My client has a db of images that are stored as reference. So for a client machine to view the images being hosted on the server they would first have to mount the server and then open the DB. Any ideas?

Platform? Version? Details?

-Stanley

Platform: mac hosting FMP Server5.5, client FMP 5.5 all os9

You should have images stored on the shared volume (don't use the coputer where FM server is running for this) than using apple script you could mount it before accessing the DB.

Depending on size of those images it could be better to insert them in DB instead of using references.

If the size is the issue you could split them thru different DB's.

Remember that FM server delivers only what is requested so if you start with empty found set then overhaed of opening (large) DB is inexistent.

Latter you just make request to visualize the records (images) you are intrerested about.

Dj

Yeah, you could also host the images on a web server (I have two clients who use an iMac for this) and let users see them via a web browser. This is only good for certain purposes, of course.

Otherwise, Djukic's point about not storing the images on the FM Server machine is very important. Let the FM Server machine do nothing but run FM Server.

-Stanley

Thanks guys... and of course I would have it all on one machine, I will assume that you do not recommend this because of performance.

Just an aside, I heard that FMP server of osX is buggy is that true? Should I stick with os9?

Rivet:

I know that FM Server either doesn't run or is a disaster on OS X Server, and I've heard some not so nice things about running FM Server on OS X, but I'm not sure. Every Mac FM Server machine I install runs on OS 8.6, because it is the most stable (IMHO) of all the Mac operating systems.

As far as performance goes, having the FM Server machine do another task doesn't just slow performance, it murders it. Even launching something as innocuous as Stickies on your FM Server machine slows service to a crawl.

-Stanley