These procedures should be performed by the person responsible for managing your version control system, using the VCS' own management tools.

1.Save your project in uncompressed XML format (HMXP) and load the entire project into your version control system's repository.

2.Create a working copy of the project linked to the version in the repository. This copy should be in a network location accessible to all the authors on the team who plan to work on the project. It should be on a Windows server or a Linux/Unix server with full support for the SMB protocol and Windows file locking.

3.At the beginning of the working session check out the entire working copy (all topics).

4.All authors can then open and work on the project at the same time, using the standard multi-user editing procedures you would use for a project that is not linked to a VCS.

5.At the end of the working session the administrator then checks the local copy back into the source control repository.

This strategy can also have advantages in some situations because you then have clear rollback points for the entire project, which is not the case when you are actively checking individual topics in and out on an ongoing basis as you do with active VCS support.

We don't recommend trying to participate in a multi-user editing session on a "passive" VCS project via a remote connection (for example a VPN connection). Although it is possible, the risk of problems caused by losing the connection is not really acceptable. The way to solve this problem is to log in to computer on the local network where the VCS is stored using Windows Remote Desktop or a third-partly solution like LogMeIn or GoToMyPC. This is also the safest and most efficient way to do any remote editing, not just in multi-user editing scenarios.

Benefits of Remote Access:

When you use Remote Desktop you are actually working on the computer in the location you are accessing. Help & Manual is running on that computer, not on your computer, and all the data stays in that location. (This can also be a security benefit for sensitive data.) Your computer is just a terminal, and in addition to the user interface, only what you type is transferred via the network connection. This greatly reduces bandwidth, and modern Remote Access solutions are mature and reliable. Often, it is possible to use them reliably via a normal Internet connection, even from a public hotspot.

If the connection is lost while you are working via Remote Desktop there is no risk at all. The computer in the location you are accessing continues to run normally, and when you log in again you can continue working exactly where you left off. Nothing can be lost – it has no more effect on the computer than getting up for a coffee break and then coming back.

What you need:

Current versions of Windows come with a Remote Access system called Microsoft Remote Desktop, which works very well. It can be a little tricky to set up for private use, but if you have a system administrator they will be able to configure it for you easily. Third-party solutions like LogMeIn and GoToMyPC eliminate the configuration hassles and "just work", but they cost money.

Once you have got the Remote Access set up, you just make sure that you can log in to a computer with a licensed copy of Help & Manual on it in the location you want to access. This computer must be either running, or you need to be able to turn it on remotely when you want to start work. Once you have got this set up, logging in to this computer is just like working at that computer in the office.