Can't get into Define Fields from Macs but I can from Windows...?? Very strange...???

[angelleye]

I'm running FileMaker Server Advanced 11 and connecting to it from FMP 11 clients. A few days ago something very strange started happening. I can't seem to get into Define Fields (manage -> database) from Mac clients but I can from Windows clients. Here's what's been going on...

We've had FMSA running on Windows Server 2003 for some time now. We had upgraded it to 11 when it came out and weren't having any issues other than sometimes it just seemed pretty slow.

Well, here lately my client has been complaining that he can't into Manage -> Database on some of his files. I was able to confirm this at his location and I also cannot get into that area on my own Macbook from any location, on-site or remote.

When I open up Windows in a VM, though, and connect to FM from it I can get into it without any problems at all. It actually seems to run quite a bit quicker in general, too.

Well, my client decided he wanted to go ahead try out and Xserve instead of the Windows server. I went in yesterday and installed FMSA 11 on an Xserve with OS X 10.5, dual quad core xeons, and 16gb ram. Installation went smoothly and I fired up all of the databases on this new server hoping that many of our issues would be solved.

They're not. In fact it seems even worse. We still can't get into Define Fields on any Mac machines on or off location. Windows machines still work fine, and in fact, still seem to run a lot faster than Macs in general. The whole thing seems quite a bit slower in general than when it was on the Win2k3 machine with a single CPU and only 2GB ram.

This just doesn't make sense to me and my client is getting frustrated. I'd appreciate any information I can get to try and troubleshoot these issues. Thanks!

[VolkerKrambrich]

Hello DrewAngell,

the first thing that comes to mind is file corruption. As you mentioned in another thread you are aware of the basic rules of closing down files correctly before moving them from server.

In the backup schedule(s), do you check the files' health? What is in the protocol? Turn on the access protocol in server admin, try to connect and look for the event in the log file.

If you take the file local on MacOS, can you open the file with full access?

If you make a clone as part of server schedule, can you access that clone if taken local? (Here could be the cure: take the clone and import the data).

Regards Volker

[xochi]

Mac OS X will cache usernames & passwords in the Keychain -- any chance that this is happening? If so, you might be opening the database with a user account that simply doesn't have proper permissions?

If so, simply go to /Utilities/Keychain Access.app and delete all filemaker related passwords, then try again.

[Vaughan]

Open the file with the Option key for Macs, Shift key for Windows pressed to force authentication.