FMS 11 necessary?

[David Jondreau]

Is it true that the new features of FMP11 will work just fine on FMS10?

[Ocean West]

Features (functions) added in 11 will not function in prior versions. This has been the case with every version since 7, although you can open files 7 - 11 only features that are present in the app will perform, as desired.

For example charts will appear in 11 and will not be visible in any prior version.

Most developers add conditions when knowingly adding new version specific logic, when the solution will accessed by different versions, encouraging upgrading or warning of limits and or undesired consequences.

[David Jondreau]

That's what I thought, but someone in a support position at a hosting provider told me different.

[Vaughan]

They probably meant the reverse: files created in FMP 10 open just fine in FMP 11. Which is true. :

[MacUSA]

Nope. I wasn't mistaken in what I told David.

Most, probably 90% or more, new features of FileMaker Pro clients run just fine on FileMaker Server 10 and possibly even version 9 depending upon the features.

We're not FileMaker engineers and cannot explain the technical reasons why it works. We just know it works as told by many hundreds of our customers.

MacUSA hosts thousands of databases with versions of FileMaker Server going back to version 6. Over the the past 20 years we've discovered that many new features of the FileMaker Pro client application work fine on earlier server versions. There are sometimes new server improvements and new features added that do require a server upgrade. If you have no need for the new server features then the previous version server works fine.

MacUSA has a special limited time offer available while space lasts. We mistakenly purchased more than a dozen new Apple and Dell servers at the beginning of the year and have outfitted them with FileMaker Server Advanced 10. Rather than spend another $1,800 to upgrade each barely occupied server, and with the minimal changes to version 11 server, we decided to fill the existing servers by offering bargain basement FileMaker hosting prices. WHILE AVAILABLE SPACE LASTS we can host 1 FileMaker 7-11 database on FileMaker Server Advanced 10 servers for just $99 per year. There is a $9.99 setup fee and a 15 day trial period. 2 to 4 databases cost $79 each per year. 5 to 9 databases cost $59 each per year. 10 or more just $49 each per year.

For more info:

http://www.macusa.net/Limited_Time_Offer.cfm

With the 15 day trial you can easily see if you really do require FileMaker Server Advanced 11 and it won't cost anything.

Dan McFalls

MacUSA.net

708-233-6638

[RodSierra]

Nope. I wasn't mistaken in what I told David.

Most, probably 90% or more, new features of FileMaker Pro clients run just fine on FileMaker Server 10 and possibly even version 9 depending upon the features.

Ok so some specifics, will for instance, will portal filtering work if V10 opens a v11 file? Why talk percentages, this is not a gambling forum, state specifics on what will work.

More than likely this is spam.

Edited May 4, 2010 by Guest

[MacUSA]

Rod,

I don't gamble so I wouldn't understand your remark and I am DEFINITELY NOT A SPAMMER. We spend many thousands each year battling SPAM. In fact, do a search in this forum for our competitors posts and compare them to ours. We provide very few solicitations for business. I really think you should do a little research about somebody before slamming them. I don't think you would appreciate that done to you. Our parent company has been in business for 20 years. MacUSA was the first to offer FileMaker hosting services in 1996 and is still around in part because of honesty and integrity.

As far as specifics. Each new version of FileMaker's new feature sets is broad and wide. Over a hundred new features over the past few versions. On my own workstation I use FileMaker Pro Advanced 11. I connect to FileMaker Server Advanced 9, 10 and 11 servers where our databases are stored. So far, I haven't found a single FileMaker Pro client feature that hasn't worked on databases stored on the 9 and 10 servers. Many FileMaker developers build unique solutions to fit their needs. And perhaps all of our needs are simple enough that we don't use many of the new features. However, many of our customers do. And most of our customers that use FileMaker Pro 11 are still on version 9 and 10 servers and everything is working fine for them.

As a quick experiment I used the following new features of FileMaker Pro 11 within my server 10 databases and they all worked as expected:

FileMaker Charts

Enhanced Layout/Report Assistant

Recurring Import

and many more...

And to support our statements we are providing a FREE 15 Day Trial. So where's the catch? Too many happy and content customers?

Dan McFalls

MacUSA.net

708-233-6638

[nightlight]

Not sure if this where to ask the question, but here it goes.

We currently use Filemaker with a database built in 8. We now are upgrading a bunch of Mac's in our office and it looks like we need to now upgrade the Filemaker they are using to 11 so that they can use the data base properly. Currently with 8.6 on the new machines they can read and access the data base but cannot print from it. Are we going to encounter any problems moving these machines to 11? Or is there a fix to get them to print? Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

[David Jondreau]

Dan McFalls is definitely not a spammer.

I've been using MacUSA for five years for all my remotely hosted clients and recommend his services. The personal response and customer service is excellent, as is the hosting up time.

I was surprised by his claim that FMP11 features work with FMS10 and posted here without mentioning him by name.

I'm glad he came out to defend his stance though. Sometimes we don't know what we think we know.

And I'm going to take him up on his $7/month FMS10 hosting package. That price is unbelievable. (Though I will stick to matching client versions with server versions.)

[Ocean West]

Sorry I didn't read your post correctly - you were referring to FILEMAKER SERVER 10 and FM Clients 11 or various different versions. I had assumed you were referring to CLIENT ONLY

Depending on the configurations and features in use some MAY NOT function appropriately.

I make my case to my clients of keeping them all on one platform and make sure they are upgraded with maintenance release so that they do indeed don't have issues.

However with hosting companies you may not have that option as to what vs they are operating - for the most part you are prob fine. But your milage may vary.

[Zcast]

I currently use FMS 10 to host a few files for friends, and recently was told that a couple of them have added FM11 files, and those files work just great under FMS10. They said charts work fine, new reporting features, and such are fine. I haven't tested it myself yet, but they swear by it.

[Wim Decorte]

There are scenarios where hosting a FM11 file on FMS10 will break. For instance if you change a field definition (calculation) to use an 11-only function, FMS will resolve the calculation and not the client and the result will be a "?" instead of the value you expect.

There are other scenarios where FMS will resolve calculations instead of the client and they are documented in the help file for the most part and in the FM knowledge base.

So it's not 100% safe, it does take some diligence in working with the mixed environment.