Hi All,

Hope this is an easy one. I am setting up a relatively simple asset register for a building company here in the UK so that they can track their plant equipment.

Am using Developer7 to accomplish this as I'd like to package it into a single app, that they can install at will quite happily.

My question is; Is it possible to accoplish this, or do they need to purchase multiple copies of FMP7 to access the data. We're not talking demanding use or many users (probably once or twice a day and just 2 or 3 users, rarely if ever accessing at the same time) so there is no need for FMS (no budget either), I just wondered if there was a way to do it using packaged runtime solutions.

TIA

Dan Hawker

Hi, Dan. Yes, this is an easy question--runtimes are for single-user usage only. You should get multiple copies of FM7. FMS is always recommended, but with the configuration you're describing, i'd say you're right in thinking it's pretty safe to go without it.

Jerry

So with two or three users, the company would purchase two or three copies of FM7. One of them would host your file; be sure it's set for multi-user; the other(s) would then connect to your file remotely.

Since you stated that it is simple, not demanding, infrequent use, and

no budget, you might consider using the web page hosting features of FileMaker Pro 7.

Turn on the web-companion feature of your existing solution.

It might be all that you need. It could save you the costs of

the extra licenses of FMP and you won't need to restrict your

users to specific computers with that installed. Any computer

on your local network (or even Internet if you are daring)

can access it using the user/pass of the normal FileMaker

accounts.

Thanks guys, it makes sense, just wondered if what I was thinking was possible

Also thanks for the headsup regarding the use of the web hosting arrangement of FM7. Like you say it'll cut down on the costs involved for my client, and it'll also make sense in a bizarre way, I think they have a spare machine lying around that'll do the job.

Thanks again people

Dan

Would it be impossible to just put the runtime app on a server itself? Since they are never accessing it at the same time this would make sure they have got the most recent data right? Doesn't have to be a web server, or a FM server, just a file hosting server. I assume that this would work just fine, but I could be wrong.

Yes - putting the runtime on a network drive and running it from there will work just fine as long as only one user at a time will use it - all others will be locked out.

Just don't let the network connection get interrupted or your data is screwed. This configuration is possible, but a bit unstable.

Jerry