Filemaker 10 network access

[DamienM3]

This forum is just as much over my head as filemaker is! Please bear with me as I am very new to FMP. We have 3 iMacs in our office and one host the filemaker database. As of right now it is setup to connect to remote with the internal ip of the iMac on the network. One problem I have is filemaker has to open and running all the time on the main host machine. If not the others can not open it. Is there a way to host the database independent of filemaker? I hate to bring this up but when we used MS Access it was a database file that sat on a hard drive of one of the pc's and all could access it via a shortcut. This was VERY convenient! Made backing up a lot easier also.

If this is not possible then is there at least a easy way to assign a database as a favorite and have it open at login or at FMP launch?

Please help and thank you for reading

Damien

[mr_vodka]

Sorry that is how peer to peer works. Someone has to be the host. If you need a consistant host, I recommend getting FileMaker Server. It is a lot better than doing peer to peer.

[DamienM3]

So I am clear the only thing I can do is leave one iMac on 24/7 with filemaker open and running and clients can only connect via remote using the ip of the iMac?

What would FMP Server offer me that would warrant such a high price? We are a very small and struggling business. Would it still connect over ip like it does now?

Thank you again

Damien

[mr_vodka]

yes. It also has scheduled backups, server side scripts etc.

It would also prevent you from worrying about someone not opening it on the same computer every day. Personally, I always recommend it just for the server side scripting (nightly batch scripting) and backups.

The dangerous thing about peer to peer is that if that the files should be opened by the main computer every time. If someone else opens it first, then they are now the host. It can be an issue.

I understand that the cost of server is expensive and may not be a feasible option for you. If you do not elect to go with server, and continue to use peer to peer, make sure that it is opened by the first computer as the host and everyone still logs in via remote access. OS level sharing to the location where the files are SHOULD be turned OFF so that it is protected from everyone else.

[DamienM3]

The location of the file is not shared. Also I do not see how one or the other could become host? Unless they open the file from the shared location? When I try to open it from another machine and forget to open it on the main it wont even show up! I have to run around the corner and start FMP and open the database for any other iMac to access it. This is all in the same office if that matters.

Thank you so far!

[mr_vodka]

That sounds right. As long as you do not have OS level sharing to those files you should be okay for now.

At some point you may definately want to look into getting server though. Like I said it has its benefits.

Good luck.

[DamienM3]

Thank You for the help! Besides backing up and sharing the database that is all we use it for at the moment I might as well keep it on the iMac. Unless of course you know something I should!

I f I may ask another question... Is there a way open a select file at logon or when FMP is launched?

Sorry one more question. In MS Access we had many tables all in one database file. So I would open Access 2000 by clicking on the main database file and would be presented with all of the different tables that could all be opened separately. Does FMP have this ability? And can I also merge tables? I have a few broken into years from our sad Access days and would like to import them all in FMP.

Other then these few problem FMP is fantastic! The speed is incredible!

Thank You again I know I am asking a lot! But I am just not grasping what I am looking for from my FMP 9 book!

[mr_vodka]

1. You can script an open file command as part of your opening script.

2. You will have to create a layout for each table. FileMaker is different. Layouts are based off of table occurrences, and table occurrences are instances of the actual table. Once the layouts are created, you can just go to the layout that you want that reflects a TO for the table that you want. You can a have a new window if you want for each layout.

I fully recommend that you take a read at this.

http://www.digfm.org/ref/FM7_key_concepts.pdf

3. You can import different data sets into one table but there is no UNION functionality.

[DamienM3]

Thanks I will give it a read!

Damien

[Steven H. Blackwell]

You might take a look at these video tutorials on FileMaker 10 to better your understanding of the product.

Steven

[DamienM3]

Thanks for the link!