Multiple web servers but ONE FMS Adv 8

[supertle]

How do i go about having a bunch of web servers IIS connected to my single filemaker server adv. box ?

I tried installing the Web Publishing Engine tool on each of my web server and configured WPE to point to my FMS but I get an error saying my FMS is licensed for only 1 WPE connection. Is there a way around this other then to purchase additional licenses??

Basically I have a distributed web farm and 1 FMS Adv. 8 that I want all web servers to be able to connect and serve data.

[Wim Decorte]

1 FMSA = 1 WPE.

You could buy multiple FMSAs but then you'd need to find a way to synch the data between the FMSAs.

http://www.worldsync.com/

[supertle]

... I thought FMSA is just a client that can be install anywhere and as many times as you want to remotely administer the FMS

I don't need to replicate my databases ... we have one dedicated box for the database ...

Ideally i like my web farm like this but how do i do it



           | IIS --

           |       |

           | IIS --- 

Usr-->NLB->|       |  --> WPE --> |FileMaker Server     |

           | IIS --- /

           |       |/

           | IIS --/





Rigth now it is like this



           | IIS / WPE 

           |       

           | IIS / WPE  

Usr-->NLB->|             ---> |FileMaker Server|

           | IIS / WPE  /

           |       

           | IIS / WPE /

Edited July 20, 2006 by Guest

[John May - Point In Space]

You cannot have multiple WPEs point to the same FMS instance. However, you can have multiple web servers point to one WPE instance - or at least you can on OS X/Apache.

- John

[supertle]

Thanks, after speaking to FM Tech, I was able to have that clear up. You are correct.

What I do need to do is install the Web Publishing CD onto all my webservers and login to the web publishing admin console to redirect on each of those webservers to reconfigure the WPE to point to one main WPE box that connects to the FM server.

In a way, it's really like this and it's 

working good.  I'm sure I didn't need to 

install the whole WPE CD on each webserver, 

but I did.



           | IIS / WPE 

           |       

           | IIS / WPE  

Usr-->NLB->|             ---> WPE --> |FileMaker Server|

           | IIS / WPE  /

           |       

           | IIS / WPE /

Edited July 20, 2006 by Guest

[Wim Decorte]

When doing that, realize that the WPE will be extremely busy. You probably should give it its own machine and not put it on the FMS machine.

The WPE acts like like a bunch of FM Pro clients hitting FMS.

[mlindal]

it seems to me that with every filemaker upgrade they take away some functionality, or make web publishing more costly.

ie - filemaker 4 to filemaker 5 - they crippled the web companion

now a server farm that I can develop with FM 6 unlimited and apache, appears to be more complicated and bottle necked if I upgrade to version 8.5.

Looking at this post and the schematics above this appears that it would be slower than a version 6 solution with load balancing done by apache and a number of FM6 unlimited boxes...

[Wim Decorte]

I can see your point, but I don't agree.

I was never into web publishing with FM up until FM7 because it just plainly sucked performance-wise. Come on: not being able to hit the server directly with web requests but having to go through a single threaded client?? I couldn't sell that.

Sure FMSA is more expensive than FMS was with a couple of "unlimited" clients, but the performance now kicks ass. Now I have something that I feel confident working with.

[mlindal]

Good Point made...

although right now we are running a big solution using FM6 unlimited via apache and it is doing well speed wise.

The point on single threaded has made me wanting to migrate to fm8 asap, but when I read about the complications with configuring, I keep thinking things should be easier as we move forward.

[durow]

Hi

I would like to do this. Does anyone know of any documentation? Presently we have everything on one box (windows server 2003 using FX.php) After reading this thread I installed the WPE on a test server and pointed it to the ip of the main server. It seemed to kind of work. One page worked but all others returned no found records (401 error). Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, after speaking to FM Tech, I was able to have that clear up. You are correct.

What I do need to do is install the Web Publishing CD onto all my webservers and login to the web publishing admin console to redirect on each of those webservers to reconfigure the WPE to point to one main WPE box that connects to the FM server.

In a way, it's really like this and it's 

working good.  I'm sure I didn't need to 

install the whole WPE CD on each webserver, 

but I did.



           | IIS / WPE 

           |       

           | IIS / WPE  

Usr-->NLB->|             ---> WPE --> |FileMaker Server|

           | IIS / WPE  /

           |       

           | IIS / WPE /