Playing detective here, so please bear with me.

I designed a PC-based runtime solution which is being used by 40 customers. Each operates the database on his/her own machines in different locations. One of the problems is that if I have a software update, I have to email or postal mail the updated file to each of the customers, who then have to import records from the old file into the new one. What a pain!

In a perfect world, I could:

1. Set up a single, master database on a server in my office. I would be able to develop and troubleshoot the master file on the server without sending out updates to each customer.

2. allow the 40 customers to enter data into the master file via web access. They would be able to access and modify their own records, but not see records entered by the other 39 customers. In addition, each site would be able to have more than one person entering and updating their own records at the same time.

Is this something I can already do if I had a static IP address? If so, what FM software do I need?

Thanks for your input!

Mary Z

1. Set up a single, master database on a server in my office. I would be able to develop and troubleshoot the master file on the server without sending out updates to each customer.

2. allow the 40 customers to enter data into the master file via web access. They would be able to access and modify their own records, but not see records entered by the other 39 customers. In addition, each site would be able to have more than one person entering and updating their own records at the same time.

Is this something I can already do if I had a static IP address? If so, what FM software do I need?

ad 1) yes, wih static ip, you could do if every of you clients accesses your database hosted on FM server via full filemaker Client. However, you cannot (or should not ) actively develop on a live database, so import of data is to be done once at each update.

This would be not using any web interface but Filemakers internal network ability.

However, this approach is considered highly unsafe unless you have a very sophisticated firewall doing encrypted vpn tunnels.

ad 2)

perfectly possible with static ip. You will need FileMaker Unlimited to allow more than 10 differnet IPs per 12 hour period, though.

...you could do if every of you clients accesses your database hosted on FM server via full filemaker Client.

Does this mean each customer would have to buy a copy of FileMaker Pro rather than use the runtime solution hosted on my server?

Also, would I have to buy FileMaker Server for my machine to manage all the users?

Thanks for your reply!

Re: "In addition, each site would be able to have more than one person entering and updating their own records at the same time."

I don't know how Runtime works, but I do know there are problems with running single-threaded ScriptMaker events in the multi-user environment (near-simulatneous event requests) of a web solution.

With that in mind, your final decision may depend upon your use of ScriptMaker in your Runtime solution. Event conflicts will certainly be something for which you will want to test rigorously.

Does this mean each customer would have to buy a copy of FileMaker Pro rather than use the runtime solution hosted on my server?

Yes

Also, would I have to buy FileMaker Server for my machine to manage all the users?

If more than 5-10 users will access FM, then FM server will be faster among other big improvements.

Are your locations connected at least with T1?

If not, use Terminal Server from Microsoft. Then you need FM server and VLA FM license for each user. Users will just use TS clients to run FM sessions.

HTH