Web Hosting and Scripts

[Bitt]

I've noticed something with webhosting and performing a script. If I can describe accurately; I webshare db1, and then when I open nonshared db2 it runs a script that takes a minute. During which time, If someone queries my db from the internet..the script stops dead in it's tracks. I have set allow user abort off in all scripts. I've tried a few things, but no luck fixing this. Access to the database is CDML and read only. Anyone?

[Bitt]

My _new_ discovery is that FM is 'single threaded'. I have an idea of what that means, but this sounds very close to what my troubles are. The only solution i have found so far is to buy another computer. So..to effectively serve an FM database, it seems I need three computers: one to run FM server, another to run FMPro and supply information to the web, and another to 'run scripts' on to prevent the scripts from being 'interrupted' by users requesting records from the web. I'm I getting warm?

[Vaughan]

" one to run FM server, another to run FMPro and supply information to the web"

Agreed there...

"another to 'run scripts' on"

Here we might disagree.

Most people here avoid the use of scripts through the web interface. Almost everything can be done without scripts. If however you need to run a script to perform some administrative task (like generate reports, etc) then it shouldn't be run through the web anyway.

[Mariano Peterson]

Almost everything can be done without scripts.

This is particularly true when you use regular middleware, and not CDML.

[Bitt]

Well, CDML was quite easy and very effective to get a read only page up. I guess my only solution is to unload the database that serves the webpage in order to run my update scripts. So when i do this, the CDML that queries my database will say 'database' no open. Does anyone know if (or if not) this error can be captured so I can redirect the user to an 'error' page?

[Garry Claridge]

Try "-error". Also, the [FMP-CurrentError] tag in the Error Format file.

Good Luck.

Garry

p.s. I would be running any maint/update Scripts on the Server.

[Bitt]

Garry, If one is to run a script, doesn't the file need to be opened with filemaker? And if so, I've seen it's not recommended to run FM and FMserver at the same time on the same machine.

[Garry Claridge]

I was thinking of running them from any Client logged into the Server.

However, if you are only serving to the web you will really only need FM Unlimited (not Server). In this case, I'm not sure how you would perform your updates with Scripts, there maybe a way.

All the best.

Garry

[Bitt]

I found that using the scheduler that comes with Microsoft will work to launch a filemaker file, so long as FM is already running. If FM is not running, the schedule will remain running until FM is closed. So this works in my case. Would be nice to redirect the webpage somehow while it's down tho.