database online

[lizardct]

I am a school teacher that would like to make report cards (the processof writing them) available online to teachers. I am currently using Filemaker 5.0 and waiting impatiently for the release of 5.5 which will allow for record specific security. In the meantime, I am setting up passwords and estblishing group access to specific layouts and fields. However, this is obviously sensitive material. I have read that the database should not sit in the web folder. I just installed the client on the machine and dragged the documentinto the web folder of by server hosting the web site is that dangerous? (to see it i opened port 591 on the firewall) Assuming the passwords stay secure.

And if so any suggestions as to where it should reside?

Should all the databases be on a different machine?

I have some concerns and want this deployment to be successful to make the teachers lives easier and mine.

Lastly, writing report cards for teachers here is like finals week in college, teachers are writing them at the last minute, so we could upwards of 75 teachers hitting the database at once, any words of wisdom?

[Keith M. Davie]

Are you using Instant Web Publishing?

[digidiva]

FMP 5.5 is out and available. so stop waiting impatiently and jump into action! The questions for you are: 1. Are you using the web companion plug-in OR the TCP remote access plugin?...2. Are you using a FMP hosting service, or are you hosting yourself?

Using the TCP remote access plug in allows the exact layout to be printed as designed, the web companion is an html based display and prints the layouts differently than designed. Access is not a problem with either, however, if you want security, the passwords help. AND by using the TCP remote access, you can control the security by giving the IP address to only those who need access...

[lizardct]

Thank you.........yes, I am using Instant web Publishing. I am not as concerned with printing issues. However,any antipated problems hosting the database on our website server? or should it reside in its own box? figuring at times as many as 75 users will be accessing the database at once? (every eight weeks-when report cards are due)

I am using the web campanion plug-in......

[Jeff Spall]

Hi,

75 users is a low load for a web database solution. Don't forget that each user only accesses the server for an instant when they actually perform an action. If you have 75 users all writing or amending long reports into a web page, they're not accessing the server at all until they update that record.

Our Intranet home page is an FMP search with 4 inlines and an include. It's the home page for 250 internal computers and gets high traffic from outside and it's still quick running on one box which is web serving a couple of dozen virtual domains as well.

regards, jeff

[longterm_solutions]

One thing you can do is to create an alias of the file, put the alias in the Web folder. Then you can put the original FM file wherever you wish.

Another thing you can do is to make sure that you ask for _exact_ matches in passwords and usernames. To do this, you create a 2nd field, a hidden field, also called "password" (assuming that's the name of your password field). In that field, set its initial value to == (read that as two equal signs).

However, if you're using Instant Web Publishing, I'm not sure how much you'll be able to change in your site. I don't use it and didn't fool with it very much, so I'm not too familiar on its flexibility. If you really want to create a secure web interface, I would suggest not using the Instant Web Publishing feature and diving into creating CDML for your pages... a little more work, but definitely more flexible.

Bob Patin

Longterm Solutions

[email protected] http://www.longtermsolutions.com

Associate Member of FileMaker Solutions Alliance

[Vaughan]

Neither the database nor an alias (or shortcut) need be in the Web folder. All that's required is that the database be open on the machine. The database file itself can be (and often is) located on another computer, like a machine running FM Server, and opened as a guest on the machine running Web Companion.