FileMaker Server Cache settings

[tandrews]

I have remote users accessing a database on our server from home. She claims that if her connection to the server is unexpectedly broken (even though the server is still running fine) she loses the data that she typed in during the session.

My understanding is that the server caches everything and permanently writes cached data to file whenever the system is idle or when the system reaches the cache flush limit (which in this case is 15 minutes). So only a server crash would cause the loss of data... not an unexpected loss of connection to the server.

Can anyone confirm or deny this assessment?

Thanks,

Tony Andrews

[Kurt Knippel]

It is possible there her specific installed copy of Filemaker is set to save changes on some timed interval rather than when idle.

Thus if she loses her connection between these timed saves, she will lose her changes.

Have her check the application preferences under the Memory tab and make sure that it is set to save changes to disk during idle time.

[tandrews]

Thanks for the follow-up...

I am going to assume that everything is set to the default "idle time" scheme, but I will have them check. So, theoretically, a user could be humming away over a dial-up connection... suddenly lose the connection and thus lose anything they typed since the last save.

This leads me to wonder what is truly considered Idle time in this scenario. If 10 users are logged in to the database at any given time, then the client would rarely save during the session since it is unlikely that they would fill the cache during that session, and the database is constantly being accessed. What happens then? If the connection is broken they lose everything? Would we be better off in this situation having the user set their application preference to save every 10 minutes?

Tony Andrews

[Kurt Knippel]

No, you misunderstand "idle time". In the time it takes me to type "A", the computer has gone through like a zillion idle cycles. Filemaker set in this mode, basically saves after every single keystroke.

I am of course talking about the local client version of Filemaker Pro, the server has different settings entirely.

Setting the app to save every X minutes is done purely to save on network traffic and could theoretically speed up the interface as it would not be forced to save every character or so.

I have only ever seen ONE situation where it was necessary to change it from "idle time" and set it to save every 15 minutes. In this situation there were several hundred databases spread across 5 servers, with more than 250 users, spread across an entire state WAN, actively searching, adding and editing data. Network traffic was choking the systems, and this setting greatly reduced it.

[Vaughan]

Wow. Great explanation! Why don't FMP put stuff like this in the manual?

[Kurt Knippel]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Vaughan:

Wow. Great explanation! Why don't FMP put stuff like this in the manual?

---

Because my writing services are far too expensive. Easier to hire a temp.

[tandrews]

Thank you Kurt... that was as complete an explanation as I could ask for. So what this really means is that it is unlikely that a user running FileMaker 5.5 at home (or in another office), accessing a database on the FileMaker Server here at the office would lose much if any data if they were unexpectedly disconnected from their network connection, or their software crashed on the local machine. The only time that data could realistically be lost is if the server itself crashes... and that would only be data that hadn't been flushed from the cache (a maximum of 15 minutes worth).

The reason I am hammering on this is because they are claiming that any time they are disconnected for any reason, they lose what they had entered during that session (this is a database with serveral related files). Given that I can count on one hand the number of times the server has crashed in the last year this could only mean that they believe they are losing data after their system crashes... for whatever reason, and the above explanation of how the cache works really dismisses that claim.

Am I on the right track here?

Thanks again,

Tony Andrews

[Kurt Knippel]

You are definately on track. You'll likely need to diagnose the user as much as anything else, most likely it is a problem of perception on her part.

[tomw]

It's been very useful reading these insights into the mysteries of the client/server relationship on filemaker. I disagree however, your poor user is most definitely losing work and it's not in her head! The server is of course saving work but this happens, generally, when users switch screens or records. This is my experience anyway. I've tested to the point of pulling ethernet cables out during the modification of records on a client machine and this does seem to be the case. I ended up adding a 'save' button on to my templates as our network got so bad for a while. The 'save' simply invisibly changed layouts but left the user in the same place as before.

Regards

Tom (London, UK)

[Anatoli]

If you will use Terminal services on Windows user is not loosing any data even it is disconnected and Term. Serv. IS FAST!

[Kurt Knippel]

The user may also have set thier FMP application to only save ever so often. It is in thier preferences. I generally set it to save during idle time, which will basically save anytime the processor is not 100% active. Type a character and it has already been saved.