Export Filemaker pro 13 data to Filemaker Pro 11

[ywwy]

Hi,

 

We have a FMP Server 11 and a FMP 13 version.  

We cannot upgrade the FM Server 11 to 13.

 

We need to get FM13 data into the FMServer 11.

 

Are there ways to accomplish this ?

- Export records script from FM13

- ODBC connection between FM11 and FM13 ?

 

 

Thanks for looking into my question.  

[Lee Smith]

Hi ywwy, and Welcome to the Forum,

 

I moved this topic from "FileMaker Pro 11" to "Upgrading & Migration”, because we have this topic available for questions about migration. Also, the General Topics are reserved for questions about the new tools, features, and functions that were introduced with that version of FileMaker.

 

These two versions of FileMaker are not compatible, they are written in two different languages, and 13 is not backwards compatible. In other words, Server 11 can not host 13 files and Server 13 can not host 11 files. 

 

HTH,

 

Lee

[ywwy]

Hello Lee,

 

Thank you for your reply.

 

So I drop the idea of exporting records using a script.

 

Still I wonder if FMP13 is aware of what Client is quering it using ODBC.

If (from the point of view of FM11) I consider FMP13 as being an external database (such as SQL of MySQL), can I communicate with it using ODBC ?

 

Regards

Olivier

[Lee Smith]

 

So I drop the idea of exporting records using a script.

 

I didn’t say that, in fact, you can script an export of your data using one of the text formats, which could then be imported as a text file into v11. A lot of work. 

 

Lee

[comment]

Can you explain in more detail what are you trying to accomplish here? Migrating your data (once) from FMP13 to FMP11 is quite easy, using export and import. If you plan to maintain your data in FMP13 and serve it in FMS11 on an ongoing basis, then IMHO you are looking for trouble.

[ywwy]

Hi,

 

Am I looking for trouble ? that is indeed what I need to know.  

 

I thought of keeping 2 databases.   The main one in FMP11Server and a tiny one in FMP13.   

 

Upgrading FMP11server to FMP13server would mean an upgrade of server / client hardware + operating systems . 10 machines.

So I am trying to have the extra functionality of FMP13 without rising the bill to unreasonable hights.

 

Because the databases are small and the exchange of data between the 2 versions is also limited (1 table) I was considering ODBC.

Has this been done before ?

 

I would appreciate your expert opinion

 

Regards

Olivier

[comment]

Upgrading FMP11server to FMP13server would mean an upgrade of server / client hardware + operating systems . 10 machines.

 

You have 10 FMP clients? What do they all do with regard to this database? Do they just stare at it or do they modify it in any way? If the latter, how will you propagate these changes back to your .fm12 file? I am afraid this makes even less sense to me than I thought.

 

 

So I am trying to have the extra functionality of FMP13

 

Such as?

[ywwy]

Hello,

Sorry if I am confusing you. I am just discovering the client/server architecture of Filemaker and might mis some fundamentals.

Thanks again for looking into my question.

The FMP11 clients do indeed modify the FMP11 database server.

Essentially I am indeed looking for a way to propagate the changes made in the .fm12 file to the .fp7 and back.

The main flow (2MB pictures) would be from .fm12 --> to .fm7 . A smaller flow (plain text) would be back .fm7 --> .fm12. They have no common fields, so no synchronisation issues.

As I said earlier it is a small amount of data (20 pictures a day).

Lee suggested (and discouraged) to export and import it again. This is indeed very cumbersome an not a road I plan to take.

Is ODBC between 2 different versions of FM a possibility ? Has it been done before ?

Extra functionality :

- Webdirect with better container field (now I am working with the 360works solution in IWP)

- maybe filemaker go (with FMServer13).

Regards

Olivier

[comment]

Extra functionality :

- Webdirect with better container field (now I am working with the 360works solution in IWP)

- maybe filemaker go (with FMServer13).

 

 

Well, this is the most confusing part, I guess. Are you planning on running FM Server 13 in parallel with FM Server 11? You started by saying:

 

We cannot upgrade the FM Server 11 to 13.

 

Without FM Server 13 you will not get any of the extra functionality you mentioned.

 

 

The main flow (2MB pictures) would be from .fm12 --> to .fm7 .

 

Do you mean actual image files embedded in container fields?

[ywwy]

We cannot upgrade our current FMServer11 to FMServer13 because we would need to upgrade the OS Software + hardware of clients also.

We would install a new FMServer13 on a seperate machine.

 

Thx, good to know.

 

I would like more or less the same functionality I am getting now with 360works.  

I also recently discovered working with IFrames is better in Webdirect.

 

 

But even if that is not the case I would still like to know :  

Is ODBC between 2 different versions of FM a possibility ? Has it been done before ?

 

 

Regards

Olivier

[comment]

Is ODBC between 2 different versions of FM a possibility ?

 

I don't know for sure. I cannot see any reason why not - after all, as you said, an OBDC client is an ODBC client and the data source should not care who the client is as long it's set up properly. Note that there is a lot of setting up to do, if both servers are to function both as a client and as a data source.