Moving Files to Host

[LaRetta]

Hi everyone,

I should know this ... but I haven't implemented it yet. And I'm not at work to test it. And I need to establish the export/imports this weekend. And I'm unsure how Server Advanced will like it. I'd rather NOT have to drive to the office this weekend to test it, so wondered if someone 'Server Savvy can just clarify something for me.

Win2000sp4, dedicated host, running Server Advanced. When originally installed, it created directories DATA and DATABASES. All FM7 files are in Databases. There are sub-folders which contain mostly aux. information, such as PlugIn pdf's, Images, etc. I have import data (pulled from Web, telephone company and other sources) that needs to be imported into FM (one file). I have read conflicting statements on various forums: some say NEVER have Sharing on at the Host at all; others say only be sure Sharing is not on the 'Server files.' I want to follow the premise that NO Sharing is the best sharing. In this way, virus & spam can't get to Host at all (no email, nothing on it). This would eliminate the need for anti-virus; as Server Advanced is supposed to be quite sophisticated at protecting itself from intrusion.

BTW, please forgive my network-newbie terminology and if I'm off-base, please straighten me out.

Sooooooo, if I have NO Sharing on, how can I move files to the Host that can then be imported? OR ... do I leave those files on another computer and import across computers? OR ... do I allow sharing on Host but just restrict to Server files and allow these import files to be stored somewhere on Host? Or is that what the DATA folder is for? I don't understand FM's thinking on the directory structure and how to use it. I do not want these import files on various staff computers; they need to be saved in ONE file; ie, online transactions in an AuthNet folder, etc. If they need to be stored for future (and they do), then why not script placing them in their proper folder first and then scripting importing from only that folder?

Sooooo, where should these folders be located? And how can I, during the course of served, opened solution, script working within the served folders? It's probably a dumb question, but I want to be safe and I need to establish some sub-folders to hold these import-type files and finish scripting it. Thank you for any input!!!

LaRetta

[Reed]

You could turn sharing on only when the server software is not running, upload the files and then disable sharing and start the server. I'm not sure how to do this remotely on windows... probably with remote desktop access. Since I'm on a mac, I just use ssh to move files around, I just never touch the served files unless the server has been stopped. (Although I have closed single files with the server admin tool, and replaced them while other files are still served.)

[LaRetta]

Hi Dana

So you're saying I can't, in the course of using a served file, store import.txt files on the host? Oh bummer. Okay. I'll handle the maintenance at night (moving the newly created import files into the served locations). But I need to import these files from script while hosted. So if I store them on another client station, I can import directly into FM that way, right? God, I hope so. I've been importing 'across computers' and it works fine ... but I've never tried it hosted (with Server) yet.

LaRetta

[Reed]

You could store the txt files on any machine, and just install FMP client on it.

The way I've done it is to install FMP on my File Server, and set up scriptmaker scripts to do the imports. You could schedule these imports to happen using script scheduling plugins, or cron or windows scheduled tasks. This way the imports happen without user intervention.

Another option is to set up scripts that copy the txt files from a file server. If the scripts run the FMS machine, and copy the files from the file server, then you don't need sharing to be enabled on the FMS machine.

One thing I'm confused about. If you actually want to store the import files on the server machine, how are you going to import this data to the hosted files? You need the FMP client interface to do the import, so this works fine if the files are hosted with FMP, but you can't import with the server.

[LaRetta]

If the scripts run the FMS machine, and copy the files from the file server, then you don't need sharing to be enabled on the FMS machine.

Bingo! I think this may be the answer.

If you actually want to store the import files on the server machine, how are you going to import this data to the hosted files? You need the FMP client interface to do the import, so this works fine if the files are hosted with FMP, but you can't import with the server.

Oh yes indeed. I have Client installed on host system also. It's a hold-over because we always aren't served right now. Please don't ask (smile), I'm stepping a creek in many ways. But once I know I have all this figured out, I want to remove Client from host and will be running it from a regular client system.

Thank you so much!!! :wink2: