Using Knime by different users

Hello! I have server computer with installed KNIME. It is used by several users through remote decktop. Can I organize Workspace to be used by several users at the same time? Now I have that problem:

Please advice me how must I organize parallel using of KNIME (more precisely same workflows).

The workspace can only be used by one running KNIME instance simultaneously. So what you're trying is not possible.

Indeed a given workspace can only be used once at a time. However it is possible to duplicate this workspace so that each user has a replicate of the original workspace.

This is what I chose, so that I have one central knime installation that is setup with the proper extensions…

However, in this case the users have to select their workspace everytime.

Is there a way to automatically set the workspace according to the Windows User/Session ?

If I untick “prompt for the workspace at start up” the last used workspace is loaded, even when it is the workspace of another Windows user. I guess this is because it is the same knime installation.

You could create a custom KNIME launcher for each user, that starts it with their workspace:
Like shown here for eclipse:


best,
Gabriel

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In the default configuration the workspace is in the starting user’s home directory. However, if your users use the same account on the terminal server then they will have the same initial workspace of course.
If they are using different OS accounts, please make sure that none (!) of those users has any write permissions to the installation. Otherwise it’s very likely that the installation will get corrupted if multiple users are using it at the same time.

The custom knime launcher works like a charm thanks !

@thor a simple right-clic>Properties>Read-Only ticked on the KNIME installation folder could be enough ?
As long as the users don’t install updates or extensions or modify the Knime.ini while the others are using it, it should be fine anyway no ?

Unfortunately under Windows it’s not that easy. You have to use the “Permissions” tab and make sure that normal users don’t have write (or even full) permissions on the complete installation.