Filemaker Server 9 Admin Console Connection Error

[msendt]

I have read every single post that I can possibly find on every site on the internet and I simply cannot get the admin Console to work on FM Server 9.

I have tried every possible solution. I am a php developer trying to install server 9 on the laptop so that I can have a testing server to develop php solutions when I am at home.

I am running on MAC OSX 10.4.10

I have all the security updates installed.

I have Java 5, Apache 2.2, etc

I don't have any proxy settings and the firewall is switched off.

I have tried clearing the Java cache.

The PHP site assistant launches without a problem but the admin console starts to launch and then displays the error "The Admin Console was unable to connect to the Admin Server.

I have installed and uninstalled FMS9 and the updates (2+3) so many times.....

From the command line I can start and stop the server, open the files, etc. but web publishing has not been activated so I can't make use of the Php connectivity.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Any ideas

[Steven H. Blackwell]

I don't believe Apache 2.2 is supported. That may be a contributing cause here.

Steven

[msendt]

Sorry for the delay in my reply but I am in Australia.

I tried Apache 1.3 as well and it didn't work. I have only just applied 2.2 because I misread the system requirements - Apache 2.2 is a requirement for FMS on the latest version of Mac OSX (http://www.filemaker.com/products/fms/tech_specs.html#osx_intel)

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Yes, that appears to be a change for Leopard OS.

Steven

[msendt]

Does anyone have any other possible solutions?

[annettef]

This is my first post to this forum or any filemaker forum. We just installed server 9 and it worked fine for three days. We are having the exact same problem. Have reinstalled Java etc. Same error message exactly. THE ADMIN CONSOLE CANNOT ESTABLISH A CONNECTION TO THE ADMIN SERVER

Interestingly enough all the clients are working fine with the applications. Files are being served.

Server- windows 2003

Clients-windows XP

Apparently there is a bug in the program

Edited February 19, 2008 by Guest

[annettef]

Well, I am still having this problem and have been offered all kinds of ideas, none of which seem relevant seem everything is working fine except the serveradmin console. Finally, I learned there is another solution. There are two patches for filemaker server 9.

One is intended to deal with THE ADMIN CONSOLE CANNOT ESTABLISH A CONNECTION......that pops up after five days of working okay.A known issue on Mac machines.

ONLY THESE PATCHES WILL NOT RUN ON MY VERSION--the ME version. My server version does not match the version for the patches.

For anyone else who has the problem, the patches, available on the filemaker site-are the way to go.

Anyone who reads this and has any ideas.....thanks

Edited February 24, 2008 by Guest

[Steven H. Blackwell]

ONLY THESE PATCHES WILL NOT RUN ON MY VERSION--the ME version. My server version does not match the version for the patches.

What version of what server OS are you using? Also, FMI does not issue patches. It does issue v-revs, something rather different. The most current v-rev is 9.0v3.

Steven

[msendt]

Unfortunately I have already installed the patches and I still have the same issue.

Is there some way that you can enable the web publishing engine from the command line?

I can open the databases from terminal but I can't turn on the php publishing.

[macgod73]

Two things come to mind quickly.

Does your laptop meet the min. system requirements? I saw this problem when I tried to set up in a dev environment on an old machine. Didn't even think about it. Must be a G5 or Intel box.

Do you have any proxy settings turned on in your network system prefs?

[Fancytricks]

Hi there,

I have had this issue a lot of times.

there can be two issues.

1. Java version

2. OS version

Then restart.

I would do a full OS update, as FileMaker Updates usually work with the latest version.

Thanks, kyle

[Steven H. Blackwell]

I would do a full OS update, as FileMaker Updates usually work with the latest version.

Not necessarily. Updates can cause problems of their own.

Steven

[Stuart Taylor]

I am having the same issue FMSA 9 on OS X 10.5.2/3

Unfortunately i had installed all of the updates to the OS before setting up FileMaker Server.

The FileMaker updates page says that it supports OS X 10.5.x but i suspect it is 10.5.1 that is supported as it states in the tech specs page of the FileMaker Server product page.

I assume that this is the issue and will reinstall the OS and report back.

As with everyone else the files are being served, it is the Console that seems unable to communicate with the processes.

Will report back

[Dicken Winyard]

Did anybody find a solution to this?

I have a brand new Mac Mini with Leopard 10.5.4 on it, clean install. I have installed Filemaker Server 9.0v3 - including the .326 jar files.

(In fact, I have installed it SIX times - see below)

Each time, after the first launch, the Admin Console claims it cannot connect to the database server. BUT, the server is happily serving files to Filemaker Pro clients.

Attempting to start the server from within the Admin Console does nothing.

So, the server is working fine, but I cannot configure any schedules or backups etc as the Admin Console refuses to talk to it.

Install History

I re-installed this twice myself, then did so again 3 more times on direction from FM Tech support. Have taken care to stop the fmserver processes (all of them), force-quitting if necessary, doing an uninstal, rebooting the box, doing a fresh install, updating the .326 files, etc. Each time, same problem.

Edited July 11, 2008 by Guest

[MacXcited]

We spent the last week trying to get a new install of FMS9A Mac operational on an established 10.4.11 Server machine.

Tried all the suggestions in this and other forums but no matter how we installed the FMS9 Start Page alias on the desktop would launch the FMS9-Admin Console app but no window would appear. This would eventually time out with an error dialog "The admin console cannot establish a connection to the admin server."

As our server is running headless we couldn't try the "unplug ethernet" option as suggested in many places with similar symptoms. But I thought I'd try playing with our ethernet config.

Found that turning off all proxy settings for using our local internet cache/proxy server for internet access resolved the issue.

Believe now that there was never a Java, Caches, or Install Process involvement in our issue, and that the failure is a 'feature deficiency' where the Admin Console can't be used with proxies configured in the server's networking System Preferences.

[Steven H. Blackwell]

the Admin Console can't be used with proxies configured in the server's networking System Preferences.

Correct. Proxy servers are not supported. But see Tech Info 6177 for a workaround.

Steven

[Stuart Taylor]

The Idea of the new server console seems to be that one can install it from anywhere without the requirement of a standard software installation.

This would seem to be a monumental failure and error in judgment at this point.

Would seem to make more sense to allow people to download a reliable solution from the FileMaker Website as and when it is needed. - that's my 2 cents.

best

Stuart

[Steven H. Blackwell]

The Idea of the new server console seems to be that one can install it from anywhere without the requirement of a standard software installation.

How so? I haven't ever heard that expressed before.

Steven

[Stuart Taylor]

With access to the correct port on the server i should be able to install the console from wherever i am. Unfortunately i can not be confident enough to utilize this potential flexibility.

[Steven H. Blackwell]

I use it all the time. Simply launch browser and enter IP adress of host followed by ":16000" and it will download the console.

Appropriate ports must be opened.

Steven

[craigk]

Correct. Proxy servers are not supported. But see Tech Info 6177 for a workaround.

Where is this Tech doc located?

Thanks.

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Where is this Tech doc located?

In the FileMaker Tech Info here, on the FMI Web site.

Steven

[sparky kinski]

Here is the solution that worked for me when I got the "The admin console cannot establish a connection to the admin server." error.

I went to System Preferences > Network and turned OFF the Web Proxy.

That's all. Now the Admin Console starts fine.

[filemakerguru]

I am having a similar problem.

System: OS10.5.5

iMac G4 760mb RAM

It does not matter if I install FMS 9.0 or 9.03 or 9.03.256: after launching Safari and waiting forever I doubleclick the downloaded Java file. It opens using Java Web Viewer and after some more thinking I finally get a message: Could not find the Database Server because it is not running." The only option is a "Restart" button which appears to do nothing except bring up another message telling me to "contact my system adminstrator," which is ME.

This is simply unbelievable that a company like Filemaker can put out such poor quality software.

Surely there is a way to install this program. Anybody know how to get it done?