FileMaker Server/ FMServer Config Binding Problem

[jroths]

Hi All,

I am running a FileMaker Server 5.5 (v2) on Mac OS X (10.2.4).

To automatically start the server on reboot/login, we implemented the technique as described on http://www.filemaker.com/ti/107911.htm. Moreover, in order to monitor the server status on the machine, the FMServer Config was placed in the "Login Items" (System Preferences). However, we have run into a strange problem. Even though the server starts automatically on reboot (files hosted on the FM Server can be accessed locally/remotely), the FMServer Config still shows that the FileMaker Server is Stopped ! If we try to "Start Server" through, it gives shows the message " FileMaker Server is starting... This may take several minutes" but nothing happens.

The files used for automatic startup (/System/Library/StartupItems/FileMakerServer/FileMakerServer and /System/Library/StartupItems/FileMakerServer/StartupParameters.plist) were copied from another machine were the automatic startup/FMServer Config work properly.

(While trying to test the autostart scripts without restarting the machine, I accidently executed the startup script /System/Library/StartupItems/FileMakerServer/FileMakerServer) with the FM Server running. Could this have any bearing on the problem ??)

I also tried a few more things to identify the problem.

Removed the folder called FileMakerServer containing the script and .plist files from StartupItems and rebooted the machine. Checked that the FM Server was not running, placed the folder back in the StartupItems, launched the FMServer Config and executed the startup script (/System/Library/StartupItems/FileMakerServer/FileMakerServer)

from commandline. Immediately, the status of the server was changed to

"running" on the FMServer Config.

Any ideas where the problem might lie ?

Thanks for your thoughts

- Zulquarnain

[Jim Mitchell]

I don't think it's a binding problem. If you make FMS auto-start, it is a root owned process. Your user/admin user level won't have permission to control the process when using the FMSC app. Therefore, no daemon process that belongs to your user level is running according to the config app, but when you try to start one, the config app sees that the daemon is active and stops trying to start it up. That's my take on it...

In my opinion and experience, the "auto start" feature is a risky procedure, since you have not real way to get the daemon to stop as a root process anymore. FM has admitted that OSX has troubles damaging files when the daemon shuts down. See FM Tech Article at http://filemaker.com/ti/108428.html

I'm all for doing a manual start with the FMSC app & closing files through the Remote Admin using the procedure outlined in article 108428.

However, as a caveat to this, after 6 months of serving via OSX with no file damage, I suddenly wound up with 4 ruined files last night when I restarted my server after stopping it to replace 3 totally different files that were modified offline, on a different workstation. Man that was depressing...

Hope that helps

Jim