Administrator’s Guide (Windows)

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.
You can use the command line to:
1 start FileMaker Pro Server
1 stop FileMaker Pro Server
1 host multiuser FileMaker Pro files
1 close files hosted by FileMaker Pro Server
1 pause a file or files
1 resume a file or files
Below is a list of commands available with FileMaker Pro Server.
Note that text enclosed in the
[] characters indicates that the item is
optional.
[<path>] indicates one or more filenames (possibly
including wildcards) or folder names may optionally be given as
parameters to the command.
<#minutes> indicates a numeric value
which specifies the number of minutes before the guests will be
disconnected after a stop or close command.
To access the command-line interface, open an MS-DOS window using
the Command Prompt icon in Windows NT. At the command prompt,
switch to the FMServer directory, then type
fmserver followed by the
command, optional parameters, and switches.
Use this syntax To
fmserver start [-s] Start the FileMaker Pro Server service. Use the -s option to skip automatically
opening files in the FileMaker Pro Server folder (and one level down)
fmserver stop [-m “message text”]
[-t <#minutes>]
Stop the FileMaker Pro Server service, send a custom message to guests, and set the
number of minutes before the files close
fmserver open [<path>] Host specific FileMaker Pro files
fmserver close [<path>] [-m “message text”]
[-t <#minutes>]
Close specific FileMaker Pro files, send a custom message to guests, and set the
number of minutes before the files close
fmserver pause [<path>] Pause activity on specific or all FileMaker Pro files. Pause files before copying them
to another directory, for example, when backing them up. Useful with the NT Backup
and Schedule services. If no path is specified, all hosted files are paused.
fmserver resume [<path>] Resume activity on specific or all paused FileMaker Pro files after they have been
copied or backed up. Useful with the NT Backup and Schedule services. If no path is
specified, all paused files are resumed.