Best practice for file paths

[diamondgirl]

We are using Filemaker 9 Server and Filemaker 9 desktops.

The "External Resources" in all 60 of our databases have all contained the following filepaths:"fmnet/xx.xxx.xxx.xxx/filename". I have been having tremendous router trouble on our network, when I change out our router, the computer that hosts the Filemaker files (and filemaker server) IP address changes, causing me to have to manually change the external resources on hundreds of references.

I discovered I can do a reference of: "file/filename" and still get the files to open correctly. My question is, do I need to be concerned about having filemaker seek out some old backup file instead of the correct file since it's looking for just the filename instead of an actual IP address? Is the correct way to open files in the proper location on the Filemaker Server to use this method or to assign the server's IP address? Thanks!!

[Tori_Red]

Typically the references would only want to call the filename if they're served on the same server this allows for any file to find any other file regardless of IP, server, DNS name, whatever. That said, there are cases where you'd be running two servers at the same time. At that point, I'd simply stick to using DNS names on a local DNS. Assigning address by IP is just asking for pain.

[diamondgirl]

Thanks for your reply Tori! We only will ever have one server and one location for all the files (we're a small, single location business). So if I keep the external references to: "file:customers" is Filemaker server and all the desktops smart enough to think that this is always the customers.fp7 file in the FilemakerServer/Data/Databases folder that is hosted on our server or do I have to worry about venturing into, say the FilemakerServer/Data/Backups folder for data?

[Steven H. Blackwell]

So if I keep the external references to: "file:customers" is Filemaker server and all the desktops smart enough to think that this is always the customers.fp7 file in the FilemakerServer/Data/Databases folder that is hosted on our server or do I have to worry about venturing into, say the FilemakerServer/Data/Backups folder for data?

Provided that the files for a given solution hosted on the server all reside in the same directory, this works exactly as FMI designed it. Do give your server a fixed IP address, not a dynamically configured one. That way you'll have better results and you'll also have a cleaner, easier-to-manage system.

You might want to look at Wim Decorte's videos on FileMaker Server found here on VTC.

HTH. If you have more questions, come back.

Steven

[Wim Decorte]

...when I change out our router, the computer that hosts the Filemaker files (and filemaker server) IP address changes...

As an aside:

You need to take care of this. The FMS machine needs to be assigned a fixed IP address.

[diamondgirl]

Thanks all! I will definitely assign our host computer a static IP.