Administrator’s Guide

Table Of Contents
Chapter 2
Administering the Web Server Connector
You administer the FileMaker Web Server Connector from your web
browser. FileMaker Pro 5.5 Unlimited and your databases must be
set up on your host machine(s) before you can use the Web Server
Connector. The first time you use the Web Server Connector, you
must configure the administration account. Then you can configure
the Web Server Connector with your FileMaker Pro Unlimited
host(s) either by host machine or by database.
Setting up FileMaker Pro Unlimited
Each host machine that you’re using with the Web Server Connector
must have a copy of FileMaker Pro Unlimited installed on it. (For
information on using FileMaker Pro or FileMaker Server as a backend
host with the Web Server Connector, see “Configuring a RAIC to use
with the Web Server Connector” on page 1-1.)
FileMaker Pro Unlimited must be open and running on your host
machine(s) and the Web Companion must be enabled. Each of your
FileMaker Pro databases must be open and shared via the Web
Companion. For information on where to store your other web site
files, see “Security considerations when using a RAIC” on page 1-3
and “Requirements for web access” on page 3-3.
To set up FileMaker Pro Unlimited on each host machine:
1. Enable the Web Companion.
This only needs to be done once per machine. For information, see
“Enabling the Web Companion” on page 3-3.
2. Configure the Web Companion.
If the host machine is the same as the web server machine, then you
must change the Web Companion’s TCP/IP port number from 80 to
a different number. (The port number 80 is reserved for web servers.)
For information, see “Setting Web Companion configuration
options” on page 3-3.
3. Open and share each database via the Web Companion.
For information, see “Sharing the database via the Web” on page 3-5.
Configuring the administration account
When you use the Web Server Connector for the first time, you must
configure an administration account by entering a user name and
password. The Web Server Connector uses the account name and
password to control access and prevent unauthorized changes.
Because the Web Server Connector runs on top of your web server
software, the user name and password must correspond to those of an
existing account on your web server. For Windows 2000 Server, this
account must also have administrator-level access to the directories
your web pages are stored in.
Important The user account must have Password never expires
selected in the Computer Managment profile.
To access the Web Server Connector configuration pages:
1. Start your web browser.
2. Enter the IP address or domain name of the web server and a
FileMaker CGI request for the FileMaker Web Server Connector:
http://IP address/FMPro?config
http://www.domainname.com/FMPro?config
If the Web Server Connector is on the same machine as the web server
software, then you can enter “localhost” instead of the IP address.