Save a Copy As -FMS

[jeffshap]

I built a fairly extensive application that requires importing and exporting through FMP databases. When I setup the application under Advanced Server, I can't run "Save a Copy As". Does anyone know a way around this?

Edited April 30, 2007 by Guest

[Ender]

Use the scheduled backups to create copies instead.

BTW: Server Advanced is FM7 and FM8 only. You cannot use these to host FM5/6 files.

Edited April 30, 2007 by Guest

[jeffshap]

This won't work because a set of data in the office is exported to remote laptops. The way it works now is there are a couple of databases each with about 25 tables. I setup a "find" to limit the dataset, import it into one of these database files, then do a "Save a Copy As" with a specific file name.

Is there any other way I can create a copy of a database?

[jeffshap]

Oops, I just noticed that I had the FM client wrong. It is 8.5 and the server is 8.

[Ender]

This won't work because a set of data in the office is exported to remote laptops.

It is what it is, and for good reason. It would be a big security problem if copies of hosted files could be created by users. With physical access to files, the passwords can be removed.

If you need to make remote versions of the database, then build remote databases that are designed to run this way, with import/export routines. These remote databases need not (and probably should not) be an exact copy of the live structure. The synchronization of such databases is not an easy task, but by building a "remote" version, you can ensure that the security of the original hosted files is maintained.

[Vaughan]

The Save a Copy As... command is DISABLED when files and hosted with FM Server. There is no way to re-enable it.

You'll need to keep a second copy of the file on a CD or something. Load it onto a machine's local hdd and connect into the main database on the FM Server to perform the import. Make a copy of this file to send to the laptop users.

[jeffshap]

Well it isn't a security problem in our situation and the option to save a copy of a specific view sure would be nice. What is the security difference between "export to excel" as "Save a Copy As"?

I did build remote databses with import/export but that doesn't make it any easier to synchronize with a central office with about 50 tables.

Edited May 1, 2007 by Guest

[Ender]

With any Export option (or Import from another file), the security can (and should) be limited to the tables and fields that that user needs access to. But if someone has physical access to your files, they can potentially strip out the security to get access to all tables and fields.

Too many people want to give open access to their solution within the company or workgroup, and avoid the whole password thing. But there's good reason to take precautions with your databases. First, there's potential for redistributing the structure or the data to others who aren't supposed to have access to it (either inside or outside the company), but more likely is simple user error that does something destructive (like a Replace) or a user that wants to make their own "improvements".

Using individual accounts and passwords with limited access to tables and fields is part of the solution, but enforcing physical security of the files is important too.

[jeffshap]

I think I have a work around, but I am still not sure you understand how I am doing this. I have a "Live" database and an "Import/Export" database. Import/Export has a file reference to the Live. Import/Export has only import scripts and a lot fewer tables/fields than Live. To export data, one at a time I open each referenced table from Live, perform a find to establish a record set, and then import that record set. Up to now, from Import/Export I then do "Save A Copy As" (compacted) and this is the file with specail security settings that is sent between users in the company. Everyone kept seperate installations until I recently implemented FMS. Can you see how security is not an issue anymore than having the option to Export to Excel? I prefer the implementation rules the design rather than the development language establishing these "sensible" limits.

In any event, because Import/Export is a shared file my work around is that I call a batch file that copies Import/Export.

[Ender]

I think you've explained sufficiently what you're doing, but the bottom line is Save a Copy As is not possible with Server as the host.

The point of my explanation is that you should not be distributing copies of the full solution anyway.

[Inky Phil]

One question just to further clarify.

It has been made quite clear that save as a copy is not available to the user with server as the host but is the save as a copy script step also not available?

Phil