How does filemaker server work

Because the developer controls the design, websites built with Custom Web Publishing will often have a different look from the layout designs on the database level. Because of this, Custom Web Publishing is a great choice for integrating FileMaker databases with existing websites. Keep in mind, though, that the Site Assistants are tools to help get you started.

That said, Custom Web Publishing features non-session based connections. This means that the connection between the client and the web server is terminated once an action, such as a web page loading is complete. Because of this, solutions employing Custom Web Publishing have the potential to exceed the one hundred concurrent user limitation. FileMaker Pro does not include this feature. Doing this essentially generates a static web page whose HTML can be further edited and modified.

By turning on Instant Web Publishing and placing the file in FileMaker Pro's Web folder, developers have the ability to publish a static web page containing FileMaker data.

It may be plausible to use Static Web Publishing if data rarely changes and you don't want users accessing your database. Keep in mind, however, that any changes made within the database will not be reflected in the web page and vice versa.

This includes data structuring, the customization of layouts, and the user account specifications for web technology access in the extended privilege sets. Hosting with FileMaker Server Publishing over the web with FileMaker Server requires that FileMaker Server be installed on a machine that meets technical specifications, has an Internet connection, and has an up and running web server. While this type of configuration FileMaker Server and the web server on the same machine denotes what FileMaker labels a "Single Machine configuration," other configuration types, such as Multiple Machine configurations, can be installed to increase performance under demanding conditions.

For more information on these alternative configurations, please reference the FileMaker Server User's Guide. In order to publish databases over the web, one or more web technologies must be enabled. These web pages are then placed in Windows or Macintosh's Web folder for the web server to host. If Instant Web Publishing is enabled, FileMaker will automatically generate web pages from existing layouts and will handle server communications.

Once the database is configured for web access, two major components of FileMaker Server, the Database Server and the Web Publishing Engine, will interact with the web server. The web server's role remains the same: handle HTTP requests and host web pages. The Database Server will retrieve the requested data and send it to the Web Publishing Engine, which then transmits the information to the web server.

The web server then serves the initial request by sending the information to the requesting web browser. Additionally, FileMaker Pro does not require the use of a third party web server when hosting files.

Instead, FileMaker Pro acts as an internal web server that hosts databases. The following image depicts how some of the FileMaker Server components interact with one another in a web publishing scenario: One of the critical questions concerning FileMaker Web Publishing is how FileMaker databases sync with the changes made over the web.

As outlined in the image above, when you make a request for FileMaker data, the Web Publishing engine pulls the information directly from the Database Server. Because of this, changes made over the web are automatically reflected on the database level; a sync process is not required. Changes you make from a web page are sent back to FileMaker Server and reflected in the database.

Hosting with FileMaker Pro vs. FileMaker Server Since the web publishing technologies are not included in every product, the choice between FileMaker Server and FileMaker Pro directly affects which web technologies are available to you. SSL is a protocol that encrypts data passed from the web server to guest computers on the web.

Also, FileMaker Server runs as a set of services in the background of the host machine. When FileMaker Pro is the host, the application and database are required to be open at all times for users to be able to see the hosted files. Aside from security, the estimated amount of concurrent users should be taken into account. FileMaker Pro is limited to five 5 simultaneous users.

FileMaker Server increases the limitation to one hundred users. However, as previously discussed, solutions employing Custom Web Publishing have the potential to exceed this number due to the nature of its non-session based connectivity. With Custom Web Publishing, connectivity to the web server is terminted once actions such as loading a web page are completed. Q: Do I need experience building web pages? A: No. Instant Web Publishing automatically generates web pages from your existing layouts resulting in a "hands free" web publishing experience.

The on-board memory will be used for any disk related activities instead of precious system RAM. FileMaker WebDirect Considerations You will need at least 2x the disk space as the size of your largest anticipated size of your database files.

FileMaker, Inc. Data is striped across at least three 3 or more disk drives. RAID 5 is particularly suited for systems with medium to large capacity requirements because the cost per megabyte is relatively low.

The potential downside to this type of error detection is a decrease in write speeds as the parity bit is also written to disk. One drive from each RAID 1 set can fail without damaging the data. A system without a good RAID controller requires the system CPU to handle all disk related activities in addition to everything else going on with the system.

Processor Power: Second only to the disk subsystem, the choice for what type of processor to use can have the most impact on the performance of FileMaker Server. Recent versions of FileMaker Server are handling more and more features and functionality on the server itself versus handing them off to a remote FileMaker Pro client so choosing the right processor is vital. FileMaker Server can take advantage of multiple processors.

Therefore, as more processors are available, more work can be distributed. Along the same lines, an individual processor can have multiple cores. A core is the part of the processor that performs the reading and executing of instructions. Splitting the workload between two server machines can improve performance for all clients.

How much actual RAM is needed is predicated on many factors, including: What type of data is being stored in the database text only versus container field data The physical size of the database s that FileMaker Server is hosting The actual number of users that will be accessing the files being hosted by FileMaker Server. The overall complexity of the solutions being hosted. For example, it is unlikely that a database comprised mainly of text data will put much of a strain on the overall resources of your FileMaker Server.

This cache setting is the amount of memory that FileMaker Server reserves to handle requests specific to database actions in memory rather than reading and writing from the hard drive. In most cases, the database cache size should be left at the default setting. One should never enlarge the database cache that will cause virtual memory swap which can significantly reduce the overall performance of the system.

In that case, consider increasing physical RAM. The trade off of using a larger cache setting is that more information would be lost if FileMaker Server unexpectedly crashes and the data in the cache has not been written to disk. The following packages are required for Linux: wget: Retrieves the FileMaker Server for Linux installer from the web unzip: Unzips the FileMaker Server for Linux software package Before you install, confirm that your machine meets the minimum requirements.

Step 1. Update the Linux repository and make the dependent Linux packages available. Enter the command: Ubuntu: sudo apt update CentOS: sudo yum update. Enter the command: Ubuntu: sudo apt upgrade CentOS: sudo yum upgrade. Download and unzip the FileMaker Server for Linux installer package: Download the FileMaker Server for Linux installer using the link to the software download page you received in an email message.

Enter the command: wget [url] where [url] is the download link from the email message. Unzip the FileMaker Server for Linux installer package file. Enter the command: unzip [installer] where [installer] is the name of the installer package. Identify the name of the FileMaker Server for Linux installer. Enter the command: Ubuntu: sudo apt install. When prompted: Accept the FileMaker Server license agreement.

Enter the command: Y Select the installation type. Enter the command: 0 Create a user name and password for Admin Console, and a 4-digit PIN used to reset the password when necessary. To verify the installation, check that the FileMaker Server processes and the Apache server are running. Start the installation. Windows: Double-click Setup. If a User Account Control alert appears, click Yes. If a security message appears, click Continue.

Windows: Choose a language, click OK. If you do not have Bonjour for Windows installed, you are prompted to allow the FileMaker Server installer to install it. Read the important information displayed. If there is a task you did not do, quit the installer and do the task. Review and accept the end user license agreement. Choose the installation destination. Choose FileMaker Server primary. You may want to choose this option if you already have an account that has privileges set as you want—for example, to access network-attached storage.

Click Install. FileMaker Server begins to install. This process may take several minutes. Test your installation: see Testing your deployment. Upload databases: see Uploading databases. Get support: see Customer Support and Knowledge Base. Admin Console: runs in a web browser on any client computer from which you want to configure and administer FileMaker Server. Database Server only When you install FileMaker Server on one machine, web publishing is disabled by default.

Ports 80 and must be open. Ports and must be open. Ports , , , , , and must be available. Firewall: Ports 80, , , , and must be open in the firewall. Read Before you install FileMaker Server. Ensure that no existing websites on the primary or secondary machines use port 80 or These ports are used by FileMaker Server on both machines.

If you already have a single-machine deployment of FileMaker Server 19, you can add a secondary machine to your existing deployment. To add a secondary machine, install FileMaker Server on the secondary; see Installing on a secondary machine Windows and macOS and Installing on a secondary machine Linux.

Then in the Deployment assistant on the secondary machine, connect to the existing server, which becomes the primary machine. Ports that must be open to support client connections. Follow your electronic download instructions to download the installation disk image. Windows: If you have Bonjour for Windows installed, make sure it is running before you run the FileMaker Server installer.

Choose FileMaker WebDirect secondary. After the software has been successfully installed, start the Deployment assistant. Windows: In the last step of the installer, enable Start the Deployment assistant , then click Finish.

Use a desktop shortcut. In Windows, the installer uses the computer name as the host name. If the primary machine's host name is not a fully qualified domain name, a FileMaker WebDirect client may not be able to connect to the primary machine's Web Publishing Engine when a secondary machine is unavailable.

To change the host name on the primary machine, disconnect all secondary machines, uninstall FileMaker Server on the primary machine, change the host name, reinstall FileMaker Server on the primary machine, then connect the secondary machines using the new host name.

To change the host name of a secondary machine, remove it from the primary machine, change the host name, then reconnect it to the primary machine. If a secondary machine is connected to the primary machine using an IP address, redirects to the primary machine will use an IP address.

If a secondary machine is connected to the primary machine using a fully qualified domain name, redirects to the primary machine will use a fully qualified domain name. Make sure you have opened Admin Console on the primary machine to complete installation before connecting a secondary machine. Do not connect a secondary machine to a primary machine that has been installed but not deployed. To allow the unverified certificate, select Connect using the unverified certificate and click Add to primary again.

If you receive an error saying that the connection timed out, verify that the secondary machine has network access to the primary machine. Enter the command : 1 To verify the installation, check that the FileMaker Server processes and the Apache server are running.

In the Deployment assistant, click Import Certificate to import a custom SSL certificate to a fully qualified domain name for the secondary machine. If you have a custom SSL certificate installed, when you use a host name, it should be a valid, fully qualified host name as supported by the custom SSL certificate installed on the primary machine.

If you have a custom SSL certificate installed, when you use a host name, it should be a valid, fully qualified host name as supported by the custom SSL certificate installed on the secondary machine. For information on the versions of supporting software that are required, see the FileMaker Server system requirements.

This format is not supported. During installation, if you specify a FileMaker Server user account other than the default, the specified account must meet the following requirements: Windows: The account must be either a local user account or a Windows domain account. The account must have the same privileges as the Windows system account for local file access.

The account must not be from a directory service for example, Active Directory or Open Directory. If you set up additional database or container data folders on remote volumes, the account specified for the FileMaker Server user account must also have full permissions to access these remote folders. Bonjour installation: Windows: Bonjour is optional.

To correct the issue, clear the browser history. If your server computer has a firewall, make sure all required ports are open in the firewall. See Before you install FileMaker Server. If your machine is running slowly, shut down any unnecessary applications. Restart your machine. If the primary machine has a firewall enabled, open the ports required by FileMaker Server to communicate with users and administrators.

To proceed to the desired page, users can click the option in the web browser to continue. To prevent this error message, see Requesting an SSL certificate. The firewall settings on the primary machine may be blocking the display of databases to clients. See Before you install FileMaker Server for information on which ports need to be unblocked in firewalls. Use supported clients to open files that are hosted by FileMaker Server Admin Console supports many FileMaker Server administration tasks.

Admin Console starts and displays the Dashboard page. Note: If you want to change the default user name and password, see Changing user credentials. If your web browser prompts you to save your user name and password, decline unless you are sure that access to your web browser is secure. See Changing user credentials.

In the CLI, change your password. For example, enter: fmsadmin resetpw -p [pass] -z [pin] where [pass] is the new password, and [pin] is your PIN number. FileMaker Pro uploads databases along with any externally stored container field objects. FileMaker Server copies the databases to the specified database folder and sets file permissions and privileges so that you can access the databases after they are uploaded.

Manually upload databases to FileMaker Server. Copy the databases and any externally stored container field objects to the proper location. FileMaker Server provides the following ways to perform database backups. Backup type Description Automatic FileMaker Server creates an automatic backup of hosted databases once a day.

Every time the schedule runs, FileMaker Server checks whether the selected databases have changed since the last backup. FileMaker Server creates a full copy of the databases that have changed and creates hard links to the backed-up databases that have not changed. Progressive FileMaker Server starts by creating a full backup of all hosted databases. After the initial full backup is complete, the Database Server only copies the changes from the hosted file to the progressive backup folder.

Progressive backups can run more quickly than a backup schedule, with less impact on server performance. Progressive backups keep two copies of the backup files: a timestamped copy that is available for you to use as a backup, and an in-progress copy that gets updated with the accumulated changes. You can create scheduled tasks to run: system-level scripts—for example, Windows batch, Perl, VBScript, and AppleScript FileMaker scripts in databases hosted by FileMaker Server script sequences that combine a FileMaker script with an optional pre-processing system-level script and an optional post-processing system-level script See FileMaker Server Help.

System-level scripts Script files must be placed in the Scripts folder on the primary machine in your FileMaker Server deployment. System-level scripts can perform operating system level tasks on the primary machine. The general format for fmsadmin commands is: fmsadmin command [options] The following example authenticates with the Admin Console user name admin and the password pword , and closes all open databases without prompting you to confirm: fmsadmin close -y -u admin -p pword Important: CLI commands can include the Admin Console name and password.

In the CLI, use the help command to see Help pages that list what commands and options are available and how to use them: fmsadmin help. You can save the settings for your schedules that are configured in the current installation. Save the schedule settings in a file. Note other settings that you have changed from the defaults and want to reuse in your FileMaker Server 19 deployment.

If you are using a custom SSL certificate, save a copy of the serverCustom. Make a note of the settings in the configuration tabs: For FileMaker Server 18 and 19, note the settings on the Configuration, Connectors, and Administration tabs. Wait until Web Publishing Engines on primary and secondary machines have stopped. Wait until the Database Server has stopped. To install FileMaker Server, use an account with administrative privileges.

To deploy across multiple machines, see Deploying FileMaker Server across multiple machines. Applying security updates or minor operating system updates When applying a security update or minor operating system update—for example, from macOS Save the settings for your schedules.

This step is a precaution in case the system update causes issues that require you to uninstall and reinstall. Note your existing FileMaker Server settings.

Stop FileMaker Server. See Step 3. Make a copy of any databases and shell script files you used with FileMaker Server. Copy the files to an external volume. Apply the security update or system update, and then restart the machine. Start Admin Console.

Using Admin Console, verify that all FileMaker Pro databases are being hosted and that all FileMaker Server settings and schedules have been preserved.

Review the FileMaker Server Event. If you find any problems, uninstall FileMaker Server and reinstall it, then restore the files and settings you saved before applying the update. See steps 5 through 11 in Applying a major system update for instructions on how to uninstall and restore. See Step 5. See Step 6. Clear the Java cache and web browser cache. Upgrade your operating system. Install FileMaker Server See Step 7. Move any databases or script files you used with the previous version of FileMaker Server to the proper folders within the FileMaker Server 19 folder structure.

See Step 8. Move files to the proper location. Load the settings for your schedules after installation. See Step 9.

Load your schedules. Configure FileMaker Server. See Step Configure your deployment. Notes FileMaker Server supports using a single-domain certificate, a wildcard certificate, or a subject alternative name SAN certificate. The custom SSL certificate must use base encoding. If you are using a multiple-machine deployment, request custom SSL certificates for the primary machine and the secondary machines. Import a custom SSL certificate on each machine. To remove an imported certificate, use the CLI command fmsadmin certificate delete , and restart FileMaker Server to apply the change.

For information about supported certificates, see the Knowledge Base. Use the certificate create command to create the certificate request file that you send to the CA serverRequest.

The certificate create command creates two output files: the encrypted private key file: serverRequest. For example: certificate create --keyfilepass exampleSecretPassphrase Use the certificate import command to create a custom server. This custom server.

To prevent this error: Windows: Open the command prompt window using Run as Administrator. Use double quotation marks to enclose the subject string if it includes space characters. Click Add Roles. Choose the IIS role services to install.

Click Next to accept the defaults. Add any role services as required. On the Windows Start screen, choose Server Manager. Select Role-based or feature-based installation , then click Next. Select the server, then click Next. Choose any additional features, if necessary, then click Next. Click Next. Confirm your selections, then click Install. This is the simplest configuration. See Disabling IIS authentication. You must also set up Windows user accounts that exactly match the user accounts for the web-published FileMaker databases.

See Enabling IIS authentication. You may have to expand some of the nodes to see the websites. In the center pane, double-click Authentication. In the Authentication pane: ensure that Anonymous Authentication is enabled disable all other authentication methods.

Ensure that Basic Authentication is selected. Click Next until you reach the end of wizard, then click Close. Consider these key areas when selecting the hardware: Disk subsystem: The disk subsystem is a type of disk storage that has an integrated collection of disk drives. This subsystem is the most important factor to consider when purchasing hardware for FileMaker Server because it reads and writes data stored in the database.

Having a fast and optimized disk subsystem to effectively handle both reading and writing the data has a significant impact on how the database performs. Processor: FileMaker Server handles many processor intensive operations, such as finding information, evaluating unstored calculations, and resolving relationships; therefore, the processor you choose is almost as important as the disk subsystem.