[WinMac] Re: Claris FileMaker

Ilyse Kazar(kazar[at]macconnect.com)
Sat, 14 Nov 1998 08:58:47 -0500

Douglas Parker wrote:

>I have a Claris FileMaker database on a Quadra 610 running standard
>FileSharing. Macs login, they open the datafile which launches the
>application, they get their data, they quit, and they unmount the server
>from their desktop. 1, 2, 3.

You are risking corruption of your database files by having filesharing
turned on. The folder that contains the files should have filesharing
turned *off*. Further, the machine on which the files are stored should
be the first one to open the files (thereby serving as "host"). Any other
machines would then log in as "guest", by choosing File/Open and then
clicking the "Hosts" button. Any FMP files that are open on the network
(or in any zone appearing in the list in a zoned setup) will be available
for launching properly.

FileMaker Pro has its own built-in network scheme that does not rely in
any way on AppleShare or any other kind of sharing privileges (Win/NT
included). It is contra-indicated by FileMaker Inc. to access the files
via filesharing. I cannot emphasize this enough -- I have seen horrible
cases of corruption result from failing to follow the recommended access
method.

So you must also not provide an alias/shortcut to the database files on
the remote machines. In order to simplify the File/Open/Hosts method for
your users you can write a little "launcher" program that runs an opening
script that automates the Hosts routine to open the hosted files, and
then closes itself.

>I have a new AppleShare IP server running on a Motorola StarMax. No software
>or applications have been installed on it yet. How can I best configure it
>for both platforms to access the data?

Install FileMaker Pro. Move the data files, and turn sharing *off* on the
folder that contains them. You can include aliases in the Start Up folder
if you wish. Any Mac/Win/NT machine with FMP installed on a network can
access FMP files opened by any other machine (of any platform) with
absolutely no extra steps... this is your evidence of FMP's built-in
networking capabilities.

Of course, if you wish your Win users to also share other types of data
files (Word, etc.) stored on this server, then you will want to look at
something like PC MacLan.

>Assuming I move the datafile and the application to the StarMax running
>AppleShare IP, can I run the Mac software from the AppleShare server, run
>the WIN version from a WIN95 workstation with filesharing enabled (FileMaker
>is cross-platform), and access the data off the AppleShare IP server?

All correct except, once again, *TURN OFF FILESHARING*.

Please read the networking section of the manual or search the Tech Info
library at www.filemaker.com/support if you wish to read about all of
this first-hand. (Or save yourself the time & take it from a F/T FMP
consultant.)

>Who has a FileMaker database running on the web? Maybe that's a more elegant
>way to go.

It depends on your requirements. If you have files that are serving the
end-user just fine and your only requirement was to share multi-user FMP
files in an xplat environment, you might as well just put the files to
use as they are.

hth,

kazar

------------------------------------------------
                   datatude

Ilyse Kazar Anne Verrinder
Tel: 212-260-6976 Tel: 908-534-9552
kazar@macconnect.com annev@eclipse.net

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This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b2 on Sat Nov 14 1998 - 05:58:06 PST