Hosting FM on the web

[Stanley Tran]

Hi,

I am looking for a Web Server software to host my FM database over the net along with my web pages. The requirement is the page the user log on require a login and password. Doesn't matter it is on the Windows or Mac. I have a few in my mine, but I need opion or suggestion from other users.

Thanks

Stanley

[Keith M. Davie]

Stanley, what you need is the cdml reference.fp5 (or .fp3 depending on your version of FMPro). If you will research these forums you will find download sites for this if you do not have it in your version. You also need to read about Web Companion.

From what you have written I would guess that you have a rather substantial learning curve in front of you. These forums are filled with useful information about custom publishing. It just requires a little work from you to do the research.

Good Luck.

[Vaughan]

The "web server software" is FileMaker Pro Unlimited running Web Companion.

[Jeff Spall]

Hi, I've used FileMaker as a web solution on a number of different platforms:

with Appleshare IP

On NT web server

On its own on Mac OS

On a WebStar server

WebStar server linking to remote FMP server using WSC

Of these, I think that Webstar/Filemaker together is a geat solution for medium loads as it offers lots of features and easy setup. I'd really recommend it as a company/corporate/education server solution

As the load goes up or if security is an issue, linking to separate dataserver(s) gives real scalability.

I'm currently just using CDML, but Lasoo looks very attractive as our load increases.

regards, Jeff

[gspptech]

I'm using FileMaker Server 5 running on a NT 4.0 machine to host a couple online databases, and every few days users get a "maximum number of users exceeded" message when they'd try to access the databases through a browser. One of my coworkers had actually told me that this was a limitation of NT workstation, not Filemaker. But after doing some searching on the Filemaker site and in these forums, the limit is 10 IP's per 12 hour period. I'm thinking about getting Filemaker Unlimited and using it instead to do web-hosting. I'm just curious as to how the web-server part of it works. Does it work like any other web server, in the sense that connections are handled through TCPIP? In other words, you won't need a separate windows domain login in order to remotely access the database using a web browser?

[Jeff Spall]

Hi, yes that's right. The user shouldn't be able to tell whether its a webserver or web companion or WSC delivering the file. I have one sever where Filemaker's the only web-capable application running and it looks just like a webserver.

If you don't have a big load on the server, (like a smallish Intranet) a copy of FMP unlimited may be all you need.

regards, Jeff

[Vaughan]

GSPP wrote: "I'm using FileMaker Server 5 running on a NT 4.0 machine to host a couple online databases, and every few days users get a "maximum number of users exceeded" message when they'd try to access the databases through a browser."

Sorry, FM Server cannot host databases on the web -- it does not support the Web Companiuon plugin. The error messages suggest that it must be web-shared through a "normal" copy of FileMaker Pro which as the 10 IP number limit.