Connecting via host and opening database in FM5

[dbspec]

I am using Filemaker v5. A newbee myself, i just tried to migrate a user from her old PC to a PC that has not been in use for a while. but it has FM already installed (and the Database was used on it before). I tried to open the host file and select the default database to open when she opens filemaker, but the host list is not populated with the database files. When i click host button, it tries to look for TCP/IP connection and hangs. I know the PC has network connection. then if i try to open the file from the copy of the database that i put on her harddrive, it gives me error 10048 i.e. "Filemaker cannot host a file because of a network error. Files marked as multiuser will not be available over the network." [weird thing is - it eventually opens the DB from the files i copied over to the local drive]

I have looked up this error in this forum and none of the advice given seem to correct the problem. i have the sharing set on multiuser now. What could possibly be wrong with the connection? right now, i have a workaround by copying the database from the server to her PC and opening directly from the PC (and oddly enough the changes are showing up for all on the network). However, i know this is not the normal way to do things. I would like the database (say.fp5) to open up as default when she opens up filemaker (without having to click host and getting an error message).

I need some desperate help! anyone? thank you so much, will be appreciated.

[QuinTech]

Is there any sort of IP filtering going on, or any funny business with the firewall? Is the WS on the same subnet as the server? Try to ping the server from her WS. If you can do that, try specifying the host in the Open Remote dialog and see if you can see the file(s) there.

Jerry

[dbspec]

Hi Jerry,

Thanks for the reply. It partially solved my problem by specifying the host in Open dialog box. However even then, I had to manually specify the database to open and it would NOT, for the life of me look for the database on the server by default.I need the say.fp5 to open as the default database and it needs to select the server IP address as the default selection. Right now, it defaults to the local DB to open.

I am not sure if the host is on the same subnet as the server though, how do you check that? looks like i have to be a network admin too, pretty much to figure this out. Also I do not know if there is any sort of IP filtering going on or if there is any funny firewall business. You sound very knowledgable though, so would look forward to more answers to fix this headache i have. Thank you.

[Vaughan]

There is no way to open the FMP application and automatically make it open a default database. You might be able to play around with command line shortcuts or batch files in Windows (or AppleScripts in MacOS) but that's kinda outside the FMP application.

The way most people achieve something like this is to get the users to double click on a opener file on the user's desktop that finds the hosted file and opens it transparently. Search the forums for "opener file" more info.

[dbspec]

Hi,

I am having a serious problem - my launcher is corrupted. Being a newbie, I do not know what I did wrong in creating the "opener file" - i was trying to follow the steps posted in this forum by Vaughan from Australia.

When I click on the launch, it prompts for the database password (like usual) and when i enter that, it looks for file/record to open endlessly but it doesn't open anything. Looks like it's looping somewhere in the script. If you look at my "database launch" script - it has just the following:

Open["defaultfilename.fp5(*)"]

Please help..........my users on the network need to access this database ASAP!

Thank you.

[-Queue-]

Is the file currently open on the host?

[dbspec]

Yes! it is on a filemaker server, which is serving as a host. however we put a file launcher on the network (on a diff server), so people can copy that launcher to their desktops; do you have any clue what's going on?

[-Queue-]

Try specifying the server's ip in the Open step by selecting Hosts -> Specify Host, if it doesn't automatically appear in the Host list.

[dbspec]

Already specified the server name. The problem is - it goes up to the point where it tries to open up the database and prompts me for the password. However once you click enter, it keeps searching for the database to open.

What did I do wrong in the scripting part that it loops like that? or anything else?

my script looks like follows:

Open["defaultfilename.fp5(*)"]

[-Queue-]

If the server ip isn't showing, then it hasn't been specified. Your step should look like Open ["filename.fp5(192.168.1.251)"], so that an ip shows where the asterisk currently does.

Do you have a password on the launcher file? If not, then your main file may be opening, but it has a script set to run on open that is looping infinitely.

[dbspec]

yes, Queue, the server IP is not showing. Can I just insert the IP address in place of the asterisk then?

No I don't have a password on the launcher file. So, how do I stop the loop dear?

[Vaughan]

To open a file without running a startup script: make a script in another file (it can be a little test file) and that performs an external script in the desired file. As you go to select the external script the file will open (and prompt for a passowrd) but the startup scripts won't activate.

This is a great way to circumvent poorly designed security systems that rely on scripts to control access.

[dbspec]

OK I specified the IP and now, it wants to host the database on my PC (instead of the Filemaker server). it's not even letting others to use it as a guest. it still does the flickering and waiting business....doesn't open my database at all in other PCs. this has been the biggest tragedy.....what could possibly be blocking it from opening my file/DB under (for eg: this syntax)

Open ["filename.fp5(192.168.1.251)"

I am running out of things to try.

[-Queue-]

Do you have a copy of that file with the same name anywhere else on your network or your local drives? You never want to have two FM files with the same name, unless you enjoy chaos. Can you use the Remote Admin to log into your server and make sure the files are being served?

[dbspec]

Yes I have a back up copy of the file... what do I do with it:? How do I use the Remote Admin to log into the server and makes sure the files are being served? dont know much about this.

thanks for your patience and help.

[-Queue-]

Rename it or zip it and delete the backup.

When you Open Remote and select Hosts, you should see your server name on the list. If you don't, specify the server's ip and then you should see it. Select it and click Open (or double-click on it) and enter your Remote Admin password. Now you can see which files are being served, who (if anyone) is a guest, etc. You can also click Open File to see if there are files not being hosted by the server that should be.

[dbspec]

I checked and the server is hosting all the files on my computer (as a host) but none other users can open it........already created a brand new script to oepn the launcher and that didn't work either......same hanging and flickering of files in the lower left hand side mode-status bar. why oh why?

[-Queue-]

On your computer or the server machine? Your computer shouldn't be hosting anything; you should be a guest. Can you open the main file manually using the Hosts dialog?

[dbspec]

Yes, I can open the main file manually using the hosts dialogue, but then it freezes over. When it opens the database through the remote host, it says my computer is going to be the host and other users will be the guests.

I haven't messed with the server yet. Should I be configuring something on the server end as well?

[-Queue-]

You do not appear to be using FM Server. You seem to be using a network volume to serve the files using file sharing. This is not a good idea. You either want a dedicated machine on which the files reside or FM Server to be the host.

[dbspec]

I am using a Dell server dedicated to filemaker. however we have a unique situation where all our computers are on a separate network hosted by someone else; but when i specified the host, i made sure the IP address was the one of my DB server. Is that supposed to be the network IP?

[-Queue-]

There's a difference between server and Server. I'm talking about FM Server, the program. If you are using a dedicated machine to host the files, then they must be opened on it first. You should not be the host, you should be a guest. You should not be navigating to a network drive to open the files, nor should file sharing be enabled on the host machine; you should be using the Hosts dialog of Open Remote and selecting the ip of the dedicated machine, which should already be hosting the files in multi-user mode.

I'm not sure about your situation, but once the files are hosted correctly on the dedicated machine, I would think you should be able to enter its ip and see the files.

[dbspec]

I fixed the launcher script and it works great!

However there is one slight problem. Somehow the records have doubled in size in couple databases within the Filemaker. How do I get rid of those duplicate records in the database (keeping the most current copy)?

I think somehow I imported the back- up copy and it added to the records, instead of replacing with the most current one. Isn't this a poor design that its letting the records duplicate. Isn't there something called primary key in filemaker? Pardon me for using Access language here. this is so brand new to me and i have inherited this database from someone else just recently. thanks for your suggestions.

[rbenton68]

Network error (10048) comes up when you try to open files in FileMaker Pro from the same machine you are running FM Server. Try stopping the FM Service before trying to make any changes in FM Pro. Make the changes and then start it back up.

[Pissed off Mart]

Good lord!!

What torture!

I have FMP on an imac, and this is linked via a network to a mac workbook, on which I haev installed another copy of FMP, like a good boy, spending money so that I could just open the databases from the imac on both computers and allow 2 users to work at once on the shared databases. Simple huh? Yeah, right.

Both computers can open the databases if the other is not, however, once one is hosting a database, the other is not allowed to share it....I have tried just opening it, and then using 'open remote' which gave me an empty 'host' dialogue box which did nothing.

I am well hacked off. Wasted heaps of time, and money, and still can't share the bloomin' thing. Anybody got any ideas before I chuck one of these machines out of the window??

Thanks!

[Partha]

Hi,

One question, did you create the opener file on a Macintosh?

The * normally comes when you create the link from a Mac.

Cud u check the following:

a) are the client computers and the FM Server on the same subnet and set of IPs? (if u don't know how to check that, leave a post & will inform)

: what is the configuration of the FMServer? Have u set it to host even single-user files?

[-Queue-]

Actually, the * appears on Windows as well, if you don't specify an ip address when referencing a file on Server or from a file on Server to elsewhere on the network.