version of every model.
Keep a copy ransomware cannot reach
Modern ransomware deliberately seeks out and encrypts backups, so at least one copy of your models must be isolated or immutable, beyond an attacker’s reach. This is what lets you recover and refuse a ransom, and for data as valuable as your models it is non-negotiable.
Store a copy off-site
A fire, flood, theft or major hardware failure could take out everything in one location, so an off-site or cloud copy of your backups protects against losing both the live data and the backup together. Keeping a copy away from the office turns a site-level disaster into a recoverable event.
Guard against model corruption
Models can occasionally become corrupt, so versioned backups that let you go back to a known-good copy are important, and catching corruption early limits the lost work. Good backup practice, combined with sensible model housekeeping, means a corrupt file is an inconvenience rather than a lost project.
Test restores regularly
A backup is only worth anything if it restores, so regular test restores prove your models can actually be recovered and show how long it takes. Many firms only discover a backup problem when they try to use it in a crisis, so testing in advance is what turns a backup into genuine protection.
What to ask a provider
A specialist for steel detailers should be able to answer:
- Have you supported Tekla detailing practices and CAD firms, including their licensing, before?
- How do you keep our Tekla licences, workstations and model server running to a fabrication deadline?
- How do you let us share drawings and models securely with fabricators and contractors?
- What is your response time when Tekla is down and the whole team is stopped?
- Is the price clear and per user, with security included rather than charged separately?
Where to start
If you are not sure where your practice stands, a short review is the quickest way to find out: check that your Tekla licences are hosted reliably and not on a single neglected server, that your workstations and file server are sized for your models, that drawings are shared securely with MFA, and that your backups are tested. Those few checks show where a CAD-aware managed setup would pay off.
The bottom line
For a steel detailing firm, good IT is the difference between hitting a fabrication deadline and missing it. Tekla opens first time for every detailer, the model server stays fast even on the heaviest jobs, drawings reach fabricators securely, and the work is backed up so nothing is ever lost. The technology stays out of the way and the team gets on with detailing.
That reliability comes from a setup built around how detailers actually work, high-RAM workstations, properly hosted licences and models, and tested backups, rather than generic office IT. For a small practice whose whole output depends on a few CAD seats and one file server, a predictable per-user cost for that dependability is far cheaper than a day with the whole team locked out of Tekla.
Why steel detailers choose First Stop IT
First Stop IT has supported businesses since 2002, including engineering and design firms, and we understand how a steel detailing practice works: Tekla Structures, AutoCAD, Autodesk and Graitec licensing, high-RAM CAD workstations, large-model file servers, secure SharePoint project sharing with fabricators, and Datto backup for irreplaceable models. We support firms across Essex, Hertfordshire and London. Our credentials include:
- Cyber Essentials Certified
- IASME Cyber Assurance (Gold)
- NCSC Assured Service Provider (Cyber Advisor for Cyber Essentials)
- Microsoft Partner
- Crown Commercial Service Supplier (G-Cloud)
- Quality Principles Certified
We look after more than 2,000 endpoints across 50 companies, we have been named a Top 50 UK MSP for three years running, and we support organisations with 10 to 100 employees across Essex, Hertfordshire and London.
Book a free IT and cyber security review
Want your models and your business genuinely protected? Book a free IT and cyber security review with First Stop IT.