FM7 Security

[dkemme]

In pre 7 version, the solution in our medical office was protected with a password to open the files on each client in every exam room in the morning. After a few minutes the Energy Saver would blank the screen. Coming into the room the provider would enter one password for any client to unlock the screen and a provider specifie passname/password into the initial database layout to start using the solution.

In FM7 I am wondering if it would be better to start at an OS X login screen, providers type in their provider specific passname/password kept in an Apple Open Directory. That OS X account would automatically open FMPro with an opener file to the database solution. The solution will be served on an OS X Server machine running FM Server. As leaving that room the provider would choose log out which would also quit FMPro.

A couple of questions though. Does anyone have know how quickly a complex solution from FM Server 7 will open in a client? In FM 6 it was quite a long time for a 12 file solution but I imagine I will be down to 1-3 file solution with a rewrite. Any problems with so many users opening and closing FMPro clients every 2-15 minutes? Could the OS X Server machine running the FM Server be able to host the Apple Open Directory login names? Previoius versions of FM Server required the machine serving to do not much else with file sharing turned off.

Thanks to all.

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Good questions!!

Please see the Tech Briefs on Security and on FileMaker Server 7 at

http://www.filemaker.com/upgrade/techbriefs.html

You don't want to use the FileMaker Server 7 CPU as a domain con troller; however, you can give it local accounts that FileMaker Server 7 can use.

FileMaker Server 7 will work with FileMaker Pro 7 clients in a very diffierent manner than prior versions of FIleMaker Server and FIleMaker Pro worked with one another.

Security in FileMaker Pro 7 is far more robust. It utilizes a role based account system and encrypted network traffic (as an option). Additionally, passwords are not stored in the files, making their extraction with "crackers" unlikely.

HTH

Steven

[dkemme]

If I allow FMServer to use local accounts, and the database has the same account name/password that is currently logged into an OSX machine, will FMServer ask for the account name/password upon opening that database from FMPro?

[Clif Graves]

Am I missing something or is the ability to manage login and password between files in a multi-file MF7 app much like previous versions in that user, passwords and IDs must be maintained in each file and that changing or adding a user in one file does not pass to other files in the app?

[Fenton]

It is the same as far as each file needs its own Priviledge Sets (defined sets of what can and cannot be done). It is not the same in that you can now script the creation of Accounts, then assign one of the pre-existing Privilege Sets.

I posted an example that does this. But I can't find it :-/ I'm going to post a better one soon, in the Sample files section.

An obvious way to avoid having to do this is to only have 1 file. But it is easy to script, so that's not a compelling reason for consolidation.

[The Shadow]

Clif, FMS7 also adds the ability to use accounts directly from a Windows domain or LDAP server. You still need to define privileges in each file, but the accounts themselves can be elsewhere.

[Fenton]

I posted the file. Here's a link:

http://www.fmforums.com/threads/download.php?Number=112882