MAC Best Options for Remote Connection?

[arbelbedak]

I am looking for some advice for having users remotely connect to our database for data entry only. Originally, we used IWP, but it was frustrating because we have a number of fields that use value lists with related values (the second field would be dependent on what has been selected from the previous field) and with the IWP we had to commit the record by pressing save in order for it to "refresh" and populate the next field's value list. This made data entry take too long.

Currently, we have FM 11 Server on one server, and we have all of the user licenses living on a Mac Mini. Users access the Mac Mini through Share Screen/Remote Desktop and use the Open Remote feature to open the database. However, often there is a slight lag, as with any remote desktop. We use AquaConnect so that multiple users can log into the Mac Mini at once and not share the same screen.

Are we complicating this too much? Is there a better way we could be allowing users to remotely connect to our database?

Thanks for your help!

Arbel

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Yes you are complicating it too much. And the set-up you describe is hardly optimal. If you're going to sue a TS client, be sure the server can handle that. Also, you should be using a VLA license, not individual unit installations, of FIleMAker Pro when using a TS scenario,

Steven

[arbelbedak]

Thanks, Steven. Do you think a mac mini with 2 GHz Intel Core i7 and 8GB 1333 MHz DDR3 would be able to handle a TS client? There will only be a small number of users accessing the database. Also, do you know what a good TS Client to use would be?

Thanks again,

Arbel

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Thanks, Steven. Do you think a mac mini with 2 GHz Intel Core i7 and 8GB 1333 MHz DDR3 would be able to handle a TS client? There will only be a small number of users accessing the database. Also, do you know what a good TS Client to use would be?

Thanks again,

Arbel

Well, the machine used must be able to handle the TS server application, not the client app. The client app goes on the users' machines. if you're running Macintosh OS, you're probably going to want to sue AquaConnect. Each TS or Citrix virtual session usually should have 64 MB RAM assigned to it on the server. I'd probably use a beefier server than a miniMac.

Remember that the TS type server connects to the FIleMaker Server machine. Then each user connects to the TS server and then makes a connection from there to the FileMAker Server where the databases are hosted. There are some Whiote Papers on the FMI web site about this type configuration. Maybe take a look at them?

Steven

[arbelbedak]

That's exactly how we have it set up right now, using AquaConnect. Maybe I didn't explain it well the first time, but what you described is exactly how we have it set up. Perhaps we just need to start using a TS Client to connect to it rather than Screen Sharing or Remote Desktop.

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Talk to Aqua Connect's tech Support. it does not sound as if you have AC set up correctly.

Steven