Help understand FMP server/client relationship

[kikidee]

I am a FMP newbie and am having trouble understanding the FMP server/client relationship. Are the files on FMP server generally open all the time or is it okay to have a script run on the client side which opens the files? If this is the case, once the db is open on the server (because someone is logged into it) if someone else goes to log in, does it "open" the files again or does this user log onto an open file already, since another user is using it? I am probably not making any sense, but if someone understands my ? and can help me I will be eternally gratfeful.

Thanks [color:"blue"]

[stanley]

Hi there kikidee,

When FM Server launches, it opens all FileMaker databases that are in its folder, or one folder down in the heirarchy. These databases will generally stay open on FM Server so long as the server is up.

When a client machine running FM Pro uses the "Open Remote" command (via the menu or via a script) the server responds by essentially operating as a remote disk drive to the client's machine. When a client closes the database, it is only closed on the client machine. It stays open on the FM Server machine because, obviously, the FM Server machine is serving multiple users.

So, to directly answer your questions:

Q: Are the files on FMP server generally open all the time or is it okay to have a script run on the client side which opens the files?

A: Yes, the files are generally open all the time, and yes, the standard practice is to have a script run on the client side (a start-up file which simply calls "Open Remote" or runs a script on a file hosted by FM Server) in order to open files.

Q: If someone else goes to log in, does it "open" the files again or does this user log onto an open file already, since another user is using it?

A: The files are already open. If a file is NOT currently open in FM Server, the normal user has no way of forcing FM Server to open a file. This is the administrator's task and is hidding from clients using FileMaker Pro (except those working via Remote Administration, but that's another matter.)

A few other things about the way FM Server works:

1. Only one user can modify any given record at any one time. Other users can view a record being modified, but cannot do anything with it until the first user has finished.

2. Global fields are local to the client machine, rather than being global over the entire network. The exception to this is that each time you open a database via the client, it will always contain the same first value.

-Stanley

[Anatoli]

Excellent explanation.

FM client is doing most of the tasks like calculation in fields and execution of scripts.

FM server is just providing the data for clients and it is maintaining the Indexes, locking records and running backups.