Supercontainer integrated into FM

[akom]

I know this question has probably been asked many times but we will not be upgrading any time soon because of the nightmare experience from the last upgrade.  It took almost an entire day for several people working to get version 11 working 4 years ago.  We will stay on version 11 or move to some other software if we can find it before going through that experience again.  I kept all of the log files and documented most of what I did; however, the person that did most of the upgrade is no longer with us, and shudders whenever I see him and talk about the experience.

I install software frequently for my job but FM is far from friendly.  Does FM have any plans to integrate Supercontainer into its product, or can someone suggest a better alternative?

[bcooney]

I really don't know how to reply to your post. No, FMI will not incorporate a third party product. However, it seems that you are completely unaware of the new container features introduced in FileMaker 12 (http://help.filemaker.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/10083/~/filemaker-go-12-new-features ). That make it worthwhile to upgrade to FM14 (although it depends on your workflow and use of SuperContainer). Upgrading FM and using SuperContainer are not mutually exclusive. Additionally, I have not addressed the security enhancements that justify upgrading.

As to the "nightmare experience," well, without details it's impossible to say whether or not your next upgrade will be a repeat of the same. I just did a FM11>FM14 upgrade for a client and as far as the solution itself, it was trivial. The rollout of FM14 client was the logistical challenge.

Barbara

[akom]

Does this container feature replace supercontainer?  We use ours for storing mostly pdf files and posting for public view via web app.

Thank you for the information.

[bcooney]

I think it does. Especially with FMS14. Perhaps someone from 360 might want to chime in.

[Jesse Barnum]

FileMaker 13 and later does incorporate much of what SuperContainer does. SuperContainer is still the better choice if you need easy external access from PHP / Java or need to build a workflow for things like cropping or watermarks, but for simple uploads and downloads from FileMaker Pro client or WebDirect with no external integration, I think you'll be happy with the built-in features in 13 or 14.

[akom]

Thank you Jesse, that is reassuring and I have passed your information on to my manager.