FMPro Unlimited and XServe

[fful]

I have an opportunity to get an XServe running OSX Server, which I would use just to run FMPro Unlimited. I would probably disable all other services on the computer. I know this sounds like a waste, but we purchase computers every 3 years, and I'm hoping the next version of Filemaker will run better on OSX Server. I have heard rumors of data corruption, etc. on OSX Server.

We don't have too many database files, and don't have too much traffic. We would access FMPro Unlimited on XServe with FMPro from administrators updating the databases, which would then be published to the web using Unlimited instant web publishing, with some custom CDML pages.

Will this work reliably?

Thanking anyone for feedback.

Frank Fulchiero

[Anatoli]

RE: which would then be published to the web using Unlimited instant web publishing, with some custom CDML pages.

So you have 2 machines? One running Instant and second one running CDML?

[fful]

I thought it was possible to use both? I have heard it is not recommended, but I've been doing it anyways...this is not a mission-critical application. But obvioulsy we don't want data corruption or crashes....

In any case, we are looking at one box. I can use just CDML if need be. Do you think the XServe will be ok?

Thanks,

Frank Fulchiero

[Anatoli]

RE: I thought it was possible to use both? I have heard it is not recommended, but I've been doing it anyways...

I see only single check to switch on Instant. Is it working if you use both?

Maybe there will be issues with even decrease security...

I have no real life experience with Xserve. Sorry.

[Steve T.]

Hi, FF! I haven't had the privilege of using an XServe yet but it should work great. If you don't need the rack-mount size or the Mac OS X Server software, consider getting a G5. OS X Server is great (we use 10.1 but are dying for 10.2) but you're paying a lot more for that software and may want to forego paying for it if you are not going to use it. Now that the G5 is out, it can't be that much longer until it hits their server line.

I have not heard anything about FMP having trouble on X Server, but I have not looked for it, either. Functionally, Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server are actually almost the same thing except Server has some more utilties and stuff pre-installed to make it a lot easier to configure and use. Server lets you easily administer file permssion GROUPS whereas X does not or makes you use the NetInfo utility (which is hardly intuitive).

I say wait or go G5. Good luck! --ST

[fful]

Anatoli, yes, I check on Instant Web Publishing. Then I put an underscore character at the end of any database I do not want displayed on the built-in home page...i.e.: database_.fp5...this makes it not display. Then I set up my HTML/CDML files inside the Web folder to access these, and they can be seen with a browser if you know the URL, or have a link. Or, you can also make a custom home page that takes you to some databases using instant web publishing, and to others using custom HTML/CDML. I use the Web Security database to set security for all the databases.

Steve...I have to buy a computer in the next week, due to our college's purchasing policies, so it's either a G5 desktop or a G4 Xserve. Money is not an issue in this case. I am getting two other Xserves for other purposes, so would like to rack mount them all and administer them all remotely. I would turn off all extra services on the Filemaker Xserve, such as apache, FTP, etc...so it is a bit of a waste, but I would like to consolidate all our servers. I am also hoping that future versions of FMPro and Unlimited may take advantages of being in an XServe.

My main concern is I can't have data corruption or crashes!

Thanks, Frank

[Anatoli]

LOL -- probably nobody before you tried that and we are all living under impression, that it has to be IWP or CWP.

First reason I cannot use IWP is the gibberish coming out in IWP with Czech or other Hi-ASCII language. So I didn't tried that any longer.

BTW, the sound of "Money is not an issue in this case" is beautiful, isn't it?

[Jeff Spall]

HI, we have X-serves running the most core functions of our publishing business and they've been 100% reiable. They're both dual-processor machines with 1gb of RAM and 1-TB raids and serve about 80 full-time users in editorial and production.

One has all of the Apple services disabled and runs more like a regular unix box because it runs Helios Ethershare and is our file, opi and pdf server, and the other is running:

Apple file server software (only connected by other processing machines, not users)

Acrobat Distiller to run our PDF print queues

Pitstop to run an automated pdf checking queue

Apache to serve the high-res files of our image library

Retrospect to back up our file servers to this computer's RAID

Some applescript applications that tie all the auto processes together

it cross-mounts five other servers that run processes etc.

and finally it has:

FMP6 unlimited on port 591 which web-publishes the log files from all of our automatic processes together with a handful of other databases that don't sit on our regular webservers.

All this lot has been running absolutely solidly together since June and we've never had a crash or hang. FMPro runs very fast on it even though the databases are running timedimport scripts controlled by Applescripts.

Basically a very cheap way to get an industrial-strength server.

If you're putting on the public internet, take care over how you set up access priviliges for the installation of FMPro - don't run it from the "applications" folder.

regards, jeff

[fful]

Hi Jeff, thanks for the feedback. I ordered a smaller 1-cpu X-Serve last week. Of course, I'm sure 10.3 Server and the G5 XServe will be announced soon! Just my luck...

Pardon the newbie question, but we will publish Unlimited to the public web. Why not put FMPro in the Applications folder? And where should it go instead?

Money was not quite an issue this time, but it will be the first and last time this will happen!

Cheers,

Frank Fulchiero

Connecticut College

[Jeff Spall]

Hi, this is really a security issue with FMPro on the public Internet.

What I do is to create a user that has access priviliges limited to the directories used by the Apache webserver and then log on as that user and install FileMaker, the databases and format pages within those directories. You can then run the server logged in as that user. This method can be a bit frustrating when you upload stuff and find the permissions are wrong, but it is more secure.

regards, jeff