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What's Hybrid DAM?

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Hybrid DAM guide section overview:
1. Hybrid DAM vs. Other Solutions
2. Benefits of Using Third-party Storage with HDAM
3. Connecter's Hybrid DAM and Version Control Systems
4. Setting up Hybrid DAM
5. Connecter's Hybrid DAM FAQ
6. Dedicated Services

Connecter's Hybrid DAM (HDAM) is a unique feature that combines your local asset library (on-prem DAM) with cloud storage into a fully integrated, robust system.

It gives all the speed of working with assets directly from the local storage plus the benefits of having selected assets' content also in the cloud. Here's what this means for your operations:

  • You can shift less frequently used local content onto the cloud, freeing up local storage. Whenever necessary, easily sync these assets back to your local repository.
  • Whether your team members work onsite or remotely, they can readily access the rich metadata, including visual previews of all assets added to the HDAM. Syncing content locally is just a click away.
  • Having the assets' content also stored on the cloud protects you from unwanted changes to the local content or accidental file loss. You can always recover lost content from the cloud, and Connecter will ensure you stay informed about discrepancies between the local and cloud content, letting you decide which versions you want to keep.  

Other key benefits of the Connecter's Hybrid DAM:

  • It meets your organization's security requirements and cuts costs using your favorite cloud storage provider. You don't pay additional bucks for storage space bundled in.  
  • Single assets, larger asset selections, or whole folder structures – you have complete freedom and control over what assets to add or remove from the Hybrid DAM. 

Assets and asset content in Connecter and Hybrid DAM basics

All files you see in Connecter are the assets of your asset library. Each asset (e.g., an image, 3d model, etc.) has its content stored as a file in a local or network folder. However, an asset can keep its content in other places besides the local file system. 

For example, when you add an asset to the Connecter's Version Control, its content is added to the feature's storage so the asset would have its content stored both as a file on the file system and in the Version Control's storage. 

Like Version Control, the Hybrid DAM feature lets you use cloud storage to keep selected assets' content there. All assets you add to the Hybrid DAM will have their content stored on the cloud and, depending on your preferences, can also have it stored on the local file system.

When you browse an asset added to the Hybrid DAM, Connecter will tell you if its content is currently available only in the cloud and let you sync it locally when needed as a file.

One consequence of this conceptual model is that if the asset's content gets deleted as a file from the file system, the asset will continue to exist in Connecter. Although the local file isn't present, you can still see the asset catalog metadata (e.g., custom previews and properties, tags, etc.) and access its content added to the Hybrid DAM's storage.

Unlike Version Control, the Hybrid DAM stores in the cloud storage additional metadata Connecter extracts directly from the asset content like asset previews, Substance materials and Revit families properties, material libraries content, and much more. 

That empowers users to browse and search assets with visual previews and rich metadata, even when the content isn't locally available on the file system.

Key points about how Connecter's Hybrid DAM would work before you start

Overused terms like "Cloud," "Hybrid," and "DAM" have different and often contradictory meanings in various contexts. Below is a key-point comparison between Connecter's Hybrid DAM and other popular solutions you may already know to avoid wrong preliminary assumptions and expectations.

Where is the assets' content stored?

Connecter Hybrid DAM Cloud DAM solutions (Brandfolder, Bynder, etc.) Cloud-mapping solutions (Dropbox, Drive, etc.)
Both on the local file system and in the cloud. Only on the DAM's cloud storage. Both on the local file system and in the cloud.

What cloud storage space is included?

Connecter Hybrid DAM Cloud DAM solutions (Brandfolder, Bynder, etc.) Cloud-mapping solutions (Dropbox, Drive, etc.)
Connecter's Hybrid DAM comes with your Connecter Suite plan at no additional cost but doesn't come with its own cloud storage space; instead, it integrates with the popular cloud storage providers, so you can utilize the one your organization already uses or choose the one that fits your requirements. Read more about the benefits. See all supported cloud storage providers. Comes with a particular storage space size included in your subscription plan. Comes with a particular storage space size included in your subscription plan.

How do assets get added to the DAM?

Connecter Hybrid DAM Cloud DAM solutions (Brandfolder, Bynder, etc.) Cloud-mapping solutions (Dropbox, Drive, etc.)
Once the feature is enabled, Connecter won't add all your assets automatically to the Hybrid DAM. Adding assets to the HDAM is an intentional manual operation with single assets or large asset selections or folders. The user must upload all assets to the DAM via its app interface in the web browser. Users add new assets to the DAM by saving them as files in a local file system folder mapped with the DAM's cloud storage or uploading them via the DAM's web app in the browser. The user must install a software proprietary for each solution enabling this two-way syncing.

Where are assets managed?

Connecter Hybrid DAM Cloud DAM solutions (Brandfolder, Bynder, etc.) Cloud-mapping solutions (Dropbox, Drive, etc.)
You can only add, remove, or otherwise manage assets in the HDAM from the Connecter desktop app. You can't add assets from a web browser, for example.* Only from the DAM's web interface. You can manage assets simultaneously on the local file system and via the cloud-mapping UI (typically web).

* Currently, there's no web app to browse, download or share with third parties what's added to the Hybrid DAM, but this will soon be possible with the upcoming update of the Web Catalogs app.

How are changes in the local file system synced with the DAM?

Connecter Hybrid DAM Cloud DAM solutions (Brandfolder, Bynder, etc.) Cloud-mapping solutions (Dropbox, Drive, etc.)
You can only add, remove, or otherwise manage assets in the HDAM from the Connecter desktop app. You can't add assets from a web browser, for example.* The user must upload all new and updated assets to the DAM via its web interface. The local assets and folder structure are mapped and synced (instantly when connected to the internet) with the cloud storage. All operations (creating, updating, deleting, etc.) are automatically synced between the cloud and the local file systems.

What options for organizing assets are available?

Connecter Hybrid DAM Cloud DAM solutions (Brandfolder, Bynder, etc.) Cloud-mapping solutions (Dropbox, Drive, etc.)
Connecter won't automatically sync all changes to the assets' local content with the cloud storage. It'll only alert you when the local and cloud content differs, letting you decide which version to keep. From the DAM's web interface, you can organize your assets into virtual folders, add tags and descriptions, other textual metadata, etc. None or very limited options for organizing the assets by adding additional metadata.

Are assets versioned?

Connecter Hybrid DAM Cloud DAM solutions (Brandfolder, Bynder, etc.) Cloud-mapping solutions (Dropbox, Drive, etc.)
By design, the Hybrid DAM doesn't support versioning; it always keeps one version of the asset's content. That makes it easier and faster to use in many everyday use cases. For full-fledged versioning functionality, check out Connecter's Version Control system. Some cloud DAMs offer asset versioning. Some solutions offer asset versioning (e.g., an updated asset content automatically replaces the current asset content).

Read more about how Connecter's Hybrid DAM compares with the Cloud DAM and Cloud-mapping solutions.

How to start with Connecter's Hybrid DAM?

To use the Hybrid DAM, your team admin must first set up and enable it for each workspace from the Team Portal. Learn more about setting up the Hybrid DAM feature.