Network References & Setup

[gumstic]

[color:blue]Hi !

Case (FM8)

[color:purple]Backend file: local Win-PC

[color:purple]Frontend-1 file: local, same dir with Backend

[color:purple]Frontend-2 file: set on a network Win-PC (peer-to-peer)

Problem:

[color:purple]Local Frontend-1 file: no problem opening and reading data from the Backend

[color:purple]Network Frontend-2 file: always brings up the "Not Found" dialog when opened & gives the choice to browse for file. Clicking "Remote", the Backend file is shown and when selected works fine. Once the Frontend-2 is closed and re-opened, the problem is re-born!

Checked

Backend file is set to network use "On" & users privilleges set.

I have three absolute paths in the file references.

No scripts have anything speciffic to this.

Systems

[color:purple]Local: FMP8, WinXP Pro SP2

[color:purple]Network: FMP Trial, WinXP Pro SP2

(The Trial has no limitations as to this. I'm using the trial to check with the network computer if everything works ok before using it for real...)

[color:blue]I'm in a situation going in circles! I hope someone can help...

[Ender]

The problem is likely a lack of a File Reference to the local file.

It's not clear to me why you would want to have the interface hosted but not the data file. But in any case, I believe the problem can be solved by placing the local data file in the same relative location on each computer, and then have the File Reference for it use the 'filewin:' syntax.

[gumstic]

Ok, I could do that, but something is confusing me. If I host the data file on both locations, how would the information be updated, since it's a "system" of two frontends and one data file? Am I missing a key point here or something?

Thanks

[Ender]

It's becoming clearer. You appear to be doing this to have a two-client system, where one is the host for the data, but each uses its own interface file.

In this case, to get the network client's interface file to see the remote data file, that interface file must reference the data file on the network, like 'fmnet:/10.0.0.1/data.fp7'. Or list both the relative path and the network path so that both the local interface and the network interface will work.

While there can be a performance improvement in having a local interface file, there are a couple drawbacks. The first as you've seen, is more complex File Reference management. But more significantly is the process of updating elements in the multiple interface files. You either must update each distributed copy, or distribute/install a new version with each change.

[gumstic]

Ok, I tried a few things based on what you said, but no luck. Same problem, no change...

Local Interface1 file references:

[color:purple]file:orthodata.fp7

fmnet:/192.168.0.1/orthodata.fp7

Network Interface2 file references:

[color:purple]fmnet:/192.168.0.1/orthodata

[color:purple]filewin://Sector1/ortho/orthodata.fp7

[color:purple]file:orthodata.fp7

The network file still comes up with 2 dialogs:

"[color:blue]FileMaker cannot share a file because FileMaker network sharing is turned off" [color:red]-which is not, it's turned on!

- AND -

"[color:blue]orthodata.fp7" could not be opened. (Not Found)"

-Technically, the network works fine since it can find the "Remote" file location, open it an work. When both interfaces are "on-line" data updates work fine.

This is getting more & more weird. Hope this makes things more clear...

Thanks,