FM7 Client and Mac OSX - remote open/close

[Datacenta Hosting]

Hi All,

I'm new here so aplogies for the dim-wit question, I've been searching the net

looking for my answers and have so far been unsuccesfull.

I am trying to set up a version of FM7 client to run on a G4 running OSX (Panther). What I want to do is allow someone to FTP a new database up to it and for it to be hosted.

In order for this to happen they will need to close the DB first, FTP it up and reopen it.

I have the FTP server working but can't find any way of allow a remote user to close/open databases.

The names of the databases will be fixed so I can hard wire the names.

I have seen the Troi plug in that allows scripts to be triggered but it does a hell of a lot more and I would ideally like something simple and free!

I have some scripts that run on the client machine but if I share that DB over the web and press a button to run the script nothing happens.

Also, on the old FM5 installations I have I could serve web pages using FMPro using the web folder and the web companion. How do I get that working under OSX, is there another Web Companion extension I need to get?

Yours confused and hoping for some guidance.

Rich.

[Vaughan]

They would have to use the Remote Administration feature of FM Server. This requires the FMP client.

Have you copnsidered some sort of remote control software like Citrix?

[Will]

You said the FileMaker files are hosted on a Mac but what about the client(s) that needs to connect to upload the databases? If it is Mac to Mac you could use this to close and open the databases. http://www.apple.com/remotedesktop/

If its PC to Mac (or mac to mac) you could use some flavor of VNC.

Will

[jamesatfish]

Rich,

From my memory of the Server 7 instructions, there is a command line equivilent for every command you can run from the Server Admin GUI under OS X. Which means you can use the wonders of shell scripting and cron jobs on your OS X machine to perform the task you are suggesting:

1. Have users FTP their database to a particular location on your server

2. Create a shell script (use your fav shell language, or even AppleScript if you want) that does the following:

a. Search a given folder (the FTP location) for files

b. If a file is found, set a variable to the filename

c. Issue command to filemaker server daemon to close the database named with the variable you just set (lookup the FM Server Admin book for the commands you can use)

d. Copy the database from the FTP location to the FM Server location. If you're shell scripting don't use 'mv' - use 'ditto -rsrc' as that will copy the resource fork of the FM database as well as the data fork.

e. Issue a command to the FM Server daemon to open the database

f. Delete the uploaded database from the FTP location

3. Create a cron job to run that script as a background task every so often (eg every 5 mins?)

Voila - you should have a system that clients can FTP a FM Database to, and that database will automatically be updated on the server within 5 minutes.

I've been pretty vague with my step descriptions, but if you need more specifics for any section of the scripting etc let me know and I'll try to be of more help.

Hope that gets you somewhere.

James