Server 5.5 not working!

[simoncpage]

Just last week I noticed that the server wasnt working

I tried repairing, and restarting the server but to no avail

(filemaker server 5.5 is on a win 2000 server machine)

when I try opening a file on the server itself I get that a 10048 error code network error (which i didnt get b4). I have shortcuts to the files in the fmserver.exe folder so I can't understand why they aren't being hosted it was working a treat?

When I try to open the files from the clients I get you are about to become a host blah blah.

I can open the files with Filemaker pro 6 on the server machine and they are hosted on the client machines fine (multi user - once I stop the filemaker server service)

Can any one suggest something that could help me or at least narrow it down to what it could be?

Thanks

Simon

[Steven H. Blackwell]

"When I try to open the files from the clients I get you are about to become a host blah blah."

The more fact that you can do this indicates that the FIieMaker Server CPU is not properly configured. Filesharing has been enabled on this amchine, and it should not be.

Steven

[simoncpage]

Why does file sharing on effect it? I have it working on another computer now which has file sharing on and it works a treat? Its nice to be able to open the database from an icon as opposed to opening it via open host...

Thanks

Simon

[EddyB]

Simon, you do not want to be opening the file through an icon through file-sharing, you are opeing an whole can of worms doing this and you will run into real problems sooner or later.

If you do not want your users to have to use the open host method, then it may be worth you looking at creating an opener file. Vaughan has created an article on this that is definitely worth a read, you will find it the articles forum.

Regards

Ed

[Vaughan]

"Vaughan has created an article on this that is definitely worth a read.."

Did I? Clever me, I *am* worth more money! (I don't remember writing it.)

I'm sure most info in the article is gleaned from the sages and gurus floating around here, and from the FileMaker Server Best Practices white paper on the FMI web site. Definitely read that white paper. It'll save your arse many times over.

You can have file sharing on the server machine, but it should *only* be for administrative use by the administrator. Only ever work on files if you know they have been closed from FMS.

Users should be accessing the FMP databases through the Hosts button or Open Remote command, or through an Opener file. I do remember writing an article on opener files, search the forums for it.

It's Friday afternoon here, I'm tapering down for the weekend already.

[EddyB]

Vaughan said:

Did I? Clever me, I *am* worth more money! (I don't remember writing it.)

...

Users should be accessing the FMP databases through the Hosts button or Open Remote command, or through an Opener file. I do remember writing an article on opener files, search the forums for it.

Sorry Vaughan, the opener file article was the article I was referring to!

Ed

[simoncpage]

Hmm done a search but can't find it.....(the opener file article that is)

Any idea where it could be?

Thanks

Simon

[simoncpage]

have created opener files - but out of interest before I turn off file sharing on the server:

What is the can off worms that this could affect as I was looking in to buy a new machine to act as a backup storage and database server (which I cant do with filesharing off)

Thanks

Simon

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Dedicated machine for FileMaker Server means that it is NOT a storage server. Check the white papers.

Steven

[stanley]

Simon:

You've got to use the FM Server machine for only the single task of running FM Server (yes, with file-sharing off.) FM Server runs differently from what you may think of when you think "server." It really behaves as a specialized shared disk-drive, all in its own world on the TCP/IP network. As Steven said, read the White Papers on the FMI website.

Although this means you need a separate machine, you do not need a hotrod to run FM Server. I've got clients running it on old beige G3 Mac towers (233 MHz, 128 MB RAM) - the key to a good FM Server machine is in the drive subsystem. Fast drives, maybe a RAID, and a fast network connection are the keys to a good FM Server machine.

-Stanley