Hiding related files that are opened remotely?

[Kirsten]

I have set up a launcher file to open 8 other files. The files reside on the Administrator's Mac. Access is by FTP/IP. All the files except the launcher are set to open Multi-user, Hidden.

When the Administrator opens the files, the only one that shows on the FTP file list (visible by everyone that has access to that domain) is the launcher. Good so far. But when another person opens the launcher from a different machine, suddenly all the files become visible on the domain list.

Can anyone shed some light on this please? I'd rather not have 30 file names show up in the domain list. Thanks.

Kirsten

[Vaughan]

Explain some more how you are sharing the file. Are they shared using FM Server (or FMP), or are they on some kind of shared network volume?

[Kirsten]

The files are stored on the hard drive of the file administrator. Other users access them via IP. Sharing files on a network server without FMP server is a big no-no, or so I've been told.

Kirsten

[Vaughan]

Kirsten, you have been given good advice. Such sharing of files is not good. Many FMP developers make a decent living fixing up databases damaged by such sharing.

It's fine to have them on the hard drive of the administrator. But turn off file-sharing, and instead open them in FileMaker Pro (or better yet FileMaker Server, it offers automated backup). Then get the other users to access the databases through the Open Remote command in FMP.

Even better, get them off the adminsitrator's computer and put them onto a dedicated machine.

[Kirsten]

Thanks for the feedback, Vaughan.

Just to clarify my previous statement: The sharing is done via FTP/IP but within FileMaker Pro. And is done through the File Open, Host process. Is the Open Remote simply a more direct method of accessing the same list of files? Or is there a different communication protocol between the two (Host vs. Open Remote)?

Thanks in advance,

Kirsten

[Vaughan]

No need to panic, you're sharing the files correctly.

"The sharing is done via FTP/IP"

I think you mean TCP/IP, not FTP/IP.

The important thing is that the users are accessing the files through the Open Remote command, which means you must be hosting the files on a FM server.