Filemaker Server8 & Network Configurations

FileMaker Train i n g
FileMaker Server8
& Network
Configurations
©2006 FileMaker, Inc. All rights reserved. FileMaker is a registered trademark of FileMaker, Inc.,
in the U.S. and other countries. The file folder logo is a trademark of FileMaker, Inc. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective owners. The example companies, organization,
products, domain names, e-mail addresses, logos, people, places and events depicted are
purely fictitious, and any resemblance to existing persons and companies is purely coincidental.
Product specifications and availability subject to change without notice.
Special credit to Bob Bowers, Steve Lane, and Scott Love of Soliant Consulting (www.
soliantconsulting.com) for assisting FileMaker, Inc. with the development of this document.
This document may not be reproduced or otherwise redistributed without consent of

FileMaker, Inc.
page FileMaker Server 8 & Network Configurations

Table of Contents
Getting Started with FileMaker Server....................................................................... 4
Objectives...................................................................................................................... 4
FileMaker Server 8 as a Hosting Option.................................................................... 4
FileMaker Server 8 vs. FileMaker Server 8 Advanced.............................................. 5
FileMaker Server 8 Features and Benefits................................................................. 6
Choosing Your Hardware............................................................................................. 8
Mixing FileMaker 7 and FileMaker 8........................................................................11
About the Server Migration Tools.............................................................................12
Installing and Configuring FileMaker Server 8.......................................................13
Exercise 1: Configuring FileMaker Server 8............................................................24
Scheduling Backups...................................................................................................25
Server Administration.................................................................................................27
Exercise 2: Creating a Backup Schedule.................................................................26
Maintenance and Troubleshooting..........................................................................29
Administering FileMaker Server 8 with the Command Line.................................31
Review Questions.......................................................................................................39
Review Answers..........................................................................................................41
FileMaker Server 8 & Network Configurations page

FileMaker Server 8 & Network Configurations
Getting Started with FileMaker Server 8
Thus far you’ve learned how to work with FileMaker® Pro 8 as a user, in order to build databases.
In this module, you’ll begin to learn ways to share the databases you’ve built with others.
The FileMaker Pro 8 client software can share databases with up to five other users in a peer-to-
peer configuration. In cases where you need to support a larger group—up to 250 simultaneous
connections—you’ll need FileMaker Server 8. FileMaker Server 8 is high performance server
software that allows you to share and manage your database solutions. Its primary function is
to share FileMaker databases with FileMaker clients, whether those clients are FileMaker Pro
8 or FileMaker Pro 8 Advanced, on a Macintosh or Windows operating system. In addition,
FileMaker Server 8 provides functionality that can fine-tune the performance of your solutions,
and allows for administration locally or remotely. Using FileMaker Server 8 and local or domain
authentication services, you can also leverage existing network security standards to customize
and protect your solutions.
Objectives
This module is an introduction to the functions and features of FileMaker Server 8 as well as
sharing your FileMaker Pro databases. By the end of this module, you’ll learn:
• The benefits of using FileMaker Server 8

• The advantages of using FileMaker Server 8 instead of peer-to-peer hosting
• How to determine optimal FileMaker Server 8 configuration settings
• How to determine optimal FileMaker Server 8 hardware configurations
• How to install and configure FileMaker Server 8
• How to host files in FileMaker Server 8
• How to schedule and manage backups
• How to use the command line to administer FileMaker Server 8
FileMaker Server 8 as a Hosting Option

Before considering administration and configuration topics, it’s important to understand how
FileMaker Server 8 compares to FileMaker Pro 8 as a hosting option.

Up to this point, you may have only worked with files as a single user, and have only created
applications used by one client at a time. While some database solutions may only need to be
accessed by one user at a time, most of your databases will need to be available to many users
at the same time. FileMaker Server 8 is designed to share your FileMaker Pro solutions across a
local workgroup or a wide area network.
Server vs. Single-User and Peer-to-Peer

The FileMaker Pro 8 (and FileMaker Pro 8 Advanced) applications can share up to 10 databases,
in a peer-to-peer manner, with up to 5 users at a time by simply enabling network sharing
(choose Sharing, FileMaker Network, under the Edit menu on Windows, or the FileMaker Pro
8/Pro 8 Advanced menu on Mac OS X). By contrast, FileMaker Server 8 installed on a server
with enough RAM and a fast processor can allow up to 250 simultaneous connections to a
maximum of 125 database files, and an additional 100 Instant Web Publishing connections.
Also in contrast to peer-to-peer sharing, FileMaker Server 8 allows you to disconnect idle
users (users who have not had any interaction with their connected database for a predefined
period of time). The ability to automatically disconnect idle users at pre-designated intervals
allows FileMaker Server 8 to support workgroups of more than 250 users by freeing up unused
connections for new users. It also provides an added measure of security by disconnecting
users who may have left their workstation.
A third benefit of FileMaker Server 8 is its ability to improve the performance of shared
databases. It allows databases to run faster by using sophisticated caching to take advantage
of server architecture: high-performance hard disk storage systems; multi-CPU servers; and
large amounts of RAM.
Finally, FileMaker Server 8 has built in capabilities for creating backups. In a peer-to-peer
environment, you will need to manually make backups of your database files when they’re not
in use.
FileMaker Server 8 vs. FileMaker Server 8 Advanced

FileMaker Server 8 allows you to share your database solution with users who have the FileMaker
Pro client software installed on their local workstation. FileMaker Server 8 Advanced provides
you with two additional connectivity options. The first is ODBC/JDBC connectivity: databases
hosted by FileMaker Server Advanced can be a data source for ODBC and JDBC transactions.
For instance, you could use Microsoft® Excel to pull data directly from FileMaker Server. You are
allowed a maximum of 50 ODBC/JDBC connections, which count toward the 250 concurrent
user limit. More information on using ODBC/JDBC access can be found in the Connectivity module.

The other type of access provided by FileMaker Server 8 Advanced is web access. When you
purchase or upgrade to FileMaker Server 8 Advanced, you get an application called the Web
Publishing Engine (WPE) which works in conjunction with a Web server (IIS on Windows, Apache
on Mac OS X) and FileMaker Server to provide browser access to your hosted databases. You
need the WPE to do both Instant Web Publishing and Custom Web Publishing. FileMaker Server
Advanced can host a maximum of 100 concurrent web sessions (this is above and beyond the
250 client limit). Instant Web Publishing and Custom Web Publishing are covered in detail in
other modules.
FileMaker Server Features and Benefits

In addition to its ability to share FileMaker Pro databases with a large number of users, FileMaker
Server 8 has a number of other features and benefits.
Indexes and Calculations on the server

FileMaker Server 8 manages the indexing for all hosted database files, and some searches
and calculations are performed by the server instead of the client. This results in improved
performance and less network traffic.
Remote Administration
FileMaker Server 8 can be administered locally or remotely using the FileMaker Server
Admin application, which is included on the FileMaker Server 8 CD. The FileMaker Server
Admin application can be installed on the FileMaker Server 8 machine itself, as well as on
additional machines. Using the FileMaker Server Admin application, FileMaker Server 8 can
be administered remotely without the use of the FileMaker Pro client or any plug-in, as was
necessary with earlier versions of FileMaker Server.
Scheduled Tasks
FileMaker Server 8 also allows you to perform “live” backups while the files are in use. A live
backup is one in which the backup process is performed while users are still working with the
files. With the use of FileMaker Server’s automated tasks, you can protect your database while
it is in use by scheduling backups to run at specific times. You can also set FileMaker Server 8 to
run a batch script at a scheduled time, or you can use FileMaker Server 8 to send a message at
a scheduled time to alert users about scheduled maintenance, backup reminders, or anything
else you may want to notify connected users about.
Consistency Checks
As FileMaker Server 8 opens files, it performs a consistency check on files that were not closed
properly or have not yet been opened using FileMaker Server 8. If a file is found to be corrupt,
FileMaker Server logs an entry into the Event Log and refuses to open the file. The consistency

check verifies the low level consistency of the file, but does not check things like the index
being correct for the data or pictures that are internally corrupted.
If a file does not pass the consistency check, as a first step, Save a Compressed Copy of the
file and try again. If it still doesn’t pass, perform a recovery of the file. A recovered file should
always pass the consistency check and be considered safe to use.
Event Logging
FileMaker Server 8 creates and identifies its own unique set of event log entries. These event
log entries include events and activities such as users connecting to the server, what events
occurred while specific users were connected, when the server was started, and when the last
known server error occurred and how severe it was. The event logging in FileMaker Server 8 is
more extensive than earlier versions and includes more specific error messages.
Automatic Plug-in Updates

If your solution requires the use of plug-ins, you can use FileMaker Server to automate the
distribution of plug-ins to clients. As a user opens a file, you can have a script check to see if
the user has the required plug-in installed, and if not, the script can download it from the server
and install it transparently.
Security Benefits
You can configure FileMaker Server 8 to authenticate users against your network’s built-in users
and groups. This reduces the overhead of managing user accounts and passwords by using
external authentication through centralized authentication management servers. With such a
scheme in place, users can log into FileMaker databases with the same account and password
they use to access their desktop in a networked environment, potentially automatically without
prompting.
In addition to the advanced security system included in FileMaker Pro 8, FileMaker Server 8
provides additional data protection. You may encrypt the network traffic between FileMaker
Server 8 and FileMaker Pro 8 desktop clients using SSL encryption. (This may impose some
performance penalty due to the overhead of encrypting the communication).
Solution Partitioning
FileMaker Server 8 can register with directory services such as Open Directory and Windows
Active Directory so that users and administrators can locate it using directory services. Users’
display of hosted database names can also be filtered based on the users’ privileges. If
your server hosts files for various departments, you can use this FileMaker Server 8 setting
in combination with FileMaker Pro 8 user accounts to allow users to see only the databases
specific to their group.

Choosing Your Hardware
Your server hardware, network, and configuration will help determine the success of your
FileMaker Server deployment. Insuring the use of a reliable, certified, dedicated machine is the
best path to a successful server deployment, and will dramatically impact the usefulness of a
database for an organization. Even the most carefully developed database in the world will still
be considered a failure if access is unreliable.
The Server Machine

FileMaker Server 8 should be installed on a dedicated computer. Avoid using other applications
on the machine that will compete with FileMaker Server 8 for use of the server resources,
especially the hard drive. This will help to prevent conflicts, performance slowdowns, and other
unexpected behaviors that will be detrimental to a deployment of your FileMaker databases.
Installation of the basic operating system is recommended with FileMaker Server 8.
The best way to be sure your hardware works properly is to make sure you only use hardware
and components that are certified for your operating system. By using hardware that is certified
for your operating system you are using hardware that has been tested and approved to work
as expected.
Get a name brand machine intended to be a server. Often, it is important to use a system
that server administrators are comfortable with. This is to your advantage when it comes to
configuring the hardware and the operating system. Since FileMaker Server 8 works on both
Windows and Mac OS X, this should not be a difficult task.
The fundamental job for FileMaker Server 8 is to move data between the hard drive, memory,
and the network for consumption by the clients. As with any database server, fast hard drive
I/O and network is critical to overall performance. Processor speed and memory are also
important.

Below are the minimum recommended hardware specifications for FileMaker Server 8:
No. of Clients Mac Windows

1 to 50 • Mac OS X v10.3.9 or v10.4 or • Windows 2003 Server Standard Edition (with
• Mac OS X Server v10.3.9 or v10.4 Service Pack 1) or
• Processor: G4 500 MHz • Windows 2000 Server (with Service Pack 4) or
• RAM: 256 MB • Windows XP Professional SP 2*
• Hard Disk: 1 GB of available • Processor: Pentium III 1GHz or Xeon

disk space • RAM: 256 MB
• Hard Disk: 1 GB of available
disk space
* Subject to Windows XP license terms
More than 50 • Mac OS X Server v10.3.9 or v10.4 • Windows 2003 Server Standard Edition (with
• Processor: G4 1 GHz Service Pack 1) or
• RAM: 512 MB (1GB or more • Windows 2000 Server (with Service Pack 4)
recommended) • Processor: Pentium 4 or Xeon
• Hard Disk: 1 GB of available • RAM: 512 MB (1GB or more recommended)
disk space • Hard Disk: 1 GB of available
disk space
On current operating systems, 256M RAM is the minimum, but for systems with more than 50
users, 1GB RAM or more is recommended. FileMaker Server improves performance of your
application by caching data in memory, which can be read and written much faster than disk.
The maximum amount of memory that can be addressed by FileMaker Server is 2GB, and the
maximum size of the cache is 800MB. Large files and larger numbers of users require more
RAM. You want to make sure that your server has enough memory for FileMaker Server and still
has plenty left for other operating system functions.
Your server’s disk drives are another important component to consider when optimizing
performance. Drive speed and quality are more important than drive size. You’ll need a large
enough drive to contain your data and some number of backups, but a larger hard drive won’t
have an impact on performance. Rather, you’ll want to get the fastest hard drive/controller
combination possible. For a high-performance hard drive you can look at a SCSI UltraWide
hard drive or, even better, a hardware-based SCSI RAID system. The SCSI architecture is more
scalable than ATA and IDE systems. ATA and IDE only allow for two drives to be connected to
a channel, and there are commonly only two channels available, making a total of four drives,
once of which is generally a CD-ROM drive. In contrast, the asynchronous I/O of SCSI devices
has intelligence to allow multiple devices to be “working” simultaneously, returning data to the
controller in the most efficient manner.

On the other hand, SCSI drives are typically significantly more expensive than ATA and IDE
drives and normally require additional hardware. For the price of a single SCSI drive, you may
be able to purchase two ATA/IDE drives of comparable capacity and pair them in a fast RAID
configuration. It is not recommended that you use USB or Firewire based drives for FileMaker
Server.
If many large files are being used, a cache controller can be added to further speed the
connection. This piece of hardware will act as a cache to the disks, working much more quickly
than physically accessing the disks.
Configure the hard drive subsystem to work as efficiently as possible. For example, if you have
two hard drives and two controllers, install each drive on separate controllers rather than both
on one. If you have a RAID array and a hardware RAID controller, build one container and
partition it rather than having two containers, so that the controller only has to deal with one
set of parity data.
Deciding which processor you need depends upon the operating system used and its
requirements. Remember to treat this as a server machine and keep in mind that ODBC/JDBC
connections, server-side plug-ins, and encryption will place additional demands on the server.
On the Windows platform, an Intel Pentium processor is preferred over the less expensive
Celeron processor. Again, check the documentation for the chosen operating system for
recommendations.
FileMaker Server 8 is a multi-threaded application. This means that the system can perform many
functions at once, and can distribute its “threads” across multiple processors. Since FileMaker
Server 8 performs more of the search and calculation routines than its predecessors, you will
want a system with enough processing power to keep your databases performing well. Buying
a machine with more than one processor could be an effective way to increase the speed and
responsiveness of your solution.
While FileMaker Server 8 is multi-threaded, it will not work across multiple “clustered” CPUs.
FileMaker Server 8 cannot share a single file across multiple machines. You can, however,
distribute multiple files from the same solution across multiple machines.
The Network Infrastructure

An important factor on the performance of your solution is the network infrastructure. It is
important to have a high-bandwidth connection from server to network. It’s also important to
organize your network to minimize collisions.
page 10 FileMaker Server 8 & Network Configurations

When two systems send information across a TCP/IP network at exactly the same time, there
is a “collision” of data. When this occurs, the information must be re-sent from both systems.
Collisions are a normal part of an Ethernet network, but excessive collisions will hinder the
network throughput. Because FileMaker makes use of a client/server architecture, network
throughput is crucial to database performance. You will want a network with high bandwidth
and few collisions.
Start first with a reliable, name-brand network card that is certified to work with your operating
system in a server environment. Not all cards are created equal. Many of the less expensive
cards force the computer’s CPU to perform a majority of its instructions rather than having an
on-board processor. Invest in a network card that is designed to work on servers.
A network card is just one component in your overall network design. You don’t need a top
of the line card for a low-end network. If the network uses standard CAT5 cabling and uses
bottom of the line hubs, then it is a waste of hardware to get a network card designed for
a Gigabit network. Many network hubs and switches also have an “Auto Sensing” option to
change between slower 10baseT and 100baseT connections. Auto sensing network cards
have been reported to cause problems with certain brands of switches. Be aware of this and
configure the network card and the switch appropriately after testing in your environment.
You may also want to invest in high performance switches instead of generic network hubs.
High performance switches monitor and direct network traffic to minimize collisions. With fewer
collisions, FileMaker Server 8 and its connected clients will need to transmit fewer network
packets, which will increase overall network throughput.
Another consideration is to have multiple networks set up on the server. FileMaker Server 8
will make use of all network cards installed in the computer. This may be valuable in a multi-
subnetted network because each subnet could connect directly to the FileMaker Server without
needing to cross a router. It is possible also to block FileMaker traffic on an interface at the
operating system level in order to devote that interface to such things as file sharing for backup
of offline files, etc.
Mixing FileMaker 7 and FileMaker 8

FileMaker 7 represented a completely new file format from previous versions. As such, it’s not
possible for users with FileMaker Pro 6 to access files hosted under FileMaker Server 7, nor is it
possible for users with FileMaker Pro 7 to access files hosted under FileMaker Server 6.
FileMaker Server 8 & Network Configurations page 11

In contrast, FileMaker 7 and FileMaker 8 share a common file format, different only to the extent
necessary to support features that are new to FileMaker 8. So it’s possible for users with the
FileMaker Pro 7 client to access files hosted on FileMaker Server 8, and vice versa. There are a
few potential issues to be aware of, though.
Clearly, features of FileMaker Pro 8 will not be available to users who access FileMaker Pro 8
files using the FileMaker Pro 7 client. Being used in this way will not damage files, but the results
may look strange. Objects placed on the panels of a FileMaker Pro 8 Tab Control, for instance,
will all appear on top of one another when the file is opened in FileMaker Pro 7. There are also
security concerns to be aware of. If you are using Custom Menus to restrict access to certain
functionality, a user opening the file with FileMaker Pro 7 will not experience these restrictions.
They’ll have their standard menu set instead.
So just bear in mind that FileMaker Server 8 can work with both FileMaker Pro 7 and FileMaker
Pro 8 clients, as long as you pay appropriate attention to feature differences between the two
versions.
Another configuration that has limitations is using FileMaker Pro 8 clients with FileMaker
Server 7. Most features of FileMaker Pro 8 will function as expected for FileMaker Pro 8 clients
in this configuration. Finds using the new date and time range search syntax and many of
the new calculation functions need to be evaluated on the server in certain situations, and
therefore may not always return the expected result. The calculation functions, for instance,
work properly in situations where they are evaluated by the client, such as during scripts and
unstored calculations, but not when they need to be evaluated at the server, such as during
schema modifications involving stored calculations and finds on unstored fields.
One final compatibility issue pertains to server administration. The FileMaker Server 8 Admin
application can only be used to administer FileMaker Server 8. Similarly, you need the FileMaker
Server 7 Admin application to administer FileMaker Server 7.
About the Server Migration Tools

FileMaker Server 8 ships with a package known as the Migration Tools. The Migration Tools are
intended to assist you in preserving your configuration settings when moving from FileMaker
Server or Server 7 Advanced to FileMaker Server or Server 8 Advanced. They are meant to
be used during the migration process. The following are the steps that you should take when
migrating from FileMaker Server 7 to FileMaker Server 8:

1. Stop the FileMaker 7 service
2. Copy any FileMaker 7 Server hosted files, plug-ins, and scripts to a safe location
3. Use the Back Up Settings tool (part of the Migration Tools) to save your FileMaker
Server 7 settings.
4. Uninstall FileMaker Server 7
5. Install FileMaker Server 8
6. Use the Restore Settings tool to recreate your server settings in FileMaker Server 8
7. Move any files saved in step 2 to the appropriate FileMaker Server 8 folders
Installing and Configuring FileMaker Server 8

Installing FileMaker Server 8 is very easy. Just insert the CD and follow the step-by-step
instructions. When you choose the location for your FileMaker Server 8 installation, choose a
partition with plenty of room, or if you have multiple drives, select the location that best meets
the hardware considerations discussed earlier. Ideally, you should install FileMaker Server 8 in a
directory or drive that is not shared. Allowing shared access to files hosted by FileMaker Server
8 can lead to unpredictable results, degraded performance, security concerns, and possible
file corruption.
In a default installation, the installer creates a FileMaker Server 8 folder in the applications
directory on your system hard drive. This is the Applications folder on the Macintosh (with a
symbolic link to the bulk of the installation, which resides in the Library folder), and the Program
Files FileMaker folder on Windows. Within this folder is the Server application (on Windows)
and the FileMaker Server Admin application. Also within this folder, on Windows you will find
an Extension folder to store Plug-ins and on both platforms, you will find the Data directory.
The Data directory is where your FileMaker databases, backups, logs, and scripts are stored by
default.
Installing the FileMaker Server Admin application

All administration and configuration of FileMaker Server 8 is performed using the Server
Admin application. The Server Admin application is installed as part of the default installation
of FileMaker Server, but you can also install just the Server Admin tool as part of a custom
install. Installing this component will allow you to remotely administer FileMaker Servers that
have been enabled for remote access. To connect to a server, launch FileMaker Server Admin
and enter the server address or browse your local network to find your FileMaker Server.

Figure 1
One copy of the FileMaker Server Admin application can administer many instances of
FileMaker Server 8. For example, an administrator can install the admin application on her
laptop and administer multiple remote servers. The admin application has slightly different
functionality on Windows and Mac OS X platforms. On Windows, the FileMaker Server Admin
application can only have a connection to one FileMaker Server open at one time. On Mac OS
X, the FileMaker Server Admin application can have connections to multiple FileMaker Servers
open simultaneously, but only if the Allow Multiple Open Servers option is checked in the
Preferences dialog.
If you are planning to do remote administration, you’ll need to open up port 5006 in your firewall.
This is the port through which the Server Admin tool talks to FileMaker Server. (FileMaker Pro
clients communicate with the server over port 5003.)
Configuration options
There are a number of configuration options that can be specified for FileMaker Server. When
you launch the Server Admin application and establish a connection to a FileMaker Server, you
will be presented with various configuration options. The configuration menu for Windows and
Mac are shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2
The configuration options available are the same regardless of what platform you run the
Server Admin application on, but the interface and location of options are slightly different.
Also, on Windows, most options can be configured either via the 6 “wizards” shown in Figure
2, or via the FileMaker Server Properties dialog. You can get to the properties dialog by right
clicking on the server in the left hand panel and selecting properties. There are a few options
on Windows that are only configurable via this dialog; it’s also faster and easier to find the
options you need than it is to click through the wizards. The discussion of configurations below
follows the organization of the properties dialog.

Clients
The Client tab (Figure 3) allows you to configure the number of simultaneous connections
FileMaker Server will accept. Although the maximum it can be set to is 250 FileMaker Pro
connections and 100 Web Publishing Engine sessions (remember that you need FileMaker
Server 8 Advanced to allow Web access), you should specify a number that’s slightly higher
than the number of concurrent users you expect. This will free up memory for other purposes
and may result in better performance.
Another configuration option in the Client Connections area is the idle disconnect time. This
feature gives you the ability to disconnect idle users – those who have not had any interaction
with a database for a predefined period of time. With this setting enabled, FileMaker Server
8 automatically disconnects these users after the designated interval, thus freeing up unused
connections for new users. If some users need the ability to keep a file open indefinitely, you
can configure their Privilege Set in that file to prevent automatic disconnection. You do this by
unchecking the “Disconnect users from FileMaker Server when idle” option.
The final option, allow FileMaker Pro clients to download updates automatically, must be
enabled if you intend to use FileMaker Server to distribute plug-ins to client machines.
Figure 3

Databases
Within the Database tab (Figure 4), you may configure the number of databases that can be
hosted, and specify the database cache size and flush time. Also, a feature new to FileMaker
Server 8 is the option to have the server perform a consistency check when files are hosted for
the first time or if they have been closed improperly. You should leave this feature enabled at
all times.
• Database Files. FileMaker Server 8 can host a maximum of 125 files, but if you have
fewer than this, you should specify a smaller number to free up resources.
• Database Cache. FileMaker Server uses a RAM-based database cache to speed up
the rate at which it can send and receive data to the network. Increasing the cache
size will allow more of your database information to be served from RAM, improving
performance and reducing the amount of disk activity. The Server Admin application
will provide an initial guess as to what the best cache size is for your setup, based on the
RAM it finds available. The maximum cache size allowed in FileMaker Server 8 is 800MB.
In order to establish the optimal cache setting for your configuration, you’ll need to keep an eye
on the “cache hit percentage”, reported on the Statistics screen of the Server Admin application.
This indicates the number of requests that have been able to be fulfilled by data from the RAM
cache. In general, you’d like this number to be above 90%. If it falls much below that, consider
raising the amount of RAM dedicated to the cache.
• Flushing the Database Cache. FileMaker Server 8 has a cache-flushing algorithm that
attempts to flush the entire database cache in the time specified on this screen. For
instance, if the cache interval is set to the default of one minute, 1/60th of the cache
will be scanned and flushed every second. Any changed information will be written to
disk and then another 1/60th of the cache will be scanned. A longer interval means
better server performance, but greater risk of data loss if the server crashes with a
large unsaved cache. A shorter interval means lower risk, but increased hard drive
and processor user and therefore potentially decreased database performance. It is
recommended that you leave this setting as the default one minute.
• Consistency checking. As FileMaker Server 8 opens files that were not closed properly
or have not been opened yet with FileMaker Server 8, it performs a consistency check on
each file and logs an error in the event log if the file doesn’t pass the check. FileMaker
Server 7 did not perform this check. For this reason, you may encounter more corruption
than anticipated when first opening previously used files. It is recommended that you let
the Server perform consistency checks, as it’s better to know about file consistency errors
as quickly as possible.

If it does encounter file corruption, FileMaker Server 8 will refuse to open the file. Slightly
damaged files may be recoverable by creating a compressed file using the Save A Copy As
function. Do not use the File Maintenance tool to Compact or Optimize possibly damaged
files. If a file still does not pass the consistency check, perform a recovery of the file. Recovered
files should always pass the consistency check and are considered safe to use in FileMaker 8.
Figure 4
Runtime Solutions
Enabling this option allows solutions bound with the Database Utilities tool of FileMaker Pro
8 Advanced to be shared in the same manner as standard FileMaker Pro databases. You
also specify here the extensions associated with your solution, so that FileMaker Server 8 can
identify which files to share. This is the only option for sharing bound database solutions over
a network. Unless used in conjunction with FileMaker Server, bound solutions are single-user
only. The process for creating runtime solutions is discussed in the FileMaker Pro 8 Advanced
module.

Figure 5
Default Folders
When FileMaker Server is started, it will open all database files stored in the default database
folder and those stored one level deep in folders in that directory. You can change the default
directory and/or specify an additional database folder. Similarly, there’s a default directory for
backups, which can be modified on this screen.

Figure 6
Administration
The Administration tab allows you to configure settings for administering FileMaker Server.
• FileMaker Server Host Name. When a FileMaker Pro client views the list of available
FileMaker Servers in the Open Remote File dialog, they will see the name that it has
been given. You can choose via this dialog to specify whether to use the system name
for the server machine or to your own custom name, which may be more intelligible and
meaningful to your users.
• Administrator Authentication. This screen allows you to specify how administrators of
the server will be authenticated. You have the option to require no password, to specify
a password, or to require that administrators are members of an “fmsadmin” group on
the machine where FileMaker Server is running.
• Remote Administration. By checking “Allow remote users to administer FileMaker
Server”, you enable connections from remote installations of the FileMaker Server Admin
application. You can always do local administration, but remote administration isn’t
available until this option has been enabled.

Figure 7
Logging
Usage statistics and logging provide a means for monitoring server performance and usage.
The time specified in the dialog is the frequency at which FileMaker Server takes a snapshot
of memory, processor, and network usage. The default value of 15 seconds is probably fine
in most cases. You can view the usage statistics in real time by clicking on the Statistics tool in
the Server Admin application. You can also choose to have the usage statistics written out to
a file called Stats.log to be reviewed later. By setting a maximum log size, you limit the length
of time you can review these statistics. In FileMaker Server 8 on Mac OS X, the log is now tab-
delimited and includes two new fields: Event ID and level of security. The Mac OS X log file can
be opened and viewed while events continue to be captured in the log.

Figure 8
Directory Service
FileMaker Server can be registered with an LDAP-compliant Directory Service. This is typically
only going to be of interest to organizations that have many FileMaker Servers to manage. One
benefit of using a Directory Service is that users don’t need to know the address or location of
the server. When they use the Open Remote dialog to open files, they’ll authenticate to the
directory service, which will respond with a list of servers that the user has access to. If the
address or location of the server changes, the system administrator can repoint the directory
service to the new address; it’s transparent to the end user. Using a directory service also
provides additional security, in that a user won’t even be able to see the server or lists of hosted
files without authenticating to the directory service.
The Directory Service settings have nothing whatsoever to do with using an external server to
authenticate user accounts.

Figure 9
Security
There are three configuration options available on the Security tab.
• Client Authentication. If you want to use an External Server to authenticate access to

databases hosted by the server, you need to choose the “FileMaker and External Server
accounts” option. A database file must always have at least one account with the [Full
Access] privilege set that is authenticated by FileMaker. If you choose to allow External
Server authentication, your server should be a member of a domain that uses Active
Directory. When a user attempts to log into a database, FileMaker Server will send the
account name and password to the external server; it will receive back a list of groups
to which that user belongs. If one of those groups is allowed access to the file, then the
user will be granted access and given the privilege set specified for that group. See the
Security module for information on setting up Accounts and Privilege Sets.
• Filter the Display of Files. This option controls what a user will see when they click
on the host name from the Open Remote dialog. If it is set to “Display all databases”,
then the user will see all databases that are open on FileMaker Server (that is, they
have a status of “Normal”) and which have at least one privilege set with the FileMaker

Network extended privilege. The other option, “Display only the databases each user is
authorized to access”, causes users to be prompted for an account name and password.
They will then see only a list of databases to which they have access, rather than all
databases hosted on the server.
• Secure connections to FileMaker Server. Enabling this option causes all data sent
between FileMaker Server and FileMaker Pro clients to be encrypted using SSL. This will
result in reduced performance, as data must be encrypted and decrypted as it sent back
and forth.
Figure 10
Exercise 1: Configuring FileMaker Server
Using the Server Admin application, make the following configuration changes to FileMaker
Server.
1. Configure FileMaker Server to record usage statistics every 5 seconds and to write the
statistics out to a log. Examine the log to see how these statistics are reported.
2. Set the maximum number of databases to host to 25.

3. Set the idle disconnect time to 1 hour.
4. Set the maximum number of client connections to 10.
5. Turn on remote administration.
6. Turn on file list filtering.
Scheduling Backups
You can configure FileMaker Server to perform three types of scheduled tasks: running batch
scripts, creating backups, and sending messages to users. By far, the most frequent task you’ll
need the server to perform is scheduled backups. It’s important that you follow the proper
procedures, outlined below, for backing up your hosted database files. Failure to do so may
result in backups that are corrupted and unusable.
Backups are important because they help prevent loss of time, data, and productivity. By
having accessible backups you can recover from a situation where someone changes and then
accidentally or willfully removes scripts, layouts, or data in a database file. It cannot be stressed
enough how important it is to completely establish your backup routines.
Databases that are hosted by FileMaker Server are always in an “open” state. If you simply
make a copy of the database files or use a backup system to create copies of open files, the
resulting copies won’t necessarily be complete or stable. There are tasks that take place when
a file is closed, including flushing the cache to disk.
When FileMaker Server backs up your files, it performs what’s known as a live backup. The
process begins with the creation of a copy of the live file to the directory specified by the task.
Then, FileMaker Server pauses user activity, flushes the cache, and a synchronization process
writes any additional information to the backup files that is necessary to make them stable,
complete copies of the live files. Finally, FileMaker Server resumes communication with clients
again. During the entire process, users never lose connection with FileMaker Server. At most,
they will be paused from their work for the time it takes to do the synchronization process,
which is typically a short time. One indicator of the paused state in FileMaker Pro is a coffee
cup icon.
It is recommended that when selecting a location to back up your files, you always choose a
local drive. This allows FileMaker Server to perform its scheduled backups faster and results in
less down time for users. Additionally, if backing up to a shared drive, if that drive isn’t available
when the backup is run, the backup will fail rather than be written to a secondary location.

In cases where you need more storage space or want your files backed up on different,
redundant hardware, you should “backup the backup” rather than the live files. Let FileMaker
Server create a backup to a local drive, and then have a scheduled task push the backup to a
remote location, or have a tape backup process make copies of the backup directory.
While you will want to create a set of backup routines to meet your own needs, a common
backup strategy is to make local backups several times during the day to different directories.
For example, you might decide that 2 hours of data is the maximum tolerable loss for your
organization. In that case, you would create folders in the backup directory to house a 10am,
12pm, 2pm, 4pm, and 6pm backup. Then you’d create five separate schedules that backed up
your files at the appropriate time to the appropriate directory. Since this strategy would result
in backups getting overwritten on a daily basis, it would also be a good idea either to have daily
backups created in the middle of the night to separate directories (i.e., one each for Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday) or to have a tape backup process create an archive of
the backups.
Tailor your backup schedules to meet the needs of your organization, but keep in mind a few
things:
• It is easier and faster to restore from local backups than having to restore from tape
backups.
• Your backup strategy should involve having off-site backups created on regular basis, to
protect against catastrophic failure.
• It’s beneficial to have many backups of varying ages to choose from. Sometimes data
loss or corruption isn’t noticed right away, so your recent backups may have the same
problems as the production files. In such cases, you may need to go back days or weeks
to diagnose and/or fix problems.
Exercise 2: Creating a Backup Schedule
Using the Server Admin application, create a schedule called “Daily Backup” that backs up all
databases to a directory named “Daily Backup”. You’ll need first to create this directory in the
FileMaker Server 8\Data\Backups directory. Set the schedule to perform the backup every
night at 8:00 pm.
After creating the new backup schedule, view the list of scheduled tasks and confirm that you
see the new task. Run the task by selecting it from the list and choosing Action>Run Now. (If on
Mac OS X, select Action>Schedule>Run Schedule Now.)

Server Administration
Once set, the configuration options described in the preceding sections are not likely to need
frequent adjustment. You may of course adjust the settings any time the need arises, but
typically the day-to-day tasks involving FileMaker Server are focused on file administration.
This includes opening and closing files, monitoring users, and watching the server performance
statistics.
Opening and Closing Files

As mentioned previously, if you have a file that you want to host via FileMaker Server, you need
to enable the “Access via FileMaker Network” extended privilege for one or more privilege
sets, and then you need to place the file in the database directory (by default, this is ../FileMaker
Server 8/Data/Datbases). When FileMaker Server starts up, any databases in this directory or
one subdirectory deep will be “opened” and available for immediate use. If FileMaker Server
is already running, you will need to use the Server Admin application to start the database.
After connecting to the server, you can see a list of database files hosted by FileMaker server
by clicking on the databases link, as shown in Figure 11.

Figure 11
Databases will have a status of Normal, which means they’re open and available for use, or
Closed. When you put new files into the database directory, you should initially see them here
as having a status of Closed. You can open a file by selecting it and choosing Action>Open, or
by right clicking and using the contextual pop-up menu.
If you ever need to close a database, you can use the Server Admin application for this as well.
You can leave the FileMaker service itself running and close just those files you need to. Be
sure that if you ever want to manually create a backup or take a copy of a file that you close it
first. Similarly, to replace a file with an updated version, close the file using the Server Admin
application, remove the old file and put the new one into the databases directory, then open
the file using the admin tool again.

You can also see the number of clients connected to each file, and you can send messages to
connected guests from this screen as well.
Monitoring Clients
Clicking on the Clients link shown in Figure 11 brings up a list of all connected users, including
those connected via the Server Admin application itself. You can see how long clients have
been idle, send messages to selected users, and forcefully disconnect users via this screen.
Statistics
The Statistics screen shows you real time information about how the server is performing. You
can see the number of hosted files, the number of clients, the network and disk traffic, and,
importantly, the cache hit percentage. As mentioned earlier, you want the cache hit percentage
to be high, ideally something in the 90-95% range during normal usage. Anything less than
this is a possible indication that you need to increase the amount of RAM allocated as database
cache. The statistics refresh at the rate specified on the Logging configuration screen; the
default is every 15 seconds.
Maintenance and Troubleshooting

Performance Issues
Three main areas affect FileMaker Server 8 performance. These areas are disk usage, network
performance, and caching.
Disk usage was described in the hardware section of this module. An important factor for the
performance of FileMaker will be a fast and clean I/O to the disk files. The faster FileMaker
can write cached data to the hard drive, or write files as part of a scheduled task, the better
your performance will be. For performance reasons, it’s also important to keep the FileMaker
database files local on the Server and not elsewhere on the network.
Reading data and writing updates to a local disk is a cornerstone of your basic FileMaker Server
performance. As seen in the section on FileMaker Server 8 hardware requirements, its use of
network bandwidth is its second greatest use of resources. Your solution architecture can affect
this. Be sure that the server’s network resources are devoted to sharing only FileMaker. Start
by turning off any file sharing and other unused services. What FileMaker Server does is not
file sharing: it is data sharing. Any type of file sharing will reduce performance of the FileMaker
Server.
Except for development purposes, it’s unwise to allow files to be shared though means other
than FileMaker. If there were a way for a user to directly access the FileMaker (.fp7) files via
a shared file directory, then that user could make separate copies of the files for use offline,

compromising the accuracy and security of the shared database. Users should access the data
only through FileMaker Server, by using the “Open Remote…” dialog. This is an issue to keep
in mind if you choose to share your backup directory as well.
Avoiding Trouble
You should always try to reduce a computer’s extraneous workload, especially a server’s.
Even if you optimize a system for proper caching, network traffic, etc, if a server runs a
processor-intensive screen-saver or virus scanner, you will ultimately hurt your server
performance. Checking for viruses is important, but don’t steal valuable processor cycles
with constant virus scans. Schedule regular scans during off-peak hours. Also avoid using
energy saving software. Since this is a server, requests by users can be made at almost any
time. You never want the hard drive to go to sleep. At most, let the screen power down.
Another important factor is operating system service packs. Often software will have patches
and updates. Many of these can affect performance, security, and basic functionality. Be sure to
watch basic system alerts for security issues and updates. Also, be aware of all security updates
pertinent to your setup.
Restarting Your Server

If you need to reboot your server for any reason while users are connected to hosted databases,
the recommended best practice for stopping FileMaker Server services is as follows:
1. Send Message to All at least a few minutes before you start the Close process, telling
them what time you will close the files and suggesting that they not start any long
reports/scripts.
2. Using the Server Admin application, Close All Databases, but give 5 to 10 minutes
before guests will be disconnected (instead of the default 2 minutes).
3. Halfway through the 5 or 10 minutes you selected for the Close, do another Send
Message to those still connected.
4. After the 5 or 10 minutes runs out, verify in the Server Admin application that the files
are all closed.
5. Use the Stop FileMaker Server command from the Server Admin application to stop the
Server (not the Service Control Manager on Windows).

Administering FileMaker Server 8 with the Command Line
As you’ve seen, FileMaker Server 8 can be controlled by the FileMaker Server Admin application.
It can also be controlled through the use of a command line interface. On Windows, launch the
Command Prompt to access the command line, and on Mac OS X, use the Terminal application.
On the command line, the FileMaker Server 8 services are addressed by using the fmsadmin
command in conjunction with an action command. On Mac OS X, these commands can be
run from any directory, because FileMaker Server is installed in the /usr/bin directory, and that
directory is included in PATH. On Windows, FileMaker Server’s default install location is c:\
Program Files\FileMaker\FileMaker Server 8\, and that directory is not added to the system
path during installation. That means if you want to administer FileMaker Server 8 using the
command line on Windows, you have two options. The first option is to navigate to the directory
where the FileMaker Server executable resides before executing fmsadmin commands. The
second option is to modify the path system variable so that the command can be run from any
directory.
To modify the path on Windows 2000/2003 Server, you need to follow these steps:
1. Open Control Panels and click System.
2. In the System Properties dialog, click the Advanced tab.
3. Click Environment variables to bring up the Environment Variables dialog.
4. Select Path in the list of System Variables, and click Edit.
5. In the Variable Value box, add a semicolon to the end of the path statement, then type
in the path to the FileMaker Server 8 folder: C:\Program Files\FileMaker\FileMaker
Server 8
6. Click OK to exit all the dialogs, then reboot the computer for the change
to take effect.
Following is a list of commands that you can use to administer FileMaker Server from the
command line. Although the commands are shown in uppercase for emphasis, the command
line is not case-sensitive.
Certain commands will respond with a prompt that asks if you’re sure you want to execute that
command. A y or n response will indicate if you want to proceed. For those commands, a –y/--
yes parameter can be added to the command to suppress the prompt.
Other options are available when using the command line. Options exist in a short form and a
long form. When using the short form, a single hyphen should be used. Multiple options may
be specified with one short form hyphen (i.e., -yfm). When using the long form, two hyphens
are required for each option, and a space must be inserted between each option (--yes –force
–message).

The following options may be used with all commands:
-h, --help Show the help page for this command

-I address, --ip address Specify the IP address of a remote server
-p password, --password password Specify the server password
-u username, --username username Specify server username and/or domain name
-v, --version Show version information
-w seconds, --wait seconds Specify time out wait in seconds
-y, --yes Automatically answer yes to all prompts
Remember to enclose any multi-word parameters in single or double quotation marks.
BACKUP
Syntax:
fmsadmin BACKUP [File] [Path] [Options]
Description:
BACKUP is used to back up either specific files or all of the files in the paths specified in the
command. It can be used in two ways. The default behavior is invoked when the BACKUP
command is used by itself. In this scenario, it performs a live backup of the file(s), which causes
the least interference with client sessions. The other way to use the BACKUP command is in
conjunction with the PAUSE and RESUME commands. The sequence of PAUSE, BACKUP, then
RESUME will execute an offline backup, which is the type of backup performed by earlier
versions of FileMaker Server.
Options:
-d path, --dest path Specify the destination path for the backup file.:
-o, --offline Perform an offline backup
Examples:
fmsadmin BACKUP Sales.fp7 Backs up Sales.fp7 file
fmsadmin BACKUP –o Performs offline backup of all hosted files
fmsadmin BACKUP /SalesMgt/ -d D:\Backups Backs up contents of SalesMgt folder to
the D:\Backups folder
CLOSE
Syntax:
fmsadmin CLOSE [File] [Path] [Options]

Description:
This command closes the named file(s) or the files that reside at the specified paths.
Remember to leave a space between any option and its specified parameter. If no space is
present, the default command will take over. For example, the command “fmsadmin CLOSE
–y Inventory.fp7” will close only the Inventory database. The command “fmsadmin CLOSE –
yInventory.fp7” will close all hosted databases.
Options:
-f, --force Forces database to close
-m message, --message message Sends message to clients
-t seconds, --grace-time seconds Specifies the number of seconds before databases
force clients to disconnect. The default is 120 seconds.
Examples:
fmsadmin CLOSE Closes all hosted databases, with a y/n prompt
fmsadmin CLOSE –y Closes all hosted databases, suppresses prompt
fmsadmin CLOSE –y Sales.fp7 Closes Sales.fp7 database, suppresses prompt
fmsadmin CLOSE –y “Sales Management.fp7” Closes Sales Management database, suppresses
prompt)
fmsadmin CLOSE –y –t 10 “Sales Closes Sales Management database, suppresses
Management.fp7” y/n prompt, gives users 10-second grace period
fmsadmin CLOSE –y –m “Closing for Closes Sales Management database, sends
maintenance” “Sales Management.fp7” message “Closing for maintenance” to clients
DELETE
Syntax:
fmsadmin DELETE schedule [Schedule Number] [Options]
Description:
This command deletes a specific schedule by referencing its schedule number. You can learn the
schedule numbers by using the LIST SCHEDULES command. There are no optional parameters
specific to this command.
Examples:
fmsadmin DELETE schedule 100 Deletes schedule 100, with a y/n prompt
fmsadmin DELETE schedule 100 –y Deletes schedule 100, suppresses prompt

DISABLE
Syntax:
fmsadmin DISABLE [Type] [Plug-in Number] [Schedule Number]
Description:
This command can be used to disable plug-ins and/or schedules.
The LIST PLUGINS or LIST SCHEDULES commands can be used to find the number of a plug-in
or schedule.
Types:
PLUGIN
SCHEDULE
Examples:
fmsadmin DISABLE PLUGIN 98 Disables plugin 98
fmsadmin DISABLE SCHEDULE 5 Disables schedule 5
DISCONNECT
Syntax:
fmsadmin DISCONNECT client [Client Number] [Options]
Description:
Used to disconnect a specific client. The client will get a disconnection message as a result of
this command.
The LIST CLIENTS command can be used to find the number of a specific client.
Option:
-m message, --message message
Examples:
fmsadmin DISCONNECT client 35 –y –m “Sorry, it’s time to go.”
Disconnects client 35, sends message “Sorry, it’s time to go” to user 35
fmsadmin DISCONNECT client 27
ENABLE
Syntax:
fmsadmin ENABLE [Type] [Plug-in Number] [Schedule Number]

Description:
Often used in conjunction with DISABLE, this command can be used to enable a plug-in or
schedule. Note: this command cannot be used to enable the xDBC plug-in, which has a non-
standard plug-in behavior and can only be administered using the SAT and Server Properties.
The LIST PLUGINS or LIST SCHEDULES commands can be used to find the number of a plug-in
or schedule.
Examples:
fmsadmin ENABLE PLUGIN 8
fmsadmin ENABLE SCHEDULE 14
HELP
Syntax:
fmsadmin [options] HELP [COMMAND]
Description:
This command is used to display help information on fmsadmin commands. Note: fmsadmin
by itself will also display help information for the fmsadmin command.
Examples:
fmsadmin HELP Displays help information for the fmsadmin command
fmsadmin HELP DISCONNECT Displays help information on the DISCONNECT
command
fmsadmin HELP commands Lists available commands
fmsadmin HELP options Lists available options
LIST
Syntax:
fmsadmin LIST [Type] [Options]
Description:
This command can be used to list all objects and their corresponding numbers. Can be used
to discover numbers for schedules, plug-ins, files, and clients.
Types:
SCHEDULES
PLUGINS
FILES
CLIENTS

Option:
-s, --stats Shows statistical information about CLIENTS or FILES
Examples:
fmsadmin LIST SCHEDULES Lists all schedules
fmsadmin LIST PLUGINS Lists all plugins
fmsadmin LIST FILES –s Lists files and statistics about files
fmsadmin LIST CLIENTS –s Lists clients and relevant information
OPEN
Syntax:
fmsadmin OPEN [File] [Path]
Description:
This command is used to open database files in the default and additional folders. Can also be
used to open specific files or all files in a specific path.
Examples:
fmsadmin OPEN “Sales Management.fp7” Opens file Sales Management.fp7
fmsadmin OPEN Opens all files in the default folder
fmsadmin OPEN 3 Opens file ID 3
PAUSE
Syntax: fmsadmin PAUSE [File] [Path]
Description:
This command pauses database files, meaning that clients can no longer actively work with
them. The RESUME command is used to make them available again.
Examples:
fmsadmin PAUSE Pauses all databases
fmsadmin PAUSE 6 Pauses file ID 6
fmsadmin PAUSE Sales.fp7 Pauses the Sales.fp7 file
fmsadmin PAUSE “Sales Management.fp7” Pauses the Sales Management.fp7 file
fmsadmin PAUSE /SalesMgt/ Pauses all databases in SalesMgt folder

RELOAD
Syntax:
fmsadmin RELOAD
Description:
This command reloads configuration properties from the last saved configuration. If any
configuration changes have been made but not saved, they will be overwritten.
RESUME
Syntax:
fmsadmin RESUME [File] [Path]
Description:
This command resumes databases that have been paused.
Examples:
fmsadmin RESUME “Sales.fp7”
RUN
Syntax: fmsadmin RUN schedule [Schedule Number]
Description:
Runs a schedule specified by number. Use LIST SCHEDULES to find schedule numbers.
Examples:
fmsadmin RUN Schedule 3
SEND
Syntax:
fmsadmin SEND [Options] [File] [Path]
Description:
Used to send a text message to all clients connected to files in a specific path, all clients
connected to a specific file, or a specific client.
Options:
-c, --client Specifies specific client

Examples:
fmsadmin SEND –m “Knock knock.” Sends message “Knock knock” to all clients
fmsadmin SEND –m “Knock knock.” “Sales.fp7” Sends message “Knock knock” to all clients
connected to the Sales database
STATUS
Syntax:
fmsadmin STATUS [Type] [Client Number] [File]
Description:
The STATUS command is used to determine the status of a client or file.
Types:
CLIENT
FILE
Examples:
fmsadmin STATUS CLIENT 47
fmsadmin STATUS FILE Sales.fp7
fmsadmin STATUS FILE “Sales Management.fp7”
STOP
Syntax:
fmsadmin STOP [Options]
Description:
Stops FileMaker Server and grants all connected users 30 seconds to disconnect. This default
grace period can be modified using the –t option.
Options:
-f, --force Forces database to stop
-t seconds, --grace-time seconds Specifies the number of seconds before databases
force clients to disconnect.
Examples:
fmsadmin STOP
fmsadmin STOP –f
fmsadmin STOP –t 180 –m “Shutting down in 3 minutes.”

Review Questions
1. How many files can FileMaker Server 8 host?
2. What is the maximum number of FileMaker Pro 8 client connections that can access
databases on a FileMaker Server 8?
3. What additional capabilities does FileMaker Server 8 Advanced provide?
4. What is the maximum number of connections FileMaker Server 8 Advanced can open
for ODBC/JDBC and web?
5. What are the differences in hosting capabilities between FileMaker Server 8 and
FileMaker Pro 8?
6. What are the critical hardware components to consider for optimizing your FileMaker
Server 8 computer’s performance?

7. What needs to be considered in configuring the network capabilities of a FileMaker
server machine?
8. How can you secure network communication between FileMaker Server 8 and
FileMaker Pro 8?
9. What ports must be open in a firewall to allow remote administration of a FileMaker

Server and to allow remote client connections?

Review Answers
1. 125 files per server.
2. 250 client connections.
3. FileMaker Server 8 Advanced allows Web and ODBC/JDBC connections.
4. The maximum is 50 ODBC/JDBC connections, which count against the 250-client

connection limit, and 100 web connections, which are above and beyond the client
connection limit.
5. There are many advantages FileMaker Server has over FileMaker Pro when it comes to
hosting a file for multiple users, including the following:
• FileMaker Pro 8 can only host up to 5 clients at one time, while FileMaker Server 8 can
host 250.
• FileMaker Server 8 can encrypt network traffic between itself and FileMaker Pro 8
clients.
• FileMaker Server 8 can disconnect idle FileMaker Pro 8 client connections.
• FileMaker Server 8 can backup live databases at scheduled times.
6. The hard drive subsystem, the number and speed of processors, memory, and the
networking card(s).
7. You should disable any services, such as file sharing, that will compete with FileMaker
Server for network and hard drive utilization.
8. FileMaker Server 8 can be configured to encrypt the network traffic between FileMaker
Server 8 and FileMaker Pro 8.
9. Port 5006 for the Server Admin application, and port 5003 for FileMaker Pro client
connections

Filemaker Server8 & Network Configurations

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Filemaker Server8 & Network Configurations

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

FileMaker Train i n g

This document may not be reproduced or otherwise redistributed without consent of

page  FileMaker Server 8 & Network Configurations