Just Getting Adjusted to FMP...

[ScottE]

Hello all!

This is my first post, but I have enjoyed reading a lot of the advice given in these forums! Now it is time for my own question...

I work in a high school that basically runs on FMP databases. We use them for student progress reports, our master schedule, and pretty much everything else. Prior to working for the school, I was a data integrity consultant with experience in everything from Access to DB2 to SQL Server, so I'd always kind of scoffed at FMP as a database for "Mac People."

I have recanted that judgement as FMP has proven to be about the simplest DB I have ever used! But back to my post...

When I arrived at this school, the databases were being "shared" by sticking them in a shared folder and having teachers go into the folder and open the file. As you can imagine, there were a whole mess of problems with this, not the least of which was a teacher who would open the file for a while and become the "host" and then close the file while someone else was working...

Anyway, I did my homework and installed FM Server on a dedicated Win2k server so that all of our databases are accessible to the faculty but are being hosted by this one machine.

Our county has just gotten FM 6 Unlimited and I have been doing my homework again to try and figure out how to create a school intranet with all of our databases on it. Seems simple enough...

Now, if you've stuck with me long enough for me to give you that background, here is my question:

I have seen two basic descriptions of how "best" to web-enable an FMP database.

(1) Host the database on a machine with FM 6 Unlimited.

(2) Host the database on the FM Server box, open it using FM 6 Unlimited on another (or the same?) machine and host it from there.

Being relatively new to this, I can't see the advantages / disadvantages to one over the other... If using another machine were not an issue (it isn't - we have plenty) which would you use?

We have about 40 faculty with a maximum of probably between 10 and 15 concurrent users on any one database at a time.

Thanks for reading this far!! I look forward to getting your input on this!

Scott E.

[Garry Claridge]

If access to the databases is only by browser, then you will only need FM Unlimited. If you have people accessing the database by both FM and Browsers then you should consider FM Server and FM Unlimited.(FM Server if the FM access is by more than about five or if you expect heavy loads.)

If you have both FM Server and FM Unlimited you can run both of these on the one computer if the loads are not heavy. Otherwise use a dedicated computer for each.

Hope this helps.

Garry

[Anatoli]

RE: If you have both FM Server and FM Unlimited you can run both of these on the one computer if the loads are not heavy. Otherwise use a dedicated computer for each.

If it works, then OK. It is better not to mix FM server and client on one machine and it may even refuse to work.

Even if your Unlimited will host separate database from network, I will still go with server.

If Unlim. will crash, database will be secure on server and you will just restart the Unlim.

It that happen while Unlim open the database from disk, there will be delay when Unlim. will check the integrity of database or even recovery will be needed.

Best is Server -> Unlimited -> Browsers.