CDE Sync™ is Utopia Digital's platform for keeping two or more common data environments (CDEs) in step automatically. It moves files, versions, folders and metadata between platforms such as Autodesk Forma, Bentley ProjectWise, Oracle Aconex, Procore and Microsoft SharePoint, so every party on a project works from the same record without anyone copying files across by hand.
Why projects need it
Most infrastructure projects run more than one CDE. The designer works in one platform, the contractor in another, and the client keeps its own records somewhere else again. Each platform has its own folder logic, its own metadata fields and its own way of handling versions. Mandating one platform across the supply chain rarely lasts once a joint venture partner or consultant arrives with its own enterprise agreement.
So the transfer happens by hand. Someone downloads a file, renames it, re-enters the metadata to suit the destination, uploads it and checks it landed correctly. On a large programme that cycle repeats thousands of times, and every repetition is a chance for a version mismatch or a wrong metadata value to slip through. FMI and PlanGrid research found construction workers spend around 14 hours a week on non-productive activity such as searching for information and resolving conflicts, and manual CDE transfers take up a large share of that time for document controllers and BIM coordinators.
How CDE Sync™ works
Setup happens in a wizard in the Utopia Digital portal. You connect each CDE with a service account, choose the folders to keep in step, map metadata fields between the platforms, then set the rules and the schedule. From then on CDE Sync™ runs on its own.
A sync can run one way, both ways, or across more than two platforms at once. It can also connect two instances of the same platform, such as one Autodesk Forma hub to another. Metadata is translated between each platform's schema as files move, including ISO 19650 naming and status fields, and version history stays consistent on both sides. Every action is logged, so document control and audit teams can see what moved, when and why.
Day-to-day operation sits with a document controller or BIM coordinator. There are no scripts to maintain, no virtual machines and no software to install on site.
Security
CDE Sync™ streams files directly between your platforms and never stores them. Utopia Digital holds only encrypted credentials, configuration and audit logs. Data is encrypted in transit and processed in the Azure region you choose, which matters for projects with Security of Critical Infrastructure (SOCI) obligations or data residency clauses. Utopia Digital holds SOC 2 Type II and Cyber Essentials, and the full detail is on the Security Trust Portal.
Where it is used
Common patterns include:
A contractor working in Autodesk Forma submitting deliverables into a client's ProjectWise or Aconex.
A main contractor pulling information from several subcontractor CDEs into one federated environment.
Copying Autodesk Forma data into SharePoint so the wider business can reach it.
Automating milestone submissions and handover packages to the client.
Connectors are available for Autodesk Forma (including BIM 360), Bentley ProjectWise, Oracle Aconex, Procore, Microsoft SharePoint, Asite, InEight, 12d Synergy, Azure Blob Storage and network servers, with the full list on the integrations pages.
CDE Sync™ and the Utopiaverse™
CDE Sync™ is the delivery layer of the Utopiaverse™, Utopia Digital's connected record of project data. While it keeps live platforms aligned, CDE Backup™ holds an independent copy in your own Azure, CDE Migrate™ handles platform changes and CDE Archive™ captures the record at completion. Once that data sits in your Azure, AI Insights lets your team search and ask questions across every project and platform at once.
You can see CDE Sync™ running in the monthly live demo, or talk to the team about your own platforms.