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THANK YOU, WIM! That was exactly the "hint" we needed. Thanks again. -Kevin

Understandable, Josh. I hope you agree it was at least worth asking. Thanks for looking to see if you have a sample. I will do some more research, as well. We have 70 databases on this server, so checking that they all have stopped could be an interesting bit of fun. Yes, we have discussed splitting this server into two (or more) within the environment. We have a site license and plenty of VM Head-room. No, NetBackup was never touching the served databases themselves. It appears as though at one point we were backing up one "RC_Data_FMS" directory that was in the live folder, but there's no need to do that any more. NetBackup backups haven't run in several months, as we've been relying on Veeam even without the fmsadmin pause script (yes, I know, bad on us), as we know the backups directory will always be intact, even in a snapshot. -Kevin

Thanks, Josh. On the theory that you get nothing when you ask for nothing... is there any chance your server folks would share a generalized version of their VBScript? If not, I understand. Our server is just for FM, no AV, nothing else running on it. We do run Symantec NetBackup in the environment (on a different server), which DOES do file-level backup. Even though we're planning to remove Symantec as a backup solution, we might switch back to that temporarily to backup the filemaker-produced backup directory nightly while we figure out how to automate and properly test the veeam/fmsadmin process ourselves. Thanks again. -Kevin

We are currently tracking two issues we believe may be caused by our lack of following best-practices where snapshot backups are concerned: 1. We have a database that has phantom records. These records are messed up in such a way that we are facing a complete database rebuild in order to resolve them. We are holding off on doing that, however, until the backup best-practices are in place. This issue was discussed in greater depth on another forum. 2. We are seeing an issue with clients not being kept up to date when records change at the server. Rebooting the server seems to solve the issue, which (in our opinion) rules out issues with the network. While there may be underlying issues with the server itself (bad install, OS-level problems, etc), our current course of action is to clean up the backup procedure before taking measures such as reinstalling and migrating to Server 2012, etc. We currently have a case open with FileMaker concerning this issue. Cleaning up the backup process is our next troubleshooting step with them. So, yes, we agree with you that running VSS backups without properly stopping FM Server (which, it cannot be stated enough, is NOT VSS-aware) is dangerous. -Kevin

Thanks for that info, Josh. That's a great insight into the right process. So, do your guys run the snapshot backup manually every time, or do they have the procedure you outlined above automated somehow? Clearly, we can issue the pause and restart commands automatically - it's double-checking that everything actually paused that is proving tough to automate. Thanks. -Kevin

Josh: We are also using Veeam, and are in need of putting a proper solution in place for suspending our databases. Can you confirm with your IT department whether they simply put the "FMSADMIN PAUSE" command into the Veeam backup Pre-Freeze script for your server, or if they wrote something more sophisticated? Obviously, they would have to also put an "FMSADMIN RESUME" into the Post-thaw script, as well. I believe the Veeam setting for "Require successful script execution" should be sufficient to determine that the files are actually paused, but I would take other suggestions on that front, as well. Any information your IT department is willing to share would be helpful. The struggle we are having is to determine the exact right commands to put in place, and how to implement them properly so that we don't cause more problems than we solve. Once we have the databases pausing for backup properly, we're hoping some of the issues we're having with our database server (14.0.2 on 2008 R2/VMWare) will be resolved. Thanks. -Kevin

Thanks, Tim. Turning off PSoS on the mobile database settings script appears to have done the trick. I would say your assessment is right on that there appear to be some issues with how credentials get passed from DB to DB, particularly when PSoS is involved. Hopefully, the good folks at Filemaker know about this and will be able to fix it sometime soon. To LaRetta's latest point, I suspect I would have been fine if there hadn't been credentials getting in the way, even with PSoS turned on and remote TOs being sync'd. As is so often the case, security comes at the cost of simplicity. For the record, I didn't mean to blame EasySync for the problems I encountered - I just meant that keeping things "easy" would imply that we should keep one mobile database syncing with one hosted database, and call it a day, without involving remote TOs. Clearly, you intend to be able to support that scenario, and it appears to work just fine but for a filemaker glitch that none of us can overcome on our own. Sorry if that came off wrong. I am over the moon that your product is out there and so well thought out. I have tons of applications for it that are just waiting to be built that will utilize your solution. Thanks again. -Kevin

Hi, Tim and LaRetta.  Thanks for your suggestions. I have double-checked everything, and all signs still point back to security being the issue.  Tim, you're right - mobile is successfully connecting to hosted and is even pushing the payload - but when the script tries to process that payload into the password-protected tables from the external database, it fails.  I've attempted to attach a screenshot that should answer LaRetta's question - unless there's something under the hood I need to look at within that join?   That screenshot is taken from my hosted sync database.  Note that the tables "ES_PUSH_flagwork" and "ES_PUSH_attachments" are references to TOs in an external file.  I believe this is where the problem lies, since that external file has security enabled.  Here's the file structure:  hl_observe_mobile - the mobile file hl_observe_hosted - the hosted file - includes local tables for observations and photos, and remote references to hl_maintenance hl_maintenance - the maintenance file - remotely referenced "flagwork" and "attachments" tables that are being synced to when necessary  I have done some testing from a laptop that is logged in as a local account - so, there's no way that domain accounts are providing any "assistance".  This is essentially the same situation as a mobile device, which has no concept of domain logins unless you explicitly enter them.  When I open up hl_observe_hosted on the laptop, it opens fine. However, if I try to open up the Manage Database dialog, I am presented with a login for the sm_maintenance database. This happens even though I have hl_observe_hosted set to auto login as "Mobile" - which is a local Filemaker account that exists on all three databases: mobile, hosted and maintenance - and has [Full Access] privileges everywhere.  If I click "cancel" - as though I don't know what an acceptable password for the maintenance database would be - and then look at the relationships graph, I get "file missing" on the references to the external TOs (flagwork and attachments).  That would cause the 102 error that we're seeing, since the table that we're trying to sync to "isn't there".  To test the theory, I did two syncs from the disconnected PC.  Starting from a fresh Filemaker launch (no databases open):  1. Just open the mobile app, create a record and try to sync.  It failed. 2. Open the mobile app.  Then open the hosted app, and go to Manage Database, entering the "Mobile" username and password.  Sync from the mobile app.  It worked.  I am starting to believe this is a Filemaker issue that has to do with authentication when accessing remote TOs without opening any layouts on the remote file.  When the remote file is accessed, the local security doesn't appear to be carrying through the connection.  I'm sure there's a rational explanation for why it doesn't work, and shouldn't ever work, particularly since we're talking about security.  I am also starting to believe that the notion of adding remote, password-protected TOs to the graph of a hosted sync database and then syncing to them might not be within the scope of problems FMEasySync was intended to solve.  In other words, I know I'm pushing the limits here.  I can work with that, but I didn't want to let it go without checking whether the expectation is that what I've done should be working.  I apologize for how complicated this is to describe.  In theory, I should be able to just connect to these two tables and sync.  In this case, however, I think I might have over-complicated what is intended to be an "Easy" solution, in an attempt to make things easier for myself.  That's not FMEasySync's fault - that's human error.  I look forward to hearing your thoughts.  Thanks.  -Kevin   Â

Hello. Thank you for the marvel that is FmEasySync! It is exactly what we needed for our relatively simple sync needs, and I truly appreciate the thought that has gone into creating it. I am only seeking help because our application is made complex by some security requirements, and I have run out of ways I can think of to troubleshoot it. I'm hoping someone else can offer a suggestion that will knock this loose for me. Our application is an "observations" database that runs in Go on the iPhone. It allows our managers to make safety observations and sync them to a central database for later review. In addition, if what they are observing needs to be addressed by our maintenance staff, they can also request a maintenance ticket to be created. We sync the maintenance requests separately, since there is already a "bucket" set up to receive requests. we would like our users to be able to file maintenance requests without having to go through safety, as well, so the app actually has two wizards - one for Safety, the other for Maintenance. The central "Observations" database has been set up to stand alone, so as to avoid security conflicts with other HR-related databases. That sync is working just great, when tested from the desktop and on mobile. Our "Maintenance" database has filemaker security turned on that allows users to login via their Active Directory username and password. This keeps things simpler for them, and allows us to track who has done what and when more easily. The sync tables for this database are simple table occurrences within the "Observations" database. When I wire in the Maintenance database, it syncs GREAT from the desktop, but when I try to sync to it from the mobile device, the first table that tries to sync fails, saying that "Field att_id[1] is missing. Filemaker Error Code 102"). For a variety of reasons, I would prefer to avoid setting up a second database for the application to sync requests in to the maintenance side. If necessary, it will have to be set up just for the purpose of syncing, and will have to be imported on a schedule by the server. As I said, from the desktop the sync works - so I know all of the table setup is correct on both sides (mobile and hosted). Which leaves me with security as the culprit for the errors. In fact, I have found that, if I log in to the (hosted) maintenance database and then run the sync from the mobile client, it works. Knowing that FMEasySync is going to use the security settings on the client to attempt to sync to the host, I have done the following: 1. established a local FileMaker user called "Mobile" and applied it, with the same username and password, to all three databases - observations_mobile, observations_hosted and maintenance. 2. I have gone so far as giving the "Mobile" user "Full Access" to all three databases, and still the sync fails from the mobile. 3. I have attempted to pick out the scripts that are involved in a push (on both hosted and mobile), and set them to run with "full access privileges" and that doesn't seem to have worked, either. 4. I have attempted to use the "File Access" tab of the Manage Security dialog to give permission to both the mobile and hosted databases, and that did not work, either. I feel like I'm missing just one, small, detailed thing that will knock this loose on the mobile side, and I'm just not sure what it is or where to find it. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks. -Kevin

Hello. I have just installed SC for the first time on our FMS10 server. SC is running under FMS, and works when writing to its default directory. I tried setting the custom URL for file storage in the XML file to a newly created share on our network file server (Windows 2003 in a domain environment), but every time I tried to upload a file, I got the "Error 500". I understand this is a permissions error, but the only documentation I could find for fixing it referred to OS-X, so was not very helpful. Can SC be set up to write its files to a network share instead of the local FMS server? If so, what are the correct permissions to set on the network share so that SC can write to it? Thank you very much. -Kevin

Thanks, Comment and Fitch - that's quite the obscure rule! So, the revised version of Method 2: 1. Select the conditionally formatted object from which you want to copy formatting. 2. Bring the object to the front (using the align tools) 3. Shift-select the object to which you would like to apply the first object's conditional formatting 4. Right-click on either object, and select "Conditional Formatting" 5. IF (and ONLY if) all of your conditions come up in the dialog, click OK, and the conditions are applied to the object that originally had no conditional formatting. It's still good to be careful to make sure the conditional formatting dialog is fully populated, but this method is even faster than the first. Thanks again! -Kevin

There are actually two ways to copy conditional formatting - though one of them, I cannot get to be consistent. Method 1: 1. Apply conditional formatting to an object on the layout. 2. Control-click and drag the object - this creates a copy of the object on your layout. 3. Modify the copy as needed. All conditions will be present when you view the conditional formatting of the copy. If you do the above with a field, Filemaker automatically asks you which field you want when you let go of the mouse button. NOTE: this also works when an object is copied-and-pasted, as well. Method 2: I'm having trouble getting this one to be consistent. Any help anyone can provide would be great. 1. Select two objects on your layout: one with conditional formatting, one without. 2. Right-click on either object, and select "Conditional Formatting" 3. [color:red]IF (and ONLY if) all of your conditions come up in the dialog, click OK, and the conditions are applied to the object that originally had no conditional formatting. [color:red]USE CAUTION with this approach - if the dialog appears with NO conditions and you click OK, that state of no conditions will be applied to both objects, and you could lose your formatting. Be sure you click CANCEL if your conditions don't appear in the dialog. If anyone has any suggestions as to how to make Method 2 consistent, please post them. I have tried the following: 1. Both fields must be the same type (nope) 2. Both fields must start with the same formatting (nope) 3. The order of selecting the fields matters (not at all) 4. Shift-click to select versus click-drag-select (doesn't matter) It's almost like Method 2 takes advantage of some kind of unintended side-effect (aka, "bug") in Filemaker, but I'll be darned if I can figure out how to make it work every time. Thanks. -Kevin

That would work, as well. In general, any time you can keep activity on the server-side, you'll improve the database performance, particularly when you're dealing with MSSQL over a network. The 'best' method is always defined by the application you're trying to create, and the environment in which you are operating. A quick search for 'mssql insert trigger' turned up quite a few options, but the one at the top should suffice as a guide (the site has been reliable and accurate in the past). http://www.devarticles.com/c/a/SQL-Server/Using-Triggers-In-MS-SQL-Server/ Good Luck! -Kevin

At the risk of being scolded that this forum is for Filemaker and not for SQL, (and if I understand your question correctly) I believe the following is what you're looking for: insert into newTable (tableId, tableName, tableAddr1, tableAddr2, tableCode) select '1', lookupName, lookupAddr1, lookupAddr2, 'test' from lookupTable where lookupId = @lookupValue The above code, using a subselect for the insert, emulates Filemaker's "Auto-Enter Looked Up Value" feature at the field definition level. You would have to replace the constants in the select statement with the values captured from your user. You could also accomplish the same thing with an update following your insert in your code. Do some google searches for 'insert subselect mssql' and you should find some direction. These are just two of the many ways it could be done. Hope that Helps. -Kevin

Thank you, Ender! That was the perfect solution. The code to get the date field from the next record worked out like this: GetNthRecord(date_to_invoice; Get(RecordNumber)+1) Thanks again! -Kevin

Thank you, Lee. I found an example that I'm hoping will work: Dynamic Color Background Now, let me be more specific about the problems I had: I placed a 1-pixel bitmap into a global container field, and Filemaker reported "Unknown Container Object". When I made the graphic 50x50, the graphic at least showed up. When I placed the global onto the page, I was able to make it appear when I wanted it to appear, but I could not figure out how to make it stretch to fill the space in which I placed the field on the layout. I tried setting the Graphic Format dialog to "Enlarge image to fit frame" and unchecked "Maintain original proportions", but the image only ever filled a small portion of the calculation field as I had positioned it on the layout. I'm sure I'm overlooking one simple thing - and I'm sure that this has already been asked and answered somewhere in the forums. But I haven't yet found the answer, as I'm probably just not searching for the right combination of keywords. Thanks. -Kevin

Interesting thought, Robert, but I'm afraid the consumers of this application are looking for a way to be able to tell - at a glance - how many items are on the list for each day. Scrolling through portals probably won't work in my particular case. Thanks, anyway!

Hello. I have a list of data that I want to display to users in Browse Mode, and I need to find a way to visually separate the sections of it when the date field changes. The best way I can think to describe it is that, when I build the layout with a sub-summary field that displays when sorted by date and contains a horizontal line, I get EXACTLY what I want - in Preview Mode. But I need my users to be able to interact with the data. I have found several references to making lines appear or other layout elements change based on either the number of records that have been displayed, or on some other criteria in the current record. All of the examples I've found use a calculation field to determine when and how to change its contents (most often, the calculation field returns a container result, and the element being turned on and off is held in a global). This would work, if I could just find some way to make a field in the current record aware of the value of a comparison field in the previous record. I'm hoping someone else has already solved this issue. I'm afraid this one has me stumped. Thanks. -Kevin

David: Could you please post an example of how this works? I have tried doing it several different ways, and I have yet to be successful making it function as you say it should. Thanks! -Kevin

Yes. When a file is shared, the globals are only set for the user's session. When the session ends, the globals are cleared. This makes it very handy to use globals, since you can rely on them being set on a per-session basis. Unfortunately, it also means that setting globally-modifiable data is a bit more tricky. The only way (that I know of) to change a global when the file is hosted on a server is to close the file in the server admin interface, open the file directly in Filemaker, modify the global, close the file, and re-open it in the server admin interface. If you need a field that is globally accessible (ie, from any context) but that can be modified by any user of a shared file, try isolating that field in a "globals" table, and then join that globals table to one of your other tables with an "X" join. You can build this join on any field - you don't have to use primary/foreign keys. What matters is that the "global" table is now "joined" to the other tables in your solution, so that its fields/records can be accessed from within any context. HTH -Kevin

Hello, all. I need to find some way to duplicate an entire found set of records, changing only the foreign key that assigns the record set to its parent record along the way. Here's the scenario: I work for a large sawmill producing pine boards. Every month, our mill managers use a complicated set of Excel files to determine what their mill outputs will be for the upcoming month. They work primarily with three lists: a list of what they intend to produce, a list of that production by percentage (based on historical averages), and a list of the value of those products (also based on history). The list of intended production calculates volumes based on the list of historical averages. We're trying to simplify their lives by using Filemaker Pro. We have a proof of concept that shows we can do the necessary calculations to generate volumes based on percentages by simply entering two numbers into a master file (daily output and number of production days). I've successfully imported this month's percentage data, and everything lines up perfectly from Filemaker to Excel. When planning for May begins, we want our managers to simply go in to the database and COPY the previous month's data into a new set that they can manipulate. The idea is to preserve the previous month's budget, so that we can use it for performance evaluations (how close did we come to budget, etc). I cannot find an easy way within Filemaker to duplicate a found set of records back into the same data table. Right now, I'm working just with the historical percentages - I figure if I can get this working there, I will be able to duplicate the process for the other two tables. Here's the process I want a manager to be able to use: 1. Click a button "copy previous history" 2. Select the history to be copied 3. Click "duplicate" 4. Be shown the duplicated history, with "Copy" appended to the previously used Description Here's how I see the pseudo-code: Go to Layout ("Select History") set variable $selected_history go to table history_headers find $selected_history set variable $selected_history_description = history_description add new record to history_headers set field history_description = $selected_history_description & " Copy" set variable $new_history_pk = history_pk go to table history_details enter find mode set history_fk = $selected_history perform find loop copy record set copied record history_fk = $new_history_pk commit new record next record go to layout "History display" For the most part, it's the copying of the records that has me stumped. The only solutions I can see are: 1. Export the found set to a file, and re-import the file, performing a "replace field contents" after the import to re-set the foreign key 2. Copy each field individually (though I still haven't thought this through entirely) What frustrates me the most is that to do this type of operation in a more traditional RDBMS setting (I have a strong background in LAMP website development) is very simple: insert into history (fieldlist) select (fieldlist) from history where history_fk = $selected_history So, how do I do the same, seemingly simple operation, in Filemaker? What am I overlooking? Any help is greatly appreciated! -Kevin P.S. I'm hoping to not post the file, since the data I've entered is "real", and I consider it confidential. If we determine that showing my code is essential to a solution, I'll do some work on the data to make it somewhat less "real"