FileMaker Server 8 [Images references not resolving between varying OS's]

[agutleben]

I am hopeful that someone has an answer to this.

I have a solution that is hosted by a provider over a WAN. I have multiple clients logging into this system on Mac's and PC's from multiple locations across the US. This solution has an image module that stores images as a reference. We did this by creating a mounted volume on the hosting server. All clients connect to the mounted volume using FTP. An image administrator is responsible to add images to the image module. Here is the issue:

If you connect to the solution and mount the remote volume via FTP on a Mac and insert via a reference, the PC cannot display the image. The PC sees tha a record has been created. but the image container shows only that the image cannot be displayed. The same goes the other way as well.

I have verified permissions on the server so that a user has access rights. I also made sure that all computers are connecting via FTP and when attaching an image via a reference, that the stored path is the same on both systems (ftp://x.x.x.x/ImageFolder/Image.jpg).

There are no spaces in any file/folder/share names as well. Incedently, if I do not insert via a reference, but actually place the image in the container, things work fine. Unfortunately, image sizes can be large, so we want to insert via the reference. Any help would be most appreciated, and thank you in advance.

Edited November 3, 2005 by Guest

[Steven H. Blackwell]

It is news to me that an FTP link can even see any files! I would have asumed an AFP or SAMBA link. Transfer and download, yes. But share, no.

In any regard, the paths are read separately by OS, and they are not identical. I'd recommend that you do not use the "by reference" option or that you use a difficult sharing protocol.

Steven

[agutleben]

I failed to mention that the server is an Xserve running server 10.4 with the latest updates. Also, we had difficulty getting our windows clients to be able to access the server via any method other than FTP, and decided that the best thing to do was have all clients connect with the same protocol to eliminate as many variables as possible while we figure this out. When adding a network place in Windows XP, you are only given a choice between HTTP and FTP. Did I overlook something? I am primarily a Mac person, so anything is possible.

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Aaron:

Thanks for the additional information. OS X is so flawed when it comes to connections cross-platform that I am constantly amazed at the lengths people have to go to to get anything to work. See the macwindows.com site for much added information.

I think your best bet for now is to abandon the insert by reference option and just place the pictures in the file.

Steven