FM Server / Web Connection Consulation

[cybertaz]

We are in the process of using the FileMaker Suite as an enterprise application solution. We are doing some testing, and I am about to purchase an NT server which will host FMS. I am currently looking the following server with the following specs:

IBM Netfinity 5100 Server

Dual 866 PIII Processors

NT 4.0 SPC6

512MB of Ram

18GB 10K Ultra160

100 Fast Ethernet, maybe go to GB Ethernet, not sure.

I've read that you guys said RAID is really not going to be useful here, but I'm not sure about that. Anyhow, the database is going to be constantly accessed via FMP 5.0 by employees to update records. At the current time, about 15-20 employees will be accessing about 10 databases. One huge one and 9 extremely smaller databases. Does everyone think that the above server should be able to hold the current load, if so, then when we add more users, I can upgrade based on a ratio to the configuration above?

One other question, we will be having representatives accessing the database over the web, just to check the status of things, and I read in an earlier posting that Server + Companion on the same machine runs down the database and makes it very slow. Should I just purchase a second cheap computer just for the reps to access the a small database over the web, which is not even being used by the employees? Or do you think this config will work fine since there will NOT be heavy web activity?

We hope to have this database working closely with an Oracle-based database server in the long run.

ANY and all input in gracious. Thank you guys for you on-going support and willing assistance.

Justin

P.S. Or should I go with Windows 2000 Server / Advanced Server? If you guys report it runs fine, than I will just go with that. Since I'm just getting hardcore into the FM World, I really need some outside advice.

[ April 05, 2001: Message edited by: Justin ]

[ April 05, 2001: Message edited by: Justin ]

[Falcon91]

Justin,

I have been deploying FMP 5 On NT Servers since day 1 .... You Server Spec is more then enough to handle your user connections except I would install 2 36 Gig IBM 10,000 SCSI Drives and Mirror them and bump the memory to 1 GIG ....If you need additional data drives for document storage, just add them on.. Windows 2000 Server is the way I would recomend for you to go ...It is far more stable then NT 4 and you can also remotley administrate the server with the "Administrator Mode Terminal Server" ..... This should be a dedicated Filemkaker server .... No other applications/services ie; (Print Server Services, Email or Fax Services etc; ... should be installedon this machine ! ... You can use another Windows workstation and FM Pro Unlimited to publish your web layouts for your employee access!

[Anatoli]

I can agree, but I was running FM server 3 on machine with 2x200MHz PII and 128MB memory 10Mbit Ethernet NT4 sp4 with:

Lanfax

Printing services for 3 printers

WinProxy for Internet access

Remote access for managing

2 modems

DOS accounting files

NT security

Mac File systems

25 machines with FileSharing

20 with FileMaker Client

+ GWW (God Knows What)

And it was everything OK. Then we run even the v. 5 for while on it, also OK.

[ April 07, 2001: Message edited by: Anatoli ]