FileMaker Server 5.5 as an ODBC data source

[newb007]

Hi,

I'm complete FileMaker newb here, so please forgive my ignorance. My setup is simple. I have a FileMaker 5.5 Server running, and would like clients to be able to connect via ODBC. Is this possible? From what I've read this can be done in 7, but I can't find any info for 5.5.

Thanks!

[newb007]

Hi,

I'm complete FileMaker newb here, so please forgive my ignorance. My setup is simple. I have a FileMaker 5.5 Server running, and would like clients to be able to connect via ODBC. Is this possible? From what I've read this can be done in 7, but I can't find any info for 5.5.

Thanks!

[newb007]

Hi,

I'm complete FileMaker newb here, so please forgive my ignorance. My setup is simple. I have a FileMaker 5.5 Server running, and would like clients to be able to connect via ODBC. Is this possible? From what I've read this can be done in 7, but I can't find any info for 5.5.

Thanks!

[laker_42]

No, this is not possible with FM Server 5.5. You will need to open the database on a client machine. You can then hit the client machine with ODBC. This is definitely nicer in FM Server 7.

HTH,

John

[laker_42]

No, this is not possible with FM Server 5.5. You will need to open the database on a client machine. You can then hit the client machine with ODBC. This is definitely nicer in FM Server 7.

HTH,

John

[laker_42]

No, this is not possible with FM Server 5.5. You will need to open the database on a client machine. You can then hit the client machine with ODBC. This is definitely nicer in FM Server 7.

HTH,

John

[newb007]

Thanks for the reply.

Maybe I should describe exactly what I'm trying to do and hopefully someone can come up with a suggestion:

I have a client who is using FileMaker Server 5.5 to serve up a DB. User connect using a FM Pro 6 client app. All I need is to report off the DB using Crystal Reports. Is there any other practical way of accessing the data in FM Server? XML perhaps? I've heard Web Companion is kind of flaky and adds another cost to the project (I'm developing for a non-profit organization, so I'm trying my hardest to keep costs to a minimum)

What are my options at this point?

Thanks!

[newb007]

Thanks for the reply.

Maybe I should describe exactly what I'm trying to do and hopefully someone can come up with a suggestion:

I have a client who is using FileMaker Server 5.5 to serve up a DB. User connect using a FM Pro 6 client app. All I need is to report off the DB using Crystal Reports. Is there any other practical way of accessing the data in FM Server? XML perhaps? I've heard Web Companion is kind of flaky and adds another cost to the project (I'm developing for a non-profit organization, so I'm trying my hardest to keep costs to a minimum)

What are my options at this point?

Thanks!

[newb007]

Thanks for the reply.

Maybe I should describe exactly what I'm trying to do and hopefully someone can come up with a suggestion:

I have a client who is using FileMaker Server 5.5 to serve up a DB. User connect using a FM Pro 6 client app. All I need is to report off the DB using Crystal Reports. Is there any other practical way of accessing the data in FM Server? XML perhaps? I've heard Web Companion is kind of flaky and adds another cost to the project (I'm developing for a non-profit organization, so I'm trying my hardest to keep costs to a minimum)

What are my options at this point?

Thanks!

[laker_42]

When we were at FMP 5 & using Crystal Reports against it, we had a machine that would connect to the database we wanted to report off. We then pointed the crystal reports to that machine and the reports ran fine.

Is the user running the Crystal Report or is it going through Crystal Enterprise? If the user is running it on their machine, it would be easy to set the ODBC connection to go against the database when the user has it open. Once the database is open on the user's machine, then the Crystal Report can be run against it. Its not ideal but it works fairly well.

John

[laker_42]

When we were at FMP 5 & using Crystal Reports against it, we had a machine that would connect to the database we wanted to report off. We then pointed the crystal reports to that machine and the reports ran fine.

Is the user running the Crystal Report or is it going through Crystal Enterprise? If the user is running it on their machine, it would be easy to set the ODBC connection to go against the database when the user has it open. Once the database is open on the user's machine, then the Crystal Report can be run against it. Its not ideal but it works fairly well.

John

[laker_42]

When we were at FMP 5 & using Crystal Reports against it, we had a machine that would connect to the database we wanted to report off. We then pointed the crystal reports to that machine and the reports ran fine.

Is the user running the Crystal Report or is it going through Crystal Enterprise? If the user is running it on their machine, it would be easy to set the ODBC connection to go against the database when the user has it open. Once the database is open on the user's machine, then the Crystal Report can be run against it. Its not ideal but it works fairly well.

John