Can someone please provide some recommendations:

Our business (bank) need to host a Filemaker solution accessible from all over the world, preferably via the web with an average of 5 concurrent users. What is the best and easiest way to do it? Is the web the way to go?

Hi ML,

Depends what it is your solution is really...

Easiest way is IWP (instant web publishing) available via FileMaker Server Advanced (FMSA - 100 Conc. Users) or FileMaker Pro (5 Conc. Users).

Best i'd probably say is CWP (custom web publishing), 100 Conc. Users for FMSA, not supported under FM Pro. CWP uses FileMaker as a data backend and will rely on either XSLT or PHP for the front end.

Is it easy to do from a Mac server? Is this software part of the Filemaker Server 8.04 Advanced?

Is it easy to do from a Mac server? - I would assume so yes.

Is this software part of the Filemaker Server 8.04 Advanced? - Yes

This is the config for server 7, it's essentially the same for 8:

http://filemaker.com/downloads/pdf/fmsa7_web_install.pdf

Just to note that you will really need a totally dedicated server CPU for this, whether it's Instant Web Publishing or Custom Web Publishing.

This is the core purpose of FileMaker Server 8 Advanced.

Since you report yourself to be a bank, you will have some significant security issues to address as well presumably.

Steven

Should this server be seperate from the webserver?

totally dedicated server CPU

I'm assuming so yes...

Don't assume. This is a requirement for effective functioning. Do not load up the server with extraneous "junk" ( a technical term).

Steven

... I was simply repeating your statement.