Noob Questions re: FMP 16 Server Needed?

[Ian_]

Greetings,

I hope these queries aren't too vague + some kind soul can help:

Four users, Mac-centric, need read/write access to small FMP 16 db (<5GB) ; daily backups needed.  I'm trying to determine:

1. Should I implement FMP 16 Server?

2. Do I then need 4 separate(?) licenses for FMP for our 4 users? 

3. If I even need FMP 16 Server.

4. Should I consider getting FMP 16 Server + perhaps use an iMac or Mac Mini as a dedicated "server" to host or is this frivolous? (I don't want a cloud-based server.)

In the old days, I think FMP was easily shareable on a local network. Now, if I understand correctly, unsecured peer-to-peer is not supported(?) or frowned upon. I seem to remember if using peer-to-peer that the host computer had to be always on w/ the db open for others to access. (I haven't used FMP since 7 or 8 so please excuse ignorance.)

The db is small, but there is a need for reasonably quick lookups in very text-dense fields.

I'm looking to economize, but I want to be sensible. This is critical data, but if a day's worth of it got wiped out by accident or error, it would be a bad day, but not the end of the world (as long as the other 99.9% of it was backed up and not corrupted.)  I'm a bit flustered by the new perpetual license pay-to-use model. Thank you.  /  Ian

 

Edited January 7, 2018 by Ian_