Passwords

[Robert R]

We have the server edition set up on our server(macintosh) and we have both PC and Mac users logging in using the password system. One machine in particular is having problems with occasionally being locked out of screens or fields to which it has access. Sometimes it works ok, and sometimes it acts like I'm using the wrong password.

Has anyone had similar experiences? What could be different about this one machine (Mac)? Does too many open programs cause similar problems or poor network communication?

The database itself has 8 or 9 tables with many relations set. I would appreciate any insight you can give me.

[signal]

Are you running TCPIP or Appletalk for the Macs?

[Robert R]

Some computers on our network are using appletalk, some tcp/ip. I'm not sure about the computer in question. My experience is mostly with PC's, not Macs, so I'm not even sure at the moment how to tell...

I did talk to the operator however, and she says that her computer responds to any command very slowly and sometimes freezes. I don't see how this would cause access errors in FM though.

[Anatoli]

FM server will run much better on NT Machine. It was discussed here, that workstation is fine.

Maybe it will not help with the problem, but it will be cheaper and faster.

[Robert R]

The problem only seems to happen when there is more than one person at a time using the database. Isn't the whole point of FileMaker that it is supposed to work with multiple users?

[Anatoli]

It works for us with 100+ users

[Robert R]

I'm really stumped. I'll change all of the computers to use tcp/ip and see if that helps. You say you're using 100+ computers... are you using FM Pro 5.0v3? And if so, were there any commands you had to bypass or bugs you had to work around?

[Anatoli]

No problems...

We are on similar number of users from version 4.

We are always on TCP/IP and lately we are switching more and more clients from Macs to PCs. Server 3 and 5 were always on NT.

[manitobaangler]

"I did talk to the operator however, and she says that her computer responds to any command very slowly and sometimes freezes."

This doesn't sound like a FM issue. So...what model/speed is this one station. Is there another station w/same specs connecting fine to the solution? What OS is it running? Is FileSharing on and is someone else connected to this "bad" workstation?

All these variables will affect workstation performance and reliability. If these factors all contribute negatively it is possible that the system is slow enough that typing too fast may result in skipped keys, etc. Check the keyboard for sticky or non working keys. Check the operator for loose nuts as well. ;-) Try connecting to the solution yourself from this station?

Maybe you've already checked all this but a lot of times everyone skips over the basic stuff. Good Luck.

ps - Def. use IP connection for Mac. Much faster.

[This message has been edited by manitobaangler (edited February 01, 2001).]

[Robert R]

Haven't really had any problems since switching to TCP/IP, but things have been slow, so it really hasn't been well tested. We'll see what the future brings.

[Vaughan]

FMP can share databaxses with 100 odd users, but the success depends greatly on how the database system is designed. For example, the export/import function works well on single-user systems to move data between files, but it fails in a multiuser scenario because the files are no longer on the local machine, and some of the records may be in use by other users, etc etc.

[signal]

I'm sort of a mac guru (in my own mind). What kind of machine, ram, system software version, non-Apple control panels and extensions are you running? Is it a 10 base or 100 base ethernet card? If you disable ATM and Apple menu options, do things speed up? If you disable Appletalk in FM Server, can the machine still connect? Capricorn or Virgo...?

[dwal]

A slow response followed by a freeze can indicate a badly fragmented drive. Boot up from a startup disk and defrag with Norton Speed Disk.