FMP & IIS problems still... (p-l-e-a-s-e)

[Tokyo-B]

I am having problems with pages being served via FMP Unlimited on port 591 and not via IIS. This is causing the pages to load very slowly.

Here is the setup:

Dell PowerEdge 1300 PIII 450MHz w/256MB RAM and Mirrored HDD.

Win2k IIS 5 and FMP 5 Unlimited

Structure:

WEB Folder contains:

- index.html (contains two links which are full URL's to index files in PAGE-e & PAGE-j below)

- PAGE-e folder (contains PAGE English website including index.html)

- PAGE-j folder (contains PAGE Japanese website including index.html)

The Japanese and English website both contain an index.html file, which is the top/home page in the respective languages.

Pages that are the front end for FMP databases, such as support or download forms, in the PAGE-e and PAGE-j folder have links two them that have the port number 591 followed by the directory and page name. i.e http://domain:591/PAGE-e/download_form.html Other pages do not have the port number in front of them.

Problem(s):

Once the user has been to a page with the port number 591 (served by FMP), every other page he/she goes to then has this port number added to the usual URL. The website then slows down and pages served are really slow to load.

I would really appreciate any help with this.

Thanks,

P.S. we are currently migrating from the mac to Win, so now being served by a mac and webstar.

[Anatoli]

quote:

---

Originally posted by CaptKurt:

[QB]

Personally I find that IIS is about the worst decision that anyone can make, but I know that Anatoli will probably disagree with me.

QB]

---

Yes and no. It can be the worst decision if someone just assumes, that it will be the same simplicity as Mac web server and with the same security.

We did switched the platforms (Mac to Windows) because:

1. Linux or Unix was out because of complexity.

2. Mac is more expensive than PC and for us -- I repeat -- for us less powerful than PC.

3. Best expert for IIS build the HW, installed all software and it is taking care of our server for FREE! Simply you can't beat that

4. We have the best service, because the NT4/IIS is HIS showcase and it is in his best interest to have that running smoothly and with all possible security enabled. That is why it is free for us!

[Tokyo-B]

We are replacing an old G3 on OS 9.1-J, with Webstar 4. Been a very faithful ol' server (although just a workstation really), but as the company grows and economics change for us and our clients, Mac's as servers do not perform as well as LINUX/UNIX or even Win2k for our needs.

Some will argue Mac's vs PC/Win until they are blue in the face. Fact is the Mac used to have 18% of the market in Japan. It is now just 3%. A drop of about 15% in the last 8 years.

I started off on Mac's and still like the smoothness of the OS, however, my company has grown from two of us to twenty-four because of PC based work. As the market changed here so did our approach to what OS's and clients we supported.

Replacing the Mac comm server is the last of the Mac's for production in our offices. They will remain as test beds for our software and for little remaining client support we have is this area. Usually, I would have one of our engineers to work on it, but I would like to retire this last machine myself.

As for IIS, Win etc., well problems or not, the Mac has had its own share too, so just another learning curve with FMP on this instead of the Mac, and we can use what we learn here to apply at more clients than we ever can on the Mac.

Right, with that our of the way, I do not think that IIS is bad and until LINUX becomes of age and FMI get out a Japanese version of the program, that is what we are working on. Now, the problem I am having seems to come from the slowdown that FMP is causing trying to serve the pages through port 591. IIS serves incredibly quickly (ADSL 1.5megabit line). Someone has suggested that it may be the way I have set up the links within the pages that are served. I will be working on this today.

Again, thanks for any help you can give me. I will post the results once the problem is resolved.

[Anatoli]

Could you try running the machine only with FM and nothing else?

Could you try the same HW with Windows NT4 sp6?

[Kurt Knippel]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tokyo-B:

P.S. we are currently migrating from the mac to Win, so now being served by a mac and webstar.

---

You must have alot of time and money on your hands here.

Is there any real reason for doing this? Is the Webstar on Macintosh system not working for you?

Personally I find that IIS is about the worst decision that anyone can make, but I know that Anatoli will probably disagree with me.

My point is why are you wasting your time and money like this?

[Anatoli]

I think about that percentage and it is just similar here, from about 10-15% years ago to 0.5 - 1.

Apple doesn't care about those "outside" markets as much as Microsoft. You cannot connect Mac to mixed network and work. Actually, you can, but you'll see gibberish on the screen and not local language. Why? Apple has own coding of foreign languages. The only networked software working in 90% correctly with CE languages in such mixed network is FileMaker. But not on web!!

What FileMaker display instead of proper CE coding in Custom and Instant publishing is ridiculous! I wrote about this numerous reports. I never ever get a reply. The same like with web security problems. Absolute ignorance from FileMaker Inc.

[Steven H. Blackwell]

>Absolute ignorance from FileMaker Inc.

Just because the company doesn't give you an answer or the answer you want doesn't mean they are ignorant. FileMaker, Inc.and the entire senior developer community are well aware of the issues related to security of databases on the web.

That community respects and knows the needs of the developer community. That's why members of the senior development community and FMI personnel monitor and participate in boards such as this one.

Old Advance Man

[Anatoli]

I didn't get any reply whatsoever. For problems with CE and other languages. For problems with security.

Possibly the solution for other languages is with Unicode. In that case simple email with: version 6/7/8 will address those issues. Our plan is to release version 6 in year xxxx.

To patch the holes in WebCompanion is job for couple of weeks. It is not rocket science. Just closing the wide opened doors.

Did I get, or any other person here some response from FileMaker Inc. Nope.

Just deafening silence.

I am sorry, but I still feel FMI is ignorant to users that invest substantial amount of money and energy.

[Anatoli]

BTW, it is not that difficult to close the doors left wide open by FileMaker Inc in WebCompanion.

Try our first version of protection on:

http://prserver.pr-consulting.cz:591

with all -raw and other parameters.

Can someone still break in and download something?

[The Bridge]

I got the following from your site, Anatoli:

029Order IDCustomer NumberOrder DateOrder TotalFormatted TotalAccount NumberExpiration DateStatusFlagAClientIPaddressStatus CopyClientBrowserClientDomainAddressOrderTotalDPHOrderTotalInclDPHzaokrFormattedTotalDPHFormattedTotalInclusiveOfDPHStatKradeNaDPHOrderTotalInclDPHZakladDaneAtotalZakladDaneBtotalZ akladDaneCtotalZakladDaneDtotalZakladDaneEtotalDanAtotalDanBtotalDanCtotalDanDtotalDanEtota

.

.

[data snipped]

.

.

.

Not that I would know what to do with this information, not being a hacker of any sort.

[ January 04, 2002: Message edited by: The Bridge ]

[Anatoli]

Thank you.

What syntax did you used please?

Was this all?

Those are the field names from one database.

Our protection "gizmo" is in first stage of development (v 0.0001)

so maybe we do not know all possible syntax variations.

Thank you.

[Tokyo-B]

I agree with Anatoli in many respects re FMI/Apple ignorance. We have had a fair deal of this dished out here to. Back in the days when FMI was Claris, we got some great feedback and I even got recognition after evaluation of one of my bilingual database solutions. Claris Japan stated that is was the best interface they had seen out of about 10,000, and that they did not recommend I sold the rights to the solution to another company interest is the product for around 30,000 USD (Around 3 million yen at the time)

After Claris changed to FMI and excellent products like Claris Home Page were killed of, many of the FMI staff we had good communications with either left or no longer replied to emails, phone call messages and such like.

Apple Japan, on the other-hand were worse. My partners in the US developed a great program for connecting Mac's to NT networks with the same security features, such as locking the workstation (Ctrl+Alt+Del on Win NT)and single User Name and Password to log-on anywhere in the domain.

Apple US were very good about this at first, and gave a lot of support. However, they then decided to try and build in these features to OS 9 and dropped us. MS showed great interest too and the feedback was very positive. However, Apple Japan, even after introduction from Apple US, told us they were too busy to meet with us and probably did not need a product like ours anyway.

This was over two years ago, and since then my partners in the US closed business.

Now, this message may just shed a bit of light onto why the Apple market shrunk 15% in about eight years in Japan, and why we are installing Win2k and IIS instead of upgrading to a more powerful Mac server.

My question is this: WHY did Apple let this demise of their market share happen?

The 'Mac' is dead. Long live the 'Mac'!!!

[Anatoli]

Bill,

I can tell about lost of investment due to Apple inconsistency in making Hardware!

We trusted Apple Computer Inc in improving linearly their products. We where first in desktop Video in Czech and Slovak Republic. When we set up working editing suite for TV, everyone was amazed. That was on Quadra Class machine. It worked beautifully.

Then Apple Introduced Power Macintosh with new RISC Power PC processor. It was fast in PhotoShop.

And completely useless for desktop Video.

Even AVID who originally used only Apple Macintoshes started producing software for PC. We just survived and because the PC progressed so fast we where never able to catch the PC competition. Cheaper and finally also better! That is pity, because when we had our system working smoothly full screen, PC was showing jerky video on one quarter of the screen.

Currently there are hundreds of PC based studios and (maybe) one on Apple. Talking about lost potential and market share!