To host or not to host?

[GC GYM]

We have Filemaker Server 14. We are hosting about 10 files for local/internal use with Filemaker Pro and public access via WebDirect.

We also have a few large backup files that are only accessed occasionally, and only by one person at a time. I would usually keep these in the backups directory along with the scheduled backups. It has been suggested to put them in the databases folder and host them.

Is that a waste of computing power, if these files are opened and served by FMS but rarely used, or is the use of resources insignificant if these files are not being accessed?

I don't want anything unnecessarily slowing FMP or WebDirect performance.

WS 2008 R2, 8Gb Ram

Edited October 14, 2015 by GC GYM
more info

[webko]

I would go for on  the insignificant side...

Cheers

Webko

[GC GYM]

Thanks Webko

[Wim Decorte]

We have Filemaker Server 14. We are hosting about 10 files for local/internal use with Filemaker Pro and public access via WebDirect.

We also have a few large backup files that are only accessed occasionally, and only by one person at a time. I would usually keep these in the backups directory along with the scheduled backups.

 

 

The section I highlighted in bold can not be correct.  You should NEVER EVER allow anyone to access a FM file through OS-level network sharing directly to your live files or your backups...  It's a recipe for disaster.

If you don't want to host the file, put it somewhere away from your FMS box.

But as webko indicated; just host it already, lock down your server and remove the OS-level shares.

 

 

 

[GC GYM]

Thanks Wim,

I'm sure you can't even open a live hosted file through network level sharing or on the local machine.

So just to clarify this, if somebody wants to look at a backup that is in the scheduled backups folder, they should copy or move it out of the backups folder first, or actually take it over to their own workstation first, not open it anywhere on the FMS?

 

[webko]

Correct.

Or any other shared drive, if you value the file and its data...

My understanding is that _any_ network glitches when a file is opened directly across a network (rather than being Hosted, or being on the local hard drive) have a high potential to completely break the file.

Cheers

Webko

[GC GYM]

Didn't know that, thanks. Must have been lucky so far.

[Wim Decorte]

So just to clarify this, if somebody wants to look at a backup that is in the scheduled backups folder, they should copy or move it out of the backups folder first,

Always copy.  If they move the backup then it is gone, if they then open the backup they may modify data that will invalidate that set as a proper backup,

 

 

[Josh Ormond]

Why would you give users access to the FMS files at all? If they don't fully understand ( and religiously follow ) proper procedures...you lose data. It's always been my rule to not allow users to touch the FMS folders.

If they really need access to files you aren't hosting, Copy them via an OS level script to somewhere off the server. Or just host the file. Unless you actually see major performance issues, there is little reason not to host them. But there ARE dozens of reasons to not let users touch those files on the server ( be it locally or through the network ). 

[Wim Decorte]

Josh makes an excellent point.  In my answer I had assumed "someone" meaning to be a properly accredited filemaker server admin person working on the FMS box itself.

Do not expose your backup folders through OS-level file sharing; you do not want the OS blocking FMS taking a backup by giving people access directly to the FMS backups locations.

[GC GYM]

Thanks everyone.

If I ever needed to update a global field, I have been stopping that file only with the admin console then opening it with FMP locally on the FMS to drop in the new logo or whatever, then restarting the file with the admin console. From what I'm learning here I really should stop all files, and stop the FMS before doing this?

[Josh Ormond]

1. Just use a 1 record table to store the updated info. Load it into the globals in the OnOpen script.

2. Close the one file, download it. Make the adjustment. Move it back into the proper folder ( or upload it from FMP ). Open it back up.

3. That's not really related to the rest of the conversation. Your users should NEVER have access to that server, files, etc. They shouldn't be able to see it on the LAN.

[GC GYM]

Thank you all for this invaluable advice. Glad I didn't learn this the hard way!