Basics to setting FM8 Server on Win2k Server

[J]

I am new to Filemaker. I am switching from Lotus Approach to Filemaker Pro 8. I am hoping to get some help on best practices for setting up FM Server to get optimal performance.

I have fm8 advanced for developing our system. I want to use the server version hosted on a loaded dell server that will only be used for hosting the database. We will have as many as 25 clients accessing information at any given time. There will be moderately heavy load on the server for searchs, and adding data to the server. We will be doing a lot of printing on clients with static graphic data that will be hosted on each client.

Those are the basics of what we are doing. Any suggestions and/or help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

J

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Welcome to the World of FileMaker!

See the tech Briefs on Server, Security, and External Server Authentication on the FMI Web Site at:

http://www.filemaker.com/support/upgrade/techbriefs.html

Regarding the Server:

1. Avoid hyperthreading if the Server allows it.

2. I'd have at least 2 GB RAM

3. Use Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition

4. Use the highest quality drives you can afford. The hard drive subsystem is the msot critical part of a FileMaker Server CPU.

5. Start the cache at 64 MB and see how that works.

6. Set the number of users and number of files about 10% over what you think you'll need to start with. This will improve performance.

7. Turn off ALL extraneous and unused services on the Server CPU.

8. Be sure there are no shares enabled (OS level sharing) on the Server CPU.

9. Post back any specific questions or issues you are having.

HTH

Steven

[cclub75]

5. Start the cache at 64 MB and see how that works.

Why start with only 64 Mb of cache when the server has 2 GB ?

It is not correct to assume that larger the cache is, better the performances are ?

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Why start with only 64 Mb of cache when the server has 2 GB ?

It is not correct to assume that larger the cache is, better the performances are ?

While it might seem so, the answer is not really. You are striving for the minimum amount of cache consistent with cache hits in the 95% range as shown by the Server stats during normal usage.

FMI has constrained the amount of RAM allocable to cache due to issue with too high a level causing instability. Distinguish between the amount of RAM that the service itself uses vrs. the amount set aside specifically for cache. 64 MB is a good starting place.

See the Tech Briefs.

HTH

Steven