F O R W I N D O W S N T ADMINISTRATOR’S GUIDE ©1997 Claris Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Claris Corporation 5201 Patrick Henry Drive Santa Clara, California 95052 Claris and FileMaker are trademarks of Claris Corporation, registered in the U.S. and other countries. Apple, AppleTalk, LocalTalk, Mac, Macintosh, and MacTCP are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
III Contents Chapter 1: Installing FileMaker Pro Server Introducing FileMaker Pro Server How does FileMaker Pro Server work? Registration and customer support What’s in the FileMaker Pro Server package What you need Intel and compatible systems RISC-based systems Networking requirements Installing FileMaker Pro Server Installing on Windows NT 4.0 Installing on Windows NT 3.
IV FileMaker Pro Server Administrator’s Guide Backing up FileMaker Pro Server databases Examining the FileMaker Pro Server log file Using the Today function with FileMaker Pro Server 3-13 3-14 3-14 Chapter 4: Technical specifications and optimization Limits for files and usage Performance and usage tips FileMaker Pro Server log file Troubleshooting Index A-1 A-2 A-3 A-4 I-1
Chapter 1: Installing FileMaker Pro Server Welcome to the FileMaker Pro Server for Windows NT application from Claris Corporation. FileMaker Pro Server provides enhanced file sharing capabilities on your network when used in conjunction with the FileMaker Pro 3.0 database management application, also from Claris. This chapter provides hardware and networking requirements, as well as installation instructions.
1-2 FileMaker Pro Server Administrator’s Guide How does FileMaker Pro Server work? FileMaker Pro Server for Windows NT consists of a service and a control panel. By operating as a service, FileMaker Pro Server provides improved performance to FileMaker Pro guests on the network. Like other Windows NT services, it does not require a user to be logged in to the computer running the service, which provides better security. FileMaker Pro Server is a tool to use with FileMaker Pro 3.
Installing FileMaker Pro Server 1-3 Keep in mind the following points about the different uses of FileMaker Pro Server and FileMaker Pro: 1 Use FileMaker Pro Server to open and host FileMaker Pro files that you want to make available to FileMaker Pro guests on your network. 1 As a dedicated host, FileMaker Pro Server only hosts the files. FileMaker Pro Server can’t directly access or modify the information in the files.
1-4 FileMaker Pro Server Administrator’s Guide What’s in the FileMaker Pro Server package The FileMaker Pro Server package includes: Package component Description Software CD-ROM disc The Setup application and all the files you need to use FileMaker Pro Server FileMaker Pro Server Administrator’s Guide Installation instructions and information about how to use FileMaker Pro Server Claris Service Directory A card showing information about Claris Technical Support and Claris Customer Assistance Clari
Installing FileMaker Pro Server 1-5 1 Windows NT Advanced Server or Windows NT Workstation, version 3.51 or later. (See the End User License Agreement that came with the Windows NT operating system for more information concerning the number of connections.) 1 a CD-ROM disk drive 1 a hard disk with at least 1.
1-6 FileMaker Pro Server Administrator’s Guide FileMaker Pro Server is designed to run by itself on a dedicated computer—a computer where no applications are normally running. Avoid installing FileMaker Pro Server on a computer that is a user’s primary workstation or network file server. When FileMaker Pro Server is hosting many guests or a large number of database files, it uses a high level of processor and network capacity.
Installing FileMaker Pro Server 1-7 Installing on Windows NT 4.0 To install FileMaker Pro Server on Windows NT 4.0: 1. Start Windows NT. Log in with administrator-level privileges. 2. Click the Start button and then point to Settings. 3. Click Control Panel. 4. Double-click Add/Remove Programs. You see the Add/Remove Programs Properties dialog box. 5. Click Install. 6. Insert the FileMaker Pro Server CD-ROM disc. 7. Follow the installation instructions provided on the screen.
1-8 FileMaker Pro Server Administrator’s Guide Installing on Windows NT 3.51 To install FileMaker Pro with Windows NT 3.51: 1. Start Windows NT. Log in with administrator-level privileges. 2. Insert the FileMaker Pro Server CD-ROM disc. 3. Choose Run from the Program Manager’s File menu. Type the drive letter and then the setup command in the Command Line box (for example, d:\setup) and click OK. 4. Follow the installation instructions provided on the screen.
Chapter 2: Configuring FileMaker Pro Server This chapter describes how to configure the FileMaker Pro Server control panel and how to start the FileMaker Pro Server service. Configuring the FileMaker Pro Server control panel Once you have installed FileMaker Pro Server, you can configure it using the FileMaker Pro Server control panel.
2-2 FileMaker Pro Server Administrator’s Guide Choose the maximum number of guests Choose the maximum number of files to host Control access to remote administration from a FileMaker Pro guest Specify the host name guests see when they connect to FileMaker Pro Server Select the network protocol guests use to connect to FileMaker Pro Server FileMaker Pro Server control panel 4. Set options as described in the following sections. To configure the FileMaker Pro Server control panel using Windows NT 3.
Configuring FileMaker Pro Server 2-3 To set the maximum number of FileMaker Pro guests: 1. In the FileMaker Pro Server control panel, choose 25, 50, 75, or 100 from the Allow a maximum of guests list. Selecting a lower number leaves more memory available for FileMaker Pro Server. See “Performance and usage tips” on page A-2 for more information about memory optimization. 2. Set any other options, and then click OK.
2-4 FileMaker Pro Server Administrator’s Guide Specifying a password for remote administration Use FileMaker Pro 3.0 for Windows or FileMaker Pro 3.0 for Mac OS to control, or administer, FileMaker Pro Server. Use the Administer dialog box to view performance statistics, send messages to guests, disconnect guests, and open or close files. (See chapter 3 for more information.) Remote administration can be enabled with or without a password, or completely disabled.
Configuring FileMaker Pro Server 2-5 To specify what name FileMaker Pro Server uses: 1. In the FileMaker Pro Server control panel, choose one of the following options for Host name: Choose To System name Have FileMaker Pro Server use the name for the computer in the Network control panel Custom name Have FileMaker Pro Server use the custom name you specify 2. Set any other options, and then click OK. Note Users connecting to the server may see a host name in different ways.
2-6 FileMaker Pro Server Administrator’s Guide Important The only way to protect shared FileMaker Pro files is by using access privileges in FileMaker Pro 3.0. Although the shared FileMaker Pro files reside on a file server, which may have its own security scheme, any files available to FileMaker Pro guests bypass network and file server protection. For more information on protecting files with a password, see the FileMaker Pro User’s Guide.
Configuring FileMaker Pro Server 2-7 1 FileMaker Pro Server administration allows several operations to be performed simultaneously on all of the files in a single subfolder. To take advantage of this feature, place related databases into the same subfolder. When FileMaker Pro Server is started, these files will be hosted as a group. 1 Up to a maximum of 100 files can be made accessible to FileMaker Pro 3.0 guests on the network. Each FileMaker Pro guest can open a maximum of 50 files.
2-8 FileMaker Pro Server Administrator’s Guide 2. Click the Start button in the Windows NT Taskbar and then point to Settings. 3. Click Control Panel. 4. Double-click the Services icon. 5. Select FileMaker Pro Server from the list and click the Start button. FileMaker Pro Server opens the FileMaker Pro files for access by FileMaker Pro 3.0 guests on the network.
Chapter 3: Administering FileMaker Pro Server Use FileMaker Pro 3.0 for Windows or FileMaker Pro 3.0 for Mac OS to control, or administer, FileMaker Pro Server while FileMaker Pro Server is running.
3-2 FileMaker Pro Server Administrator’s Guide You see the Hosts dialog box. Server computer with administration disabled FileMaker Pro 3.0 files hosted by FileMaker Pro Server Hosts dialog box in FileMaker Pro 3.0 Tip You can go directly to the Hosts dialog box by pressing Shift+Ctrl+O (in Windows) or Command-Option-O (in Mac OS). The computer running FileMaker Pro Server appears in the Hosts list as a bold italic item, next to a FileMaker Pro Server icon.
Administering FileMaker Pro Server 3-3 You see the remote administer dialog box. FileMaker Pro Server host name Number of open databases and connected guests List of hosted database files Administer dialog box Viewing usage statistics of hosted files Use the Administer dialog box to view usage statistics, such as how FileMaker Pro Server is performing and how many guests are logged into FileMaker Pro Server.
3-4 FileMaker Pro Server Administrator’s Guide FileMaker Pro Server updates the statistics in the usage area every 15 seconds or less but no more than once a second. Although this reduces the overhead required to calculate the statistics, it means the statistics are approximations of how FileMaker Pro Server is using resources. Using the View by options: Use the View by options to choose what information you see in the list.
Administering FileMaker Pro Server 3-5 Double-click a database to view the guests Choose View by Database/Folder and All Databases to see all open databases and their activity Choose View by Database/Folder and a database name to see guests in the database Opening a FileMaker Pro file When the FileMaker Pro Server service starts up, it automatically opens all multiuser files in the FMServer folder (and subfolders one level down).
3-6 FileMaker Pro Server Administrator’s Guide FileMaker Pro Server opens the file and makes it available to FileMaker Pro guests on the network. In a moment the database name appears in the list in the Administer dialog box (if View by Database/Folder is selected). You can’t see or modify information in these files using FileMaker Pro Server. Tip You can also open a file by dragging a FileMaker Pro 3.0 file icon and dropping it on the FMServer application icon (Windows NT 4.
Administering FileMaker Pro Server 3-7 5. Click OK. The file or folder name in the list changes to italics to show that FileMaker Pro Server is closing it. FileMaker Pro guests see a notification dialog box with your message requesting they close the file. If guests don’t close the file, the message repeats approximately one minute before the file is set to close. When the set time elapses, FileMaker Pro Server disconnects any remaining guests and closes the file or files in the folder.
3-8 FileMaker Pro Server Administrator’s Guide Disconnecting guests To disconnect a FileMaker Pro guest: 1. In the Administer dialog box, select the guest to disconnect.
Administering FileMaker Pro Server 3-9 The guest name in the list changes to italics to show that FileMaker Pro Server is attempting to disconnect the guest. The selected guest sees a notification dialog box with your message requesting he or she disconnect from the server. If the guest doesn’t disconnect, the message is repeated approximately one minute before FileMaker Pro Server is set to disconnect the guest.
3-10 FileMaker Pro Server Administrator’s Guide Stopping FileMaker Pro Server Stopping the FileMaker Pro Server service disconnects all FileMaker Pro guests (after notification messages appear on all guest computers) and closes all database files hosted by FileMaker Pro Server. To stop FileMaker Pro Server: 1. In the Windows Control Panel, open the Services control panel. 2. Select the FileMaker Pro Server service in the list. 3.
Administering FileMaker Pro Server 3-11 Using the command line with FileMaker Pro Server Use the command line interface to automate tasks with FileMaker Pro Server, such as backing up files using the Windows NT Backup and Schedule services, or to administer from the FileMaker Pro Server machine without using the FileMaker Pro application.
3-12 FileMaker Pro Server Administrator’s Guide See the table below for command line examples: For example, use this command To fmserver start Start the FileMaker Pro Server service and open all multiuser FileMaker Pro files in the FileMaker Pro Server directory (and one level down) fmserver start -s Start the FileMaker Pro Server service without opening any FileMaker Pro files fmserver stop -m “All servers will be shut down in 10 minutes” -t 10 Send a custom message to guests and stop the FileMaker
Administering FileMaker Pro Server 3-13 Backing up FileMaker Pro Server databases When many users share files and make changes to them on a network, it’s important to back up the databases regularly. In the MS-DOS window, you can use the fmserver pause and fmserver resume commands, along with DOS commands, to copy the FileMaker Pro database files to another directory. Below are sample steps used in a backup scheme: 1. First, use the mkdir command to create a new directory, for example, Backups. 2.
3-14 FileMaker Pro Server Administrator’s Guide Examining the FileMaker Pro Server log file FileMaker Pro Server creates a log file to help you keep track of its activities.
Administering FileMaker Pro Server 3-15 2. Open the file in FileMaker Pro 3.0. You see a message stating that the Today function is being calculated. This may take some time, depending on the number of records and other database calculations. 3. Close the file. 4. In FileMaker Pro 3.0, open the Administer dialog box. See “Accessing the Administer dialog box” on page 3-1 for more information. 5. Click Open Database to reopen the database file.
Appendix A: Technical specifications and optimization This appendix lists technical issues to consider when you use FileMaker Pro Server.
A-2 FileMaker Pro Server Administrator’s Guide Performance and usage tips If you find that FileMaker Pro Server is sluggish when performing certain operations, try the following: 1 Run FileMaker Pro Server on a dedicated computer. 1 Use as fast a computer as possible. The faster the computer, the better FileMaker Pro Server performs. 1 Avoid using FileMaker Pro Server on the same computer that is operating as a Windows NT file server. Performance will be significantly decreased for both services.
Technical specifications and optimization A-3 FileMaker Pro Server log file The following is a list of some of the log file messages you might see and an expanded explanation. Variables, like the name of the user or file, are in italics. Message Explanation Closing file filename due to a serious error (error number) The specified file is closed by FileMaker Pro Server due to an error condition. The file may need to be recovered in the FileMaker Pro application.
A-4 FileMaker Pro Server Administrator’s Guide Message Explanation TCP/IP network initialization failed; not enough memory There is insufficient memory to use TCP/IP. See “What you need” on page 1-4 for RAM requirements. TCP/IP network initialization failed; protocol is not installed (error number) FileMaker Pro Server can’t initialize TCP/IP, because the TCP/IP protocol is not installed or not configured correctly in the Networks control panel.
Technical specifications and optimization A-5 Tip When FileMaker Pro Server behaves unexpectedly, check the log file to diagnose the problem. See “Examining the FileMaker Pro Server log file” on page 3-14 and “FileMaker Pro Server log file” on page A-3 for more information. The following table lists some problems you may encounter when using FileMaker Pro Server.
A-6 FileMaker Pro Server Administrator’s Guide Symptom Suggested solution or explanation Receive “File could not be opened: must be set to Multi-User in FileMaker Pro” message when trying to open a file in FileMaker Pro Server (or in log file). FileMaker Pro Server can’t open files set to Single-User. Open the file in the FileMaker Pro application and choose Single-User from the File menu to switch the file to multiuser status.
I-1 Index A Access privileges 1-5, 2-5 Administer dialog box accessing 3-1 described 3-1 to 3-3 italic text in 3-7, 3-9 viewing guests or files 3-4 Administering closing files 3-6 disconnecting guests 3-8 from different platforms 1-5 from server 3-11 hosting files 3-5 opening files 3-5 sending messages 3-9 setting passwords for 2-4 using command line 3-11 to 3-12 viewing usage statistics 3-3 AppleTalk, not supported A-5 described 2-1 maximum number of files 2-3 maximum number of guests 2-2 memory consider
I-2 FileMaker Pro Server Administrator’s Guide FileMaker Pro Server log file See also Database cache; Files; Optimization; Performance; Troubleshooting described 3-14 fmsrvexs.txt file 3-14 fmsrvlas.txt file 3-14 fmsrvlog.
Index I-3 P S Password, for remote administration entering 3-2 maximum length A-1 specifying 2-4 Passwords, for FileMaker Pro files 2-5 Path, for installed files 1-6 Pause command 3-11 Pausing activities 3-11 Performance A-2 See also Memory; Troubleshooting Preferences. See Configuring Protocols, network setting 2-5 supported 1-5 Sample files 1-6, 3-12 Schedules.
