®

For Windows, Mac OS X, Mac OS, and Red Hat Linux

FileMaker
Server 5.5
Administrator’s Guide

©1994-1995, 1997, 1999, 2001 FileMaker, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

FileMaker, Inc.
5201 Patrick Henry Drive
Santa Clara, California 95054
www.filemaker.com
FileMaker is a trademark of FileMaker, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries, and the file folder logo is a trademark of
FileMaker, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Red Hat is a registered trademark of Red Hat, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries.
All persons and companies listed in the examples are purely fictitious and any resemblance to existing persons and companies is
purely coincidental.
Mention of third party companies and products is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement. FileMaker
assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance, or use of these products. All understandings, agreements or
warranties, if any, take place directly between the vendor and prospective users.
This page intentionally left blank.
 Contents

Preface Where files are stored on your hard disk 2-3

Using the FileMaker Server documentation Uninstalling FileMaker Server (Windows) 2-5
About this guide vii
Using FileMaker Server Help (Windows and Mac OS) viii Chapter 3
Starting FileMaker Server Help viii
Installing FileMaker Server in Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1
About the Help topic window viii What you need 3-1
Finding a topic using the Help Contents viii Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 system requirements 3-1
Finding a topic using the Help Index (Windows and Networking requirements 3-1
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) ix Installing FileMaker Server 3-1
Finding a topic using specific words (Windows and Where files are stored on your hard disk 3-2
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) x
Finding a topic using specific words (Mac OS X) xi Chapter 4
Finding information about specific items in FileMaker Server xi Installing FileMaker Server in Mac OS X
Getting help for FileMaker Server in Red Hat Linux xii What you need 4-1
Getting help while administering FileMaker Server remotely xii Mac OS X system requirements 4-1
Networking requirements 4-1
Chapter 1 Installing FileMaker Server 4-1
Welcome to FileMaker Server 5.5 Where files are stored on your hard disk 4-2
Registration and customer support 1-1
Introducing FileMaker Server 1-1 Chapter 5
How does FileMaker Server work? 1-2 Installing FileMaker Server in Red Hat Linux
What’s in the FileMaker Server package 1-3 What you need 5-1
What’s new or improved in FileMaker Server 5.5 1-3 Red Hat Linux system requirements 5-1
Before you begin 1-3 Networking requirements 5-1
Installing and registering FileMaker Server 5-1
Chapter 2 Where files are stored on your hard disk 5-2
Installing FileMaker Server in Windows Uninstalling FileMaker Server 5-3
What you need 2-1
Windows system requirements 2-1 Chapter 6
Networking requirements 2-1 Configuring FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS)
Installing FileMaker Server 2-2 Using the configuration assistants (Windows) 6-1
iv FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

Opening the Properties dialog box (Windows) 6-2 Specifying the authentication method (Mac OS) 6-16
Opening the Preferences dialog box (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 6-2 Publishing your contact information to your
Opening the Preferences dialog (Mac OS X) 6-3 directory service 6-16
Setting the number of guests 6-3 Changing the port number 6-17
Allowing disconnection of idle guests 6-4 Restoring FileMaker Server default settings 6-17
Setting a time to disconnect idle guests 6-4 Protecting files with a password 6-17
Setting the pre-disconnect message 6-4 How FileMaker Server behaves during system sleep
Authenticating guest log on (Windows) 6-4 (Windows 2000 and Mac OS) 6-17
Setting the maximum number of files 6-5
Chapter 7
Changing the amount of memory used by FileMaker Server 6-5
Administering FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS)
Adjusting memory (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 6-6
Starting FileMaker Server (Windows NT) 7-1
Changing the amount of memory used 6-6
Starting FileMaker Server (Windows 2000) 7-1
FileMaker Server, virtual memory, and physical
Stopping FileMaker Server (Windows NT) 7-2
memory requirements 6-7
Stopping FileMaker Server (Windows 2000) 7-2
Setting how often the cache is flushed 6-7
Starting FileMaker Server (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-3
Allowing single user files to be hosted 6-7
Making an alias 7-3
Allowing software updates to be downloaded automatically 6-7
Quitting FileMaker Server (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-3
Opening runtime solutions automatically (Windows and
Mac OS X) 6-8 Starting FileMaker Server (Mac OS X) 7-3
About FileMaker Developer 6-8 Making an alias for FileMaker Server Config 7-4
Opening runtime solutions automatically (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 6-9 Starting the FileMaker Server application (Mac OS X) 7-4
About FileMaker Developer 6-9 Quitting FileMaker Server (Mac OS X) 7-4
Enabling remote administration 6-9 Quitting the FileMaker Server Config application 7-4
Specifying a custom host name 6-10 Stopping the FileMaker Server application (Mac OS X) 7-4
Maximizing performance (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 6-11 Using remote administration 7-4
Choosing network protocols 6-11 Automatically downloading the Server Administration
plug-in to a remote computer 7-6
Setting the preferred IP address 6-12
Opening the Remote Administration window 7-6
Recording usage statistics and setting size limits 6-12
Listing hosted files and current guests 7-7
Setting a size limit for the Application Log (Windows NT) 6-14
Viewing usage statistics for FileMaker Server 7-7
Setting a size limit for the Application Log (Windows 2000) 6-14
Hosting FileMaker Pro 5.x files 7-8
Setting a size limit for the event log (Mac OS) 6-15
Closing hosted files 7-9
Using FileMaker Server with a directory service 6-15
Disconnecting guests 7-10
Registering FileMaker Server with a directory service 6-15
Specifying the authentication method (Windows) 6-16
 Contents v

Viewing detailed information about hosted files Scheduling tasks to run automatically (Mac OS X) 8-3
and guests 7-11 Scheduling database backups (Mac OS X) 8-3
Sending messages to guests 7-11 Running a script (Mac OS X) 8-4
Sending messages to all guests 7-12 Sending messages to guests of hosted databases
Determining if you have exclusive access to hosted (Mac OS X) 8-4
databases 7-12 Viewing scheduled tasks in the Schedules list (Windows) 8-4
Using local administration Administering scheduled tasks with the toolbar
(Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 ) 7-12 (Windows) 8-4
Opening the local administration window Updating Last Run and Next Run information
(Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-12 (Windows) 8-5
Listing hosted files and guests (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-13 Viewing scheduled tasks in the Schedules window (Mac OS) 8-5
Viewing usage statistics (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-14 Running scheduled tasks manually 8-6
Hosting FileMaker Pro 5.x files (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-14 Changing scheduled tasks 8-6
Closing hosted files (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-15 Duplicating scheduled tasks 8-7
Disconnecting guests (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-16 Deleting scheduled tasks 8-7
Sending messages to guests (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-16 Enabling and disabling scheduled tasks 8-7
Monitoring server performance (Windows) 7-17 Using the command line to automate tasks (Windows) 8-8
Monitoring performance (Windows NT) 7-17 Example: Backing up hosted databases on the
Monitoring performance (Windows 2000) 7-18 command line (Windows) 8-9
Using reported events to track activities 7-18 Using a script to automate tasks (Mac OS) 8-10
Viewing activities in the Event Viewer (Windows NT) 7-19 Making sure you don’t run out of disk space during backups 8-10
Viewing activities in the Event Viewer
(Windows 2000) 7-19 Chapter 9
Keeping event data current (Windows) 7-20 Using FileMaker Server in Red Hat Linux
Viewing activities in the event log (Mac OS) 7-20 Getting onscreen help with command and preference syntax 9-1
Recalculating the Today function in hosted databases 7-20 Administering FileMaker Server 9-1
Starting and stopping FileMaker Server automatically 9-2
Chapter 8 Configuring FileMaker Server 9-3
Scheduling administrative tasks (Windows and Mac OS) Editing the configuration file 9-3
Scheduling tasks to run automatically (Windows) 8-1 Applying configuration changes 9-4
Scheduling tasks to run automatically (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 8-1 Reloading the configuration file to apply runtime
Scheduling database backups (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 8-2 preference changes 9-5
Running a script (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 8-2 Restarting FileMaker Server to apply configuration
Sending messages to guests of hosted databases changes 9-5
(Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 8-3 Restoring preference defaults 9-5
vi FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

Setting the number of guests 9-6 Manually installing the Server Administration plug-in on a
Disconnecting idle guests 9-6 remote computer (Mac OS) 10-2
Setting the maximum number of files 9-7 Enabling the Server Administration plug-in using
Changing the amount of memory used by FileMaker Server 9-7 FileMaker Pro (Mac OS) 10-3
Setting how often the cache is flushed 9-7
Appendix A
Allowing single user files to be hosted 9-8
Technical specifications and optimization
Allowing software updates to be downloaded automatically 9-8
Limits for files and usage A-1
Enabling Auto Update in FileMaker Server 9-8
Hardware and network considerations A-1
Storing plug-in files on the server computer 9-9
Software considerations A-2
Specifying the location of hosted files 9-9
Specifying a user account name and group name for Appendix B
FileMaker Server 9-9 Performance and usage tips
Enabling remote administration in FileMaker Server 9-10 Performance tips B-1
Using the fmspasswd utility to encrypt passwords 9-11 Usage tips B-2
Specifying a custom host name 9-11
Specifying the preferred IP address 9-12 Appendix C
Opening runtime solutions automatically 9-12 Event log messages and troubleshooting
Using reported events and statistics to track activities 9-13 FileMaker Server event log messages C-1
Setting a size limit and the location of the event log 9-13 Troubleshooting C-5
Creating a statistics log 9-14 Problems installing or starting FileMaker Server C-5
Using FileMaker Server with a directory service 9-14 Network problems C-5
Enabling directory service registration 9-15 Problems on guest computers C-6
Publishing your contact information to your Problems administering remotely C-7
directory service 9-16 Problems using command line options (Windows and
Red Hat Linux) C-7
Chapter 10
Manually installing the Server Administration Appendix D
plug-in on a remote computer About the TechInfo database
About the Server Administration plug-in 10-1 Searching the TechInfo database D-1
Manually installing the plug-in on a remote computer Sample TechInfo article D-1
(Windows NT and Windows 2000) 10-1
Information on the Web D-1
Manually installing the plug-in on a remote computer
(Windows 95 or Windows 98) 10-2 Index I-1
Enabling the Server Administration plug-in using
FileMaker Pro (Windows) 10-2
 Preface
Using the FileMaker Server documentation
The documentation for the FileMaker® Server software provides In many instances, information and instructions are the same for
information, illustrations, and step-by-step instructions to help you Windows and the Mac OS. In these sections and topics, any
learn the most about FileMaker Server—a powerful application that platform-specific information, such as the name of a command, is
enhances database sharing across a network. followed by the name of the platform in parentheses. For example:
In the Properties (Windows) or Preferences (Mac OS) dialog
The FileMaker Server documentation includes:
box, click the Administration tab, and choose one of the following
1 this book, the FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide options.
1 FileMaker Server Help, a comprehensive online help system for
the Windows and Mac OS versions A note about the platform indicators
Information marked (Windows) applies to both Windows NT and
1 Context-sensitive Help for dialog box options (Windows), Balloon
Windows 2000. Information marked for one of these operating
Help for menu items (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1), and Help Tags for dialog
system versions alone indicates the information is version-specific.
options (Mac OS X)
1 Auto Update Guide.pdf, a document (on the FileMaker Server CD) Information marked (Mac OS) applies to both Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 and
for database developers who want to set up Auto Update in their Mac OS X. Information marked for one of these operating system
databases versions alone indicates the information is version-specific.
1 Comments in the Red Hat Linux configuration file (fmserver.conf)
Where instructions are significantly different, you see separate
and a Red Hat Linux quick reference pdf file
sections or topics for each operating system. Windows NT
information appears first, followed by information for
About this guide Windows 2000, then information for Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1, then
Mac OS X.
The FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide is written for
administrators of the Windows NT, Windows 2000, Mac OS, and A note about the illustrations
Red Hat Linux operating systems. Illustrations throughout the book are mixed, depicting situations for
all platforms except Red Hat Linux. Windows NT 4.0, Windows
Information about using FileMaker Server in Red Hat Linux is
2000, Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1, and Mac OS X systems were used for these
contained in chapter 5, “Installing FileMaker Server in Red Hat
illustrations. What you see on your screen may vary from the
Linux” and chapter 9, “Using FileMaker Server in Red Hat Linux.”
instructions in this book depending on the platform and operating
The rest of the guide contains information about using FileMaker
system of your computer.
Server in Windows and in the Mac OS.
viii FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

Using FileMaker Server Help (Windows 1Mac OS X: Choose FileMaker Server Config Help from the Help
menu, press the Help key, or press 2-?.
and Mac OS)
FileMaker Server onscreen Help is available when you are working About the Help topic window
in the FileMaker Server Console (Windows) or when you are To navigate to other topics in FileMaker Server Help, you click
working with the FileMaker Server application (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) buttons and underlined text in the Help topic window.
or FMServer Config application (Mac OS X).
Click to return to the last topic viewed Click to print the topic
If you are administering FileMaker Server remotely (from another Click to see the Help Contents, Index, Click to move to the
computer on your network), you can use the Help accessed through or to search Help for specific text previous or next topic
the Remote Administration window. For more information, see
“Getting help while administering FileMaker Server remotely” on
page xii. Title of the current topic
Click to see a
subject overview
Starting FileMaker Server Help for this topic
Whenever you open FileMaker Server Help, you start the Windows Click to see a list
of related topics
Help application (Windows), the FileMaker Help Viewer application
Click dotted underlined
(Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1), or Help Viewer (Mac OS X). These help text to display a
applications run independently of FileMaker Server. glossary definition

Click solid underlined

To start FileMaker Server Help when you’re working in the text to display more
FileMaker Server Console (Windows) or FileMaker Server information about
this step
application (Mac OS), do one of the following:
1 Windows: Press F1, click on the toolbar, or choose Action A Help topic
menu > Help.
The topic you see is dependent on whether FileMaker Server or Finding a topic using the Help Contents
Schedules is selected in the Console Tree (left pane of the Windows: In the FileMaker Server Console, choose Action menu >
FileMaker Server Console). The Help topic displayed is specific to Help, then click Help Topics.
the area of FileMaker Server you are working with.
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1: In FileMaker Server, choose Help menu >
1Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1: Choose FileMaker Server Help from the Help
Contents and Index.
menu, press the Help key, or press 2-?.
The topic you see is dependent on the window or dialog box that is If a FileMaker Server Help topic is displayed, click Help Topics in the
open. The Help topic displayed is specific to the area of Help topic window, then click Contents (if necessary) to display the
FileMaker Server you are working with. Help Contents.
 Using the FileMaker Server documentation ix

Mac OS X: In FileMaker Server, choose Help menu > FileMaker To use the Help Index:
Server Config Help. 1. Windows: In the FileMaker Server Console, choose Action
menu > Help, click Help Topics, then click Index (if necessary).
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1: In FileMaker Server, choose Help menu >
Contents and Index, then click Index (if necessary).
2. In the Index window, type all or part of an index entry you want
to find.

The Help Index displays a list of entries beginning with the

characters you typed. Under some index entries is a list of more than
one Help topic.
Help Contents in FileMaker Server Help (Windows)

When you open the FileMaker Server Help Contents, you see a listof
To browse the index, type the
Help subjects, like the table of contents in a book. first few letters of the entry
you’re looking for or scroll
through the alphabetical list

Windows and Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1: Double-click a book icon to

display a list of topics for each subject. Then double-click a topic to
display the Help topic window.

Mac OS X: Click a book icon to display a list of topics for each Help Index (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)
subject. Then click a topic to display the Help topic window.
3. Double-click an entry to display a list of topic choices (Windows)
Finding a topic using the Help Index (Windows and or the topic itself.
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)
FileMaker Server Help includes an alphabetical list of index
entries—significant words and phrases—to help you find the topics
containing the information you want. Each index entry is associated
with one or more topics.
x FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

Finding a topic using specific words (Windows and

Click to find a
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) specific word
You can specify your own significant word or combination of words Type the word or words
you want to search for
to search for within all of the Help topics. FileMaker Server Help
Select one or more
will display a list of all topics containing the word(s) you specify and matching words to
the total number of topics found. To narrow the search, you can make the list of topics
more specific
specify a combination of words. For example, you can search for all
Double-click the
topics containing both the word “performance” and the word topic you want to see
“statistics.”

To find a topic based on a specific word or group of words: This shows the total
number of topics found
1. Windows: In the FileMaker Server Console, choose Action
menu > Help, click Help Topics, then click the Find tab.
Finding words in FileMaker Server Help (Windows)
The first time you click Find in FileMaker Server Help, the Find
Setup Wizard dialog box appears. Follow the instructions it provides Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1: Click More Choices and type a second word in the
to set up FileMaker Server Help for finding words. This setup new row below the first word. Then click Search. You can add
procedure needs to be done only once. multiple rows and choose different parameters from the pop-up
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1: In FileMaker Server, choose Help menu > menus for each word.
Contents and Index, then click the Find tab.
2. In the Find window, type the words that you want to search for. Type the word you want to search for

3. To narrow the search, do one of the following:

Choose options from the
Windows: Type more than one word in the text box. Then click pop-up menus to specify
search parameters
Options, select All the words you typed in any order, select Immediately
after each keystroke to begin the search, then click OK. You can also Click to add another
word to the search
select multiple words to search for by Ctrl-clicking them in the
Select a topic
matching word list. from the list

Finding specific words in FileMaker Server Help

(Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)

4. Select a topic in the topic list, then click Display.

 Using the FileMaker Server documentation xi

FileMaker Server Help shows each occurrence of the word or words Finding information about specific items in
you searched for in the Help topic window.
FileMaker Server
Finding a topic using specific words (Mac OS X) As you’re working in FileMaker Server, you can find information
To find a topic based on a question or phrase: about a dialog box that’s open or certain items your mouse is
1. In FileMaker Server, choose Help menu > FileMaker Server Config pointing to, depending on the platform you’re using.
Help.
Windows: For context-sensitive Help, do one of the following:
2. In the Ask box, type a question or phrase that you want to search
1 Select FileMaker Server or Schedules in the Console Tree (left side
for and click Ask.
of the FileMaker Server Console) and choose Action menu > Help.
Apple Help Viewer displays a list of topics containing the word or You can also press F1, or click on the toolbar.
phrase you searched for.
1 Right-click FileMaker Server or Schedules in the Console Tree and
3. Click a topic title. choose Help.
1 In the upper-right corner of a dialog box, click , then click an
Type the question or words you want to search for Click Ask
item in the dialog box to find out about it.
1 Rest the pointer over a menu name or toolbar item and read its
description in a pop-up window.
1 Rest the pointer over a menu command and read its description in
the lower left corner of the console.

Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1: For context-sensitive Help, do one of the

following:
1 Some windows and dialog boxes have context-sensitive Help. To
access it, open a dialog box and press the Help key, choose Help
menu > FileMaker Server Help, or press 2 -?. The Help topic for that
dialog box opens. If a Help topic does not appear or the
FileMaker Server Help command is dimmed in the Help menu,
context-sensitive Help is not available for the open window or dialog
box.
1 Choose Help menu > Show Balloons and then point to a menu, or
Finding a topic in FileMaker Server Help (Mac OS X) select a menu and drag to display a description of each menu item.
1 Choose Help menu > Show Balloons, select a pop-up menu in a
dialog box, and drag to display a description of each item in the list.
xii FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

Mac OS X: For context-sensitive Help, do the following: To close the Help window and return to the Remote Administration
1 Point to an option in a dialog box. After a few seconds a window, click Done.
description of the item appears.

Getting help for FileMaker Server in

Red Hat Linux
If you’re using FileMaker Server in Red Hat Linux, for online help
see the comments in the configuration file, fmserver.conf. The
QuickRef.pdf file also contains information about configuring and
administering FileMaker Server in Red Hat Linux.

Getting help while administering

FileMaker Server remotely
The onscreen Help for FileMaker Server is installed on the server
computer, so you can’t access it when you are administering or
monitoring FileMaker Server activity from another computer.

To get help for remote administration tasks while working in the

Remote Administration window, click in the Remote
Administration window.

Click here to get help

 Chapter 1
Welcome to FileMaker Server 5.5
Welcome to the FileMaker Server 5.5 application from FileMaker, At the web site, you will find the FileMaker, Inc. Service Directory,
Inc. for Windows NT, Windows 2000, Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1, which details the service options available to North American
Mac OS X, and Red Hat Linux. customers, as well as links to FileMaker, Inc. international sites,
answers to frequently asked questions, and access to extensive
FileMaker Server gives you enhanced database hosting capabilities software libraries used by the technical support staff. If you do not
on your network when used with the FileMaker Pro 5.x database have access to the Web, please refer to the Technical Support and
management application. Customer Service sheet included in the software box. North
American customers can also call 1-800-965-9090 to learn about the
service options available.
Registration and customer support
Please take the time to complete and mail the registration card for
your product or register online: Introducing FileMaker Server
1 Windows: In the FileMaker Server Console, choose View menu > You’ve always been able to share database files in FileMaker Pro
FileMaker on the Web using a peer-to-peer sharing scheme with the Multi-User command.
You can also use the FileMaker Server application as a dedicated
1Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1: Start FileMaker Server and choose Help
host to open FileMaker Pro 5.x files and make them available to
menu > FileMaker on the Web
FileMaker Pro guests on your network, allowing better performance
1Mac OS X: Start FileMaker Server Config and choose Help among more guests. FileMaker Server acts only as a host, and uses
menu > FileMaker on the Web advanced client/server technology to take care of much of the
1 Red Hat Linux: Point your browser to www.filemaker.com/ background work associated with managing files, thereby enhancing
register performance for FileMaker Pro guests accessing those files.

For information about technical support and customer service, see: FileMaker Server can host up to 125 database files and support up to
250 simultaneously connected FileMaker Pro guests. (AppleTalk
www.filemaker.com (North American customers)
support is limited to 124 simultaneous guests.)
www.filemaker.com/intl (customers outside North America)
FileMaker Server includes a remote administration capability.
or choose:
Remote administration lets you easily monitor and administer hosted
Windows: View menu > FileMaker on the Web databases and guests and track statistical information from a
Mac OS: Help menu > FileMaker on the Web computer running FileMaker Pro 5.x.
1-2 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

Important Avoid installing FileMaker Server on a computer that is a You can use the remote administration capability of
user’s primary workstation or network file server. FileMaker Server FileMaker Server to administer the server software from a different
should be run on a dedicated computer reserved for use as a database computer on your network. When administering remotely, you can:
server. 1 open—or host—a FileMaker Pro database file, making it available
to FileMaker Pro guests on the network
When FileMaker Server is hosting many guests or a large number of
database files, it uses a high level of processor, hard disk, and 1 view information about the files being hosted, like the number of
network capacity. Other processor-intensive applications (for guests accessing each database
example, Web-server or disk-backup software) or heavy network 1 send messages to connected guests
traffic on the same computer will cause FileMaker Server to run
1 close a hosted FileMaker Pro file, making it unavailable to
more slowly and degrade the performance of FileMaker Pro on guest
FileMaker Pro guests
computers.
1 disconnect a selected FileMaker Pro guest from a particular hosted
In addition, file sharing should be turned off on the computer running file or all hosted files
FileMaker Server.
Some of these administrative tasks require that you install the Server
Note This guide assumes you’re familiar with general database Administration plug-in for FileMaker Server on your remote
concepts as well as the basics of FileMaker Pro. If you’re not, refer computer. For more information about installing the plug-in, see
to the tutorial in the FileMaker Pro 5.5 Getting Started Guide or to chapter 10, “Installing the Server Administration plug-in on a remote
the FileMaker Pro 5 User’s Guide (especially the first two chapters) computer.”
for more information.
For more information about administering remotely, see chapter 7,
“Administering FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS).”
How does FileMaker Server work? When you start FileMaker Server, it automatically opens and hosts
The FileMaker Server application is a tool to use with all multi-user FileMaker Pro 5.x files located in the same folder (or
FileMaker Pro 5.x in a network environment to: the first level of subfolders) as the FileMaker Server application.
1 enhance database guest performance This common folder architecture lets you easily set up the database
files that you always want FileMaker Server to host on the network.
1 increase the number of FileMaker Pro guests who can connect to a
file hosted by FileMaker Server Keep in mind the following points about the different uses of
1 increase the number of files that can be hosted by FileMaker Server and FileMaker Pro:
FileMaker Server 1 Use FileMaker Server to open and host FileMaker Pro files that
1 host files using more than one network protocol simultaneously you want to make available to FileMaker Pro guests on your
network.
1 As a dedicated host, FileMaker Server only hosts the files.
FileMaker Server can’t access or modify the information in the files.
 Welcome to FileMaker Server 5.5 1-3

1 Use FileMaker Pro to create database files or modify the structure 1 Ability to automatically download software updates (for example,
of existing files (for example, to password-protect each hosted plug-ins) from the server computer to guest computers
FileMaker Pro file or to access field definitions).
The Web Companion feature of FileMaker Pro can be used to Windows
publish files hosted by FileMaker Server on the Internet or on a 1 Windows 2000: Ability to access Windows Services, Event
company’s intranet. For more information about web publishing, see Viewer, and System Monitor from within the FileMaker Server
the documentation for FileMaker Developer, FileMaker Pro, or Console
FileMaker Pro Unlimited. 1 Ability to require guests to be members of the same domain as
FileMaker Server before being granted access to hosted databases

What’s in the FileMaker Server package Mac OS X

The FileMaker Server package includes: 1 A native Mac OS X application that takes advantage of Mac OS X
features such as preemptive multitasking, protected memory, and
Package component Description dynamic memory allocation
FileMaker Server CD The Setup application (Windows), the Start Here
Mac OS Classic application, the Start Here Mac
OS X application, the FileMaker Server rpm file Before you begin
(Red Hat Linux), as well as all the files you need to
use FileMaker Server
For instructions on installing FileMaker Server, see the following
chapters.
FileMaker Server Installation instructions and information about
Administrator’s Guide how to use FileMaker Server (this guide)
Platform Chapter
FileMaker registration Information to register your copy of
Windows Chapter 2
card FileMaker Server
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 Chapter 3

Mac OS X Chapter 4
What’s new or improved in Red Hat Linux Chapter 5

FileMaker Server 5.5

The new and improved features of FileMaker Server include:
1 Support for Windows 2000, Mac OS X, and Red Hat Linux,
making FileMaker Server available on a broader range of computers
and operating systems
1 Ability to register FileMaker Server with a Lightweight Directory
Access Protocol (LDAP) compliant directory service such as
Microsoft Active Directory, Netscape Directory, or OpenLDAP
This page intentionally left blank.
 Chapter 2
Installing FileMaker Server in Windows
This chapter provides step-by-step instructions for installing 1 FileMaker Pro 5.x for running the remote administration
FileMaker Server and associated files on a computer running capability and for creating and converting databases to be hosted by
Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000. FileMaker Server 5.5. FileMaker Server 5.5 supports only
FileMaker Pro 5.x databases.

What you need 1 a login account with administrative privileges for installing
FileMaker Server
To use FileMaker Server, you need the following equipment and
1 a CD or DVD drive
software.
1 a hard disk with at least 4 MB of free disk space for the
Windows system requirements FileMaker Server files. Be sure to allow additional space for the
database files you intend to host, which should be located on the
To use FileMaker Server on Intel-Pentium and compatible systems,
same disk as the FileMaker Server application.
you need:
1 an Intel compatible PC with a Pentium processor Important Up to 20 MB of free disk space may be required during
1 at least 64 MB of installed RAM (Windows NT 4.0) or 128 MB of the installation process.
installed RAM (Windows 2000)
1 one of the following operating system software configurations:
Networking requirements
To share files among users on a network, you need to have the
1 Windows NT Server 4.0 or Windows NT Workstation 4.0 (10
following additional software and hardware installed on the host
or fewer users only) and Windows NT Service Pack 3, 4, 5, or 6.
computer running FileMaker Server:
See the End User License Agreement that came with the
Windows NT operating system for more information concerning 1 a Windows NT or Windows 2000 compatible network card. If you
the allowed number of connections. want to specify a preferred IP address for FileMaker Server, a second
1 Windows 2000 Server or Windows 2000 Professional (10 or network card is required. For more information, see “Setting the
fewer users only) preferred IP address” on page 6-12.
1 Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 1.1 (installed by the 1 the software driver for your network card
FileMaker Server Installer if it’s not already installed on your 1 NWLink IPX/SPX Compatible Transport and/or TCP/IP network
computer). Windows NT: MMC requires Internet Explorer 4.01. protocol for Windows NT or Windows 2000
1 a web browser for accessing FileMaker on the Web information from
the View menu
2-2 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

Guests can use the following network protocols to access database To install FileMaker Server on your hard disk:
files hosted by FileMaker Server: 1. Exit all other applications and turn off virus protection utilities.

Network Mac OS 8.6 2. Insert the FileMaker Server CD into your CD or DVD drive.
protocol Windows guest to 9.1 guest Mac OS X guest
3. Double-click the Read Me icon to read important information
IPX/SPX NWLink IPX/SPX IPX is not IPX is not supported about this release of FileMaker Server. Then close the Read Me file.
Compatible Transport supported
(Windows NT client) 4. Double-click setup.exe.

Microsoft IPX/SPX You see the Welcome screen of the FileMaker Server Setup Wizard.
Compatible Transport 5. Click Next.
(Windows 95 or
Windows 98 client) 6. Read the license agreement. If you agree to these terms, select I
accept the terms in the License Agreement, then click Next.
TCP/IP TCP/IP Apple Open TCP/IP is integrated
Transport 1.1.1 with Mac OS X 7. Personalize this copy of FileMaker Server by typing your name,
organization name, and indicate who can access FileMaker Server
Important FileMaker Server uses a proprietary networking scheme from this computer (only you or anyone who uses the computer).
and operates independently of your network operating system (NOS) Then click Next.
access privileges. Multi-user FileMaker Pro databases will be 8. Choose Complete in the Setup Type screen to install
available to FileMaker Pro guests regardless of NOS privileges. To FileMaker Server and the example files, then click Next.
restrict access to FileMaker databases, use the access privileges
Note If you don’t have enough disk space on the server computer, you
available in FileMaker Pro 5.x. For more information, see
see the Out of Disk Space dialog box. Quit the installation, remove
“Protecting files with a password” on page 6-17. Database files
files from the installation volume to free some space, and try again.
should be shared using networking available in FileMaker Pro. Do
not share FileMaker Pro files using Windows file sharing. 9. Select an option for FileMaker Server start-up, then click Next.

Select If you want FileMaker Server to start

Installing FileMaker Server Automatic Whenever Windows starts.

Note After installation, you must start the FileMaker Server
Use the Setup program to install FileMaker Server on your hard disk.
service manually the first time. For more information, see “Starting
This installation procedure describes how to install the: FileMaker Server (Windows NT)” on page 7-1 or “Starting
1 FileMaker Server application and supporting files FileMaker Server (Windows 2000)” on page 7-1. Thereafter,
FileMaker Server will start when you restart the computer.
1 FileMaker Server example files
Manual After you turn on the FileMaker Server service in the Services
control panel (Windows NT) or Services console (Windows
By default, the Setup program creates a folder named Program
2000). For more information, see “Starting FileMaker Server
Files\FileMaker\FileMaker Server 5.5 folder on your hard disk, then
(Windows NT)” on page 7-1 or “Starting FileMaker Server
installs FileMaker Server and example files in it. However, you can (Windows 2000)” on page 7-1.
choose a different location during installation.
 Installing FileMaker Server in Windows 2-3

10. Type your installation code, then click Next. Where files are stored on your hard disk
Tip Your installation code is a seventeen digit number located on a
The following table describes the FileMaker Server files that are
multi-part sticker on the installation code sheet with the
installed on your hard disk.
FileMaker Server CD.
11. If the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) software is not Default location File Description
installed on your server computer, the Setup Wizard will prompt you hard_drive:\ fmserver.exe The FileMaker
to install it now. The installation of MMC can take several minutes Program Files\ Server service
and you can’t cancel this installation once it has begun. If you want FileMaker \
fmsmesg.dll FileMaker Server
to install MMC and continue the installation of FileMaker Server, FileMaker Server 5.5
message resource
click Next. (required by Event
12. Click Install to begin FileMaker Server file installation. Viewer)

The Setup Wizard installs FileMaker Server 5.5 and the example fmsconsl.msc FileMaker Server
Console (MMC
files.
saved console)
13. Click Finish to close the Setup Wizard. Remember to turn virus
fmserver.dbg FileMaker Server
protection utilities back on. debug symbol file
It’s important to register your copy of FileMaker Server with (required by the Dr.
FileMaker, Inc., so you have full access to customer and technical Watson debugger)
support. For more information, see “Registration and customer fmsprop.dll FileMaker Server
support” on page 1-1. properties
component (MMC
For information about starting the application, see “Starting snap-in)
FileMaker Server (Windows NT)” on page 7-1 or “Starting fmsschd.dll FileMaker Server
FileMaker Server (Windows 2000)” on page 7-1. Task Scheduler
component (MMC
Note To enable administration functions on a remote computer snap-in)
(open files, close files, and so on), you must install the Server fmsmema.dll Performance
Administration plug-in on each remote computer you plan to use for Monitor support
remote administration. For more information, see “Automatically fmsperf.dll FileMaker Server
downloading the Server Administration plug-in to a remote component required
computer” on page 7-6. by the Performance
Monitor

fmshelp.hlp FileMaker Server

onscreen Help
2-4 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

Default location File Description Default location File Description

fmshelp.cnt FileMaker Server Server Administration.bin Remote
onscreen Help Server Administration.txt administration
Contents plug-in files for
fmshelp.gid Support files for Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1
FileMaker Server hard_drive:\ AutoUpdatePlugin.fp5 A FileMaker Pro
onscreen Help Program Files\ database that
FileMaker \ illustrates how to set
fmshelp.fts Support files for
FileMaker Server 5.5\ up AutoUpdate
FileMaker Server
AutoUpdate Examples\
onscreen Help
AutoUpdatePlugin
readme.doc Text file containing
hard_drive:\ fmpctrnm.h Used for manual
important
Program Files\ setup of
information about
FileMaker \ FileMaker Server
this release of
FileMaker Server 5.5\ Performance
FileMaker Server
Monitor support
Perfctrs
Go_FileMaker.html HTML document for
FileMaker on the fmpsperf.ini
Web
hard_drive:\ Registration files Used for registering
fms_logo.gif Graphic file of Program Files\ FileMaker Server
FileMaker Server FileMaker \
logo for the FileMaker Server 5.5\
FileMaker on the Registration
Web document
system_root\ mmc.exe Microsoft
hard_drive:\ Sample batch files Sample template System32 Management
Program Files\ scripts to use for Console application
FileMaker \ running backups on (installed for
FileMaker Server 5.5\ the command line Windows NT
Examples systems only)
hard_drive:\ fmpsadm.fmx Remote
Program Files\ fmpsadm.fmx.txt administration
FileMaker \ plug-in files for
FileMaker Server 5.5\ Windows
AutoUpdate
Server Administration X.bin Remote
Server Administration X.txt administration
plug-in files for
Mac OS X
 Installing FileMaker Server in Windows 2-5

Note The FileMaker Server Installer installs MMC files on the

server computer, if MMC is not already installed. In this situation, a
few MMC-related files are installed in the System32 and Help
folders on your server computer in addition to the files listed in the
table.

Uninstalling FileMaker Server (Windows)

Before removing FileMaker Server from your computer, be sure to
first stop the FileMaker Server service.

To remove FileMaker Server from your computer:

1. Start Windows.
2. Stop FileMaker Server.
For more information, see “Stopping FileMaker Server
(Windows NT)” or “Stopping FileMaker Server (Windows 2000)”
on page 7-2.
3. Click the Start button > Settings > Control Panel.
4. Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.
You see the Add/Remove Programs Properties dialog box.
5. Select FileMaker Server 5.5, then click the Add/Remove button.
You see the FileMaker Server 5.5 Setup Wizard.
6. Click Next.
7. Select Remove, click Next, then click Remove again.
The Uninstaller removes the FileMaker Server files from the hard
disk. After all the files are removed, a final dialog box tells you
FileMaker Server was removed successfully.
8. Click Finish and then OK to close the Add/Remove Programs
Properties dialog box.
This page intentionally left blank.
 Chapter 3
Installing FileMaker Server in Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1
This chapter provides step-by-step instructions for installing the Networking requirements
FileMaker Server application and associated files on a computer To share files among users on a network, you can use AppleTalk or
running Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1. TCP/IP networking. TCP/IP is recommended for best performance.
Apple Open Transport 2.0.1 is required on the computer running
FileMaker Server.
What you need
To use FileMaker Server, you need the following equipment and Guests can use the following network protocols to access database
software. files hosted by FileMaker Server:

Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 system requirements Network

protocol Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 guest Mac OS X guest Windows guest
To use FileMaker Server, you need:
AppleTalk Apple LocalTalk AppleTalk isn’t AppleTalk isn’t
1any Apple Power Macintosh or compatible computer, running (provided by your supported in supported in
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1. FileMaker Server runs in native mode on a Power system) or Apple Mac OS X Windows
Macintosh. EtherTalk (Phase I or II)

1 FileMaker Pro 5.x for running the remote administration capability TCP/IP Apple Open Transport TCP/IP is Microsoft
and for creating and converting databases to be hosted by 1.1.1 integrated with TCP/IP-32
Mac OS X
FileMaker Server 5.5. FileMaker Server 5.5 supports only
FileMaker Pro 5.x databases.
1 a web browser for accessing FileMaker on the Web information from Installing FileMaker Server
the Help menu
Use the Installer to install the complete FileMaker Server package on
1 a CD or DVD drive
your hard disk. The Installer creates a folder called
1 32 MB of available system memory (RAM). For information about FileMaker Server 5.5.
running FileMaker Server with virtual memory turned on, see
“FileMaker Server, virtual memory, and physical To install FileMaker Server on your hard disk:
memory requirements” on page 6-7. 1. Quit all other applications, especially virus protection software,
1 an internal or external hard disk drive with at least 4 MB of free and disable file sharing.
disk space to install the FileMaker Server application and related 2. Insert the FileMaker Server CD into your CD or DVD drive.
files. Be sure to allow additional space for the database files you
You see the CD window on your screen. If you see only the disc icon,
intend to host, which should be located on the same disk as the
double-click the icon to open its window.
FileMaker Server application.
3-2 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

3. Double-click the Installer icon named Start Here Mac OS Classic. 10. If you turned off virus protection and file sharing before
installing, turn them back on now.
It’s important to register your copy of FileMaker Server with
FileMaker, Inc., so you have full access to customer and technical
4. Read the license agreement. If you agree to these terms, click
support. For more information, see “Registration and customer
Accept.
support” on page 1-1.
You see the FileMaker Server Installer dialog box.
For information about starting the application, see “Starting
FileMaker Server (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)” on page 7-3.

Note To administer FileMaker Server from a remote computer

(open files, close files, and so on), you must install the Server
Administration plug-in on each remote computer you plan to use for
remote administration. For more information, see “Automatically
downloading the Server Administration plug-in to a remote
Folder and disk where computer” on page 7-6.
FileMaker Server is
installed

Select a different folder or disk Where files are stored on your hard disk
The following table shows the location and contents of the installed
5. To install the application onto a different disk or into a specific
items.
folder, click the Install Location pop-up menu and choose Select
Folder. In the dialog box that appears, choose a destination disk and FileMaker Server
folder, then click Select. 5.5 folder File Description

6. Click Install. FileMaker Server The FileMaker Server

application
7. Type your name, company name (optional), and your installation
Read Me A text file containing
code.
important information
Tip Your installation code is a seventeen digit number located on a about this release of
multi-part sticker on the installation code sheet with the FileMaker Server
FileMaker Server CD. FileMaker on the Web An alias for
8. Click OK. Go_FileMaker.html

If the hard disk you chose has enough space, the Installer begins
installing files.
9. Click Quit to leave the Installer when the installation is finished.
 Installing FileMaker Server in Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 3-3

FileMaker Server FileMaker Server

5.5 folder File Description 5.5 folder File Description
AppleScript FileMaker Server Apple A FileMaker Pro FMI Go_FileMaker.html HTML document source
Examples:Apple Events database that gives an file for FileMaker on the
Events Information introduction to the Web
Apple events supported FMS_Logo.gif Graphic file of
by FileMaker Server, so FileMaker Server logo
you can control it using for the FileMaker on the
AppleScript or similar Web document
applications. See the
documentation that
came with AppleScript
or other applications for
details on how to send
events to
FileMaker Server.

AutoUpdate fmpsadm.fmx Remote administration

fmpsadm.fmx.txt plug-in files for
Windows

Server Administration X.bin Remote administration

Server Administration X.txt plug-in files for
Mac OS X

Server Administration.bin Remote administration

Server Administration.txt plug-in files for Mac OS
8.6 to 9.1

AutoUpdate AutoUpdatePlugin.fp5 A FileMaker Pro

Examples: database that illustrates
AutoUpdatePlugin how to set up
AutoUpdate

FileMaker Help FileMaker Help Viewer An application that

displays
FileMaker Server Help

FileMaker Server Help Onscreeen Help for

FileMaker Server

AppleScript Apple Script files Sample template scripts

Examples to use with FileMaker
Server
This page intentionally left blank.
 Chapter 4
Installing FileMaker Server in Mac OS X
This chapter provides step-by-step instructions for installing the Networking requirements
FileMaker Server application and associated files on your computer To share files among users on a network, you must use TCP/IP
running Mac OS X. networking. Guests can use the following versions of TCP/IP to
access database files hosted by FileMaker Server:
What you need Network
To use FileMaker Server, you need the following equipment and protocol Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 guest Mac OS X guest Windows guest
software. TCP/IP Apple Open Transport TCP/IP is Microsoft
1.1.1 integrated with TCP/IP-32
Mac OS X system requirements Mac OS X

To use FileMaker Server, you need:

1 any Apple G3 or G4 or compatible computer (CPU upgrade cards Installing FileMaker Server
are not supported)
Use the Installer to install FileMaker Server on your hard disk. The
1 Mac OS X (the Mac OS X “Public Beta” release is not supported)
Installer creates a folder called FileMaker Server 5.5.
1 FileMaker Pro 5.x for creating and converting databases to be
hosted by FileMaker Server 5.5. FileMaker Server 5.5 supports only To install FileMaker Server on your hard disk:
FileMaker Pro 5.x databases. 1. Quit all other applications, especially virus protection software,
1 a login account with administrative privileges for installing and disable file sharing.
FileMaker Server Note FileMaker, Inc. recommends that you be logged in as the root
1 a web browser for accessing FileMaker on the Web information from user during installation.
the Help menu 2. Insert the FileMaker Server CD into your CD or DVD drive.
1 a CD or DVD drive You see the CD window on your screen. If you see only the disc icon,
1 128 MB of available system memory (RAM) double-click the icon to open its window.
1 an internal or external hard disk drive with at least 7.8 MB of free 3. Double-click the Installer icon named Start Here Mac OS X.
disk space to install the FileMaker Server application and related
files. Be sure to allow additional space for the database files you
intend to host, which should be located on the same disk as the
FileMaker Server application. 4. Read the license agreement. If you agree to these terms, click
Accept.
4-2 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

You see the FileMaker Server Installer dialog box. For information about starting the application, see “Starting
FileMaker Server (Mac OS X)” on page 7-3.

Note To enable administration functions on remote computers (open

files, close files, and so on), you must install the Server
Administration plug-in on each remote computer you plan to use for
remote administration. For more information, see “Automatically
downloading the Server Administration plug-in to a remote
computer” on page 7-6.
Folder and disk where
FileMaker Server is
installed
Where files are stored on your hard disk
Select a different folder or disk
The following table shows the location and contents of the installed
items.
5. To install the application onto a different disk or into a specific
folder, click the Install Location pop-up menu and choose Select FileMaker Server
5.5 folder File Description
Folder. In the dialog box that appears, choose a destination disk and
folder, then click Select. FileMaker Server Config The FileMaker Server
configuration
6. Click Install.
application and the
7. Type your name, company name (optional), and your installation server application
code. Read Me.txt A text file containing
Tip Your installation code is a seventeen digit number located on a important information
about this release of
multi-part sticker on the installation code sheet with the
FileMaker Server
FileMaker Server CD.
FileMaker on the Web An alias for
8. Click OK.
Go_FileMaker.html
If the hard disk you chose has enough space, the Installer begins AppleScript Read Me.txt See the Read Me.txt file
installing files. Examples in the AppleScript
9. Click Quit to leave the Installer when the installation is finished. Examples folder for
more information
10. If you turned off virus protection and file sharing before
AutoUpdate fmpsadm.fmx Remote administration
installing, turn them back on now.
fmpsadm.fmx.txt plug-in files for
It’s important to register your copy of FileMaker Server with Windows
FileMaker, Inc., so you have full access to customer and technical Server Administration X.bin Remote administration
support. For more information, see “Registration and customer Server Administration X.txt plug-in files for
support” on page 1-1. Mac OS X
 Installing FileMaker Server in Mac OS X 4-3

FileMaker Server
5.5 folder File Description
Server Administration.bin Remote administration
Server Administration.txt plug-in files for Mac OS
8.6 to 9.1

AutoUpdate AutoUpdatePlugin.fp5 A FileMaker Pro

Examples: database that illustrates
AutoUpdatePlugin how to set up
AutoUpdate

FMI Go_FileMaker.html HTML document source

file for FileMaker on the
Web

FMS_Logo.gif Graphic file of

FileMaker Server logo
for the FileMaker on the
Web document

Important Do not alter the contents of the FileMaker Server Package.

Doing so could permanently damage FileMaker Server.
This page intentionally left blank.
 Chapter 5
Installing FileMaker Server in Red Hat Linux
This chapter provides step-by-step instructions for installing 1 TCP/IP network protocol for Red Hat Linux
FileMaker Server and associated files on a computer running the
Red Hat Linux operating system. Note If you have a second network card, you can specify a preferred
IP address for FileMaker Server. For more information, see
“Specifying the preferred IP address” on page 9-12.
What you need
To use FileMaker Server, you need the following equipment and
software.
Installing and registering FileMaker Server
You can use the terminal window or a pseudo terminal (pts) to install
Red Hat Linux system requirements FileMaker Server 5.5.
1 an Intel compatible PC with a Pentium or later processor
Important You must be logged in as the root user during installation
1 at least 64 MB of installed RAM and when making changes to the FileMaker Server configuration
1 Red Hat Linux 6.2 or 7.0 operating system file. Logging in as root gives you complete access to all system
1 a hard disk drive resources. Be extremely careful when working as the root user. You
could accidentally issue a command that could detrimentally affect
1 a CD or DVD drive your operating system software.
1 FileMaker Pro 5.x for a Windows or Mac OS computer for running
the remote administration capability and for creating and converting To install FileMaker Server:
files to be hosted by FileMaker Server 5.5 1. Insert the FileMaker Server CD into your CD or DVD drive.
1 a hard disk with at least 4 MB free disk space for the FileMaker 2. Switch to the root user by entering the following command at the
Server files. Be sure to allow additional space for the database files shell prompt:
you intend to host, which should be located on the same disk as the
$ su -l root
FileMaker Server application.
For information about accessing the shell prompt, see your operating
Networking requirements system documentation.

To share files among users on a network, you need to have the 3. Enter the root password.
following additional software and hardware installed on the host The prompt changes to #, indicating that you are now logged in as
computer running FileMaker Server: the root user.
1 a Red Hat Linux compatible network card 4. Mount the installation CD by entering:
1 the kernel module for your network card # mount /mnt/cdrom
5-2 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

5. Change to the CD directory by entering: Where files are stored on your hard disk
# cd /mnt/cdrom
The following table describes the FileMaker Server files and
6. Enter the following command to install the FileMaker Server files directories that are installed on your hard disk.
on your hard disk:
# rpm -Uvh fmserver-5.5-1.i386.rpm File Description

7. Enter the registration command followed by your installation code /etc/fmserver.conf The FileMaker Server configuration
file
and the location of the FileMaker Server binary on your server
computer. For example: /etc/rc.d/init.d/fmserverd An auto-start and stop script for
FileMaker Server. For more
# fms_registration 1-1111-1111-1111-1111 /usr/bin/ information, see “Starting and stopping
fmserverd FileMaker Server automatically” on
Tip Your installation code is a seventeen digit number located on a page 9-2.
multi-part sticker on the installation code sheet with the FileMaker /usr/bin/fmspasswd A utility for setting the remote
Server CD. administration and directory service
passwords
Registering FileMaker Server in Red Hat Linux activates the
FileMaker Server daemon and lets you start the FileMaker Server /usr/bin/fmserverd The FileMaker Server daemon binary
service. file

/usr/bin/fms_registration A utility for activating the FileMaker

8. Log out as the root user by entering:
Server daemon (fmserverd), enabling it
# logout to start the FileMaker Server service.
It’s important to register your copy of FileMaker Server with You run this utility only once
immediately after installation.
FileMaker, Inc., so you have full access to customer and technical
support. For more information, see “Registration and customer /usr/doc/fmserver-5.5 The directory containing the FileMaker
support” on page 1-1. Server 5.5 Readme file, FileMaker
Server Administrator’s Guide PDF,
For information about configuring and using FileMaker Server on quick reference PDF, Auto Update
the server computer, see chapter 9, “Using FileMaker Server in Red developer documentation and sample
Hat Linux.” For information about using remote administration, see file, and license
“Enabling remote administration in FileMaker Server” on page 9-10 /usr/doc/fmserver-5.5/backup.sample A sample backup script
and chapter 10, “Manually installing the Server Administration
/var/fmserver The directory where you place
plug-in on a remote computer.”
FileMaker Pro databases that you want
to host
 Installing FileMaker Server in Red Hat Linux 5-3

File Description Note The FileMaker Server configuration file (fmserver.conf) is

backed up and saved during uninstall. Therefore, you will have
/var/fmserver/AutoUpdate/ Remote administration plug-in files for
access to your customized settings if you choose to reinstall
FMPSADM.FMX Windows
FileMaker Server.
var/fmserver/AutoUpdate/
FMPSADM.FMX.txt
To remove all files from your hard disk that were installed by the
/var/fmserver/AutoUpdate/Server Remote administration plug-in files for FileMaker Server installer:
Administration X.bin Mac OS X
1. Switch to the root user by entering the following command at the
var/fmserver/AutoUpdate/Server
shell prompt:
Administration X.txt
$ su -l root
/var/fmserver/AutoUpdate/Server Remote administration plug-in files for
Administration.bin Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 2. Enter the root password.
var/fmserver/AutoUpdate/Server 3. Enter the following command to remove FileMaker Server:
Administration.txt
# rpm -e fmserver
/var/log/fmserver The directory containing log files
4. Log out as the root user by entering:
(events.log and stats.log) for FileMaker
Server. The stats.log file appears in this # logout
directory after you enable statistics
logging.

Uninstalling FileMaker Server

If you need to remove the FileMaker Server software from your
computer, you do not need to stop the FileMaker Server service. The
operating system’s application removal command (rpm) can detect if
FileMaker Server is running and will warn guests and stop the
service before removing FileMaker Server from your computer.

The rpm command removes only those files installed by the

FileMaker Server installer. Therefore, hosted database files placed
on the server by the FileMaker Server administrator and log files
created by FileMaker Server are not removed when you uninstall
FileMaker Server.
This page intentionally left blank.
 Chapter 6
Configuring FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS)
Configuration settings allow you to customize FileMaker Server for Configuration setting
optimal performance.
1 Maximize performance (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)
Windows: Use the configuration assistants in the FileMaker Server 1 Specify the network protocol(s) FileMaker Server will use and choose a preferred
Console or the Properties dialog box to configure FileMaker Server. IP address

1 Enable usage statistics to be recorded in a log and set a maximum size for the log
Mac OS: Use the Preferences dialog box to configure
1 Register FileMaker Server with a directory service
FileMaker Server.
1 Allow the FileMaker Server administrator’s contact information to be published to
Red Hat Linux: For information about configuring FileMaker Server the directory service
settings in Red Hat Linux, see chapter 9, “Using FileMaker Server in 1 Specify how to authenticate FileMaker Server to a directory server
Red Hat Linux.” 1 Change the LDAP port number

The following table lists all FileMaker Server configuration settings.

Note The memory requirements of FileMaker Server are directly
related to the number of guests and open files. If you select large
Configuration setting
values for these, you should also increase the amount of RAM
1 Set the maximum number of simultaneously connected guests
reserved for the database cache. See “Changing the amount of
1 Set idle disconnect time and customize the pre-disconnect message memory used by FileMaker Server” on page 6-5 or “Adjusting
1 Require users to be logged on to the same Windows domain in which FileMaker memory (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)” on page 6-6 for more details.
Server resides

1 Set the maximum number of hosted files

Using the configuration assistants
1 Allocate the amount of memory (RAM) FileMaker Server can use as database
cache (Windows)
1 Set how often database cache is flushed In Windows, FileMaker Server comes with configuration assistants
1 Allow single user files to be hosted and shared to help you set up server options. These assistants step you through
1 Allow plug-in updates to be downloaded automatically the configuration process, giving you helpful instructions along the
way. You can use these assistants to set up your initial configuration,
1 Enable runtime files created by FileMaker Developer to be opened automatically by
FileMaker Server and then use the Properties dialog box as described in this chapter to
change settings, if needed.
1 Enable remote administration and specify a password

1 Specify a custom server name that appears in the Hosts dialog box
6-2 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

To access the assistants:

1. Click the Start button > Programs > FileMaker Server Console.
You see the FileMaker Server Console.

Click FileMaker Server to access

the configuration assistants Click icons to start assistants

Console
Tree

Details
Pane

Properties dialog box (Windows)

4. Click a tab to set options for FileMaker Server configuration. For

FileMaker Server Console (Windows 2000)
configuration details, skip the next two sections and refer to the
remaining sections in this chapter.
2. Click one of the icons in the right panel to start an assistant.

Opening the Properties dialog box Opening the Preferences dialog box
(Windows) (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)
1. Double-click the FileMaker Server icon to start the application. If
1. Click the Start button > Programs > FileMaker Server Console.
FileMaker Server is running, choose Application menu >
You see the FileMaker Server console. FileMaker Server in the upper-right corner of the desktop to bring it to
2. Select FileMaker Server in the Console Tree, if it’s not already the foreground.
selected. 2. Choose Edit menu > Preferences.
3. Choose Action menu > Properties. You see a dialog box with six tabs: Guests, Files, Administration,
You see the Properties dialog box, which has seven tabs: Guests, Networking, Logging, and Directory Service.
Files, File Types, Administration, Networking, Logging, and Directory
Service.
 Configuring FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS) 6-3

Preferences dialog box (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)

3. Click a tab to set options for FileMaker Server configuration. For Preferences dialog (Mac OS X)
configuration details, skip the next section and refer to the remaining
sections in this chapter. 3. Click a tab to set options for FileMaker Server configuration. For
configuration details, refer to the remaining sections in this chapter.
Opening the Preferences dialog
(Mac OS X) Setting the number of guests
1. Double-click the FileMaker Server Config icon to start the You can specify the number of guests who are simultaneously
application. connected to FileMaker Server. Specifying a lower number leaves
more memory available for FileMaker Server to operate.
Tip If FileMaker Server is running, click the FileMaker Server Config
icon in the Mac OS X Dock to bring it to the foreground. See appendix B, “Performance and usage tips” for more information
2. Choose FMServer Config menu > Preferences. about memory optimization.
You see a dialog with seven tabs: Guests, Files, File Types, To set the number of FileMaker Pro guests:
Administration, Networking, Logging, and Directory Service.
1. In the Properties (Windows) or Preferences (Mac OS) dialog box,
click the Guests tab.
2. Enter a number for the Maximum number of simultaneously
connected guests option.
The minimum number of guests is 1 and the maximum is 250.
(AppleTalk support is limited to 124 simultaneous guests.)
6-4 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

For example, if you monitor guest usage over time and notice you 3. Click the up or down arrow to select the amount of idle time after
rarely have more than 22 guests active at one time, set this option to which inactive guests should be disconnected. The minimum setting
allow 25 guests for best performance on your server. is 10 minutes and the maximum setting is 24 hours.
3. Set any other options, then click OK. 4. Set any other options, then click OK.
If you increase the number of guests allowed, you must restart
FileMaker Server for the new setting to take effect. Setting the pre-disconnect message
Before an idle guest is disconnected from a hosted database,
FileMaker Server sends the guest a message to warn that
Allowing disconnection of idle guests disconnection will occur soon. You can send a default message from
FileMaker Server can disconnect guests who have been idle for more FileMaker Server or you can type your own message.
than a specified period of time. You can: To customize the pre-disconnect message:
1 specify the amount of time before idle guests are disconnected 1. In the Properties (Windows) or Preferences (Mac OS) dialog box,
1 use the default disconnect message to warn guests that they will be click the Guests tab, and select Disconnect Idle Guests.
disconnected, or write a custom message 2. Select Custom message, then type a message in the text box.
3. Set any other options, then click OK.
Note In FileMaker Pro 5.5, you can use a password privilege to keep
a guest connected to FileMaker Server when the guest is idle. In
some instances, such as when a guest is also serving as a web Authenticating guest log on (Windows)
publishing host, the guest should maintain a connection to FileMaker
Server, so that users connecting to the database through a browser If FileMaker Server is running on Windows and is a member of a
will be able to access the database. For more information, see Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000 domain, you can require that
FileMaker Pro 5.5 Help. guests are members of the same domain as FileMaker Server before
they are granted access to a hosted database.
Setting a time to disconnect idle guests
Note Guests attempting to access hosted databases on this server
FileMaker Server can disconnect guests after a specified amount of must be using FileMaker Pro 5.5 to gain access to a database
idle time. protected by Windows authentication.
Tip To avoid being disconnected, guests should periodically show
some activity (for example, move to a different record, then click in If guests are not already logged on to the same domain as FileMaker
one of the fields) when working in databases hosted by Server when they attempt to open a protected database, they are
FileMaker Server. prompted for their user name and password for a Windows domain.
1. In the Properties (Windows) or Preferences (Mac OS) dialog box, Records of all logon attempts are logged in the Windows Security
click the Guests tab. Log. For more information about the Security Log, see your
2. Select Disconnect Idle Guests. Windows documentation.
 Configuring FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS) 6-5

To require users to be logged on to the same domain in which 2. Enter a number close to the number of files you expect to host on
FileMaker Server resides: FileMaker Server.
1. In the Properties dialog box, click the Guests tab. The minimum setting is 1 file and the maximum is 125.
2. Select Require FileMaker Pro guests to log on to a Windows domain. 3. Set any other options, then click OK.
3. Set any other options, then click OK. If you increase the number of files allowed, you must restart
FileMaker Server for the new setting to take effect.

Setting the maximum number of files

You can specify the maximum number of database files
Changing the amount of memory used by
FileMaker Server can open at one time. If you consistently monitor FileMaker Server
database usage, you can set the maximum number of files for best
The operating system sets aside a certain amount of memory for each
performance on your server. Specifying a lower number leaves more
application. When you start FileMaker Server, it tells Windows or
memory available for FileMaker Server. See appendix B,
the Mac OS how much memory it needs based on its Reserve n MB of
“Performance and usage tips,” for more information about memory
RAM for database cache setting. Increasing the RAM reserved for the
optimization.
database cache can speed up overall performance, especially if your
To set the maximum number of files FileMaker Server can host: server hosts large files or a large number of guests or files.
1. In the Properties (Windows) or Preferences (Mac OS) dialog box, Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1: The amount of application memory specified in
click the Files tab. the FileMaker Server Info dialog box also affects the operation of
FileMaker Server. For more information, see “Adjusting memory
(Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)” on page 6-6.

To change the amount of memory FileMaker Server uses:

1. In the Properties (Windows) or Preferences (Mac OS) dialog box,
click the Files tab.
2. Enter the amount of RAM you want to allocate in the Reserve n MB
of RAM for database cache box.
The minimum setting is 2 MB and the maximum is 40 MB.
Important Do not specify more RAM than is physically available on the
server computer. Be sure to leave at least 16 to 32 MB (Windows) or 24
MB (Mac OS) of physical RAM available for the operating system.
3. Set any other options, then click OK.
Files tab (Windows) You must restart FileMaker Server for the new setting to take effect.
6-6 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

Adjusting memory (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) To change the amount of memory FileMaker Server uses:
1. If FileMaker Server is running, close the application by choosing
Your computer sets aside a certain amount of memory for each
File menu > Quit.
application. When you start FileMaker Server, it tells the computer
how much memory it needs. 2. Select the FileMaker Server application icon.
3. Choose File menu > Get Info > Memory.
If you plan to host large database files or a large number of files, you
can increase the amount of memory (RAM) set aside for
FileMaker Server.

Changing the amount of memory used

To change the amount of memory reserved for FileMaker Server,
keep these points in mind:
1 FileMaker Server comes configured with 8 MB of memory Change the amount
of memory
(RAM) allocated to it. This configuration supports the default FileMaker Server
number of guests (25) and files (50). Increasing memory can speed uses
up overall performance, especially if you are working with large files
or a large number of guests or files.
1 The amount of memory you give to other applications affects the
performance of FileMaker Server. FileMaker Server is designed to run
by itself on a dedicated computer. By not running other applications, you 4. Double-click the number labeled Preferred Size.
can assign all available memory to FileMaker Server. 5. Type a number to change the memory allocated for
1 Avoid specifying less memory than the Suggested Size in the FileMaker Server.
FileMaker Server Info dialog box. 6. Click the close box.
1 If you make changes to FileMaker Server preferences while The next time you start FileMaker Server, the amount of memory
running FileMaker Server, FileMaker Server asks you if you want to you specified is used by the application.
automatically adjust the application memory setting in the
FileMaker Server Info dialog box to accommodate the new settings.
If you click OK in the confirmation dialog box, application memory
is adjusted for you. If you click Cancel in the confirmation dialog
box, you should use the following procedure to adjust the application
memory manually.

See appendix B, “Performance and usage tips” for suggestions for

optimizing memory settings.
 Configuring FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS) 6-7

FileMaker Server, virtual memory, and physical Allowing single user files to be hosted
memory requirements For your convenience, you can set FileMaker Server to host single
FileMaker Server and the virtual memory option (available with user files. This setting lets you host databases without first having to
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) both use your hard disk to store temporary manually change them to multi-user in FileMaker Pro.
information. Virtual memory provides file mapping, which can
1. In the Properties (Windows) or Preferences (Mac OS) dialog box,
improve the performance of FileMaker Server. If you choose to turn
click the Files tab.
on virtual memory while FileMaker Server is running, ensure that
you have enough physical memory to satisfy the requirements of 2. Select Allow FileMaker Server to host Single User files.
both the Mac OS and FileMaker Server so that virtual memory won’t 3. Set any other options, then click OK.
degrade the performance of FileMaker Server.

To determine how much physical memory you need to use Allowing software updates to be
FileMaker Server with virtual memory turned on:
1. Click the desktop to switch to the Finder.
downloaded automatically
You can store software updates on the server computer and allow
2. Choose 4 > About This Computer and note how much memory the
FileMaker Pro 5.5 guests to download these files automatically when
Mac OS is using.
they open database files hosted by FileMaker Server 5.5. Examples
3. Add this figure to the preferred amount of memory to determine of files you can download automatically are plug-in files or plug-in
how much physical memory you need for optimal performance of license files, sometimes required by FileMaker Pro databases.
FileMaker Server with virtual memory turned on. FileMaker Server
requires 8 MB for 25 guests and 50 files. When a FileMaker Pro file is hosted using FileMaker Server, any
plug-ins required by the file must exist on each guest computer used
to open the database. By allowing plug-in updates to be downloaded
Setting how often the cache is flushed automatically, you ensure that all guests have access to plug-ins
FileMaker Server flushes (writes) information stored in the cache required by a database the first time they attempt to open it. In
(temporary storage) to disk whenever FileMaker Server is idle, but addition, when plug-ins are changed by database developers, you can
you can set the cache to be flushed at specific intervals. If the cache store new versions on the server computer, so you don’t have to
is flushed frequently, data integrity in hosted files is improved but update plug-ins on many individual guest computers.
performance may decline.
For automatic file downloading to work correctly, you must place
1. In the Properties (Windows) or Preferences (Mac OS) dialog box, current plug-in files and text files containing plug-in version
click the Files tab. information in the correct location on the server computer. In
2. Select Flush cache every n hours or minutes. addition, guests must activate the Auto Update plug-in in the
3. Click the up or down arrow to select the time interval. Application preferences in FileMaker Pro 5.5 before attempting to
open hosted files that require plug-ins.
The minimum setting is 15 minutes and the maximum setting is 2 hours.
4. Set any other options, then click OK.
6-8 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

To set up FileMaker Server to automatically download software Note FileMaker Pro 5.5 can check the version of plug-in files
updates to guest computers: required by a hosted database and update plug-ins if the current
1. Obtain current plug-in and version control files from your version is not located on the guest computer. However, FileMaker
FileMaker Pro database developers. Pro cannot verify the version of other downloadable files. If a non-
plug-in file is located on both the server and guest computers, the file
2. Create a folder named AutoUpdate in the folder that contains the
on the guest computer is backed up in the Saved System Folder
database that uses plug-ins. (Windows) or Saved FileMaker Extensions Folder (Mac OS) and
Tip If you host multiple databases that use the same plug-ins, store then the file from the server is placed in the System Folder
updates in the AutoUpdate folder in the FileMaker Server 5.5 folder, (Windows) or FileMaker Extensions Folder (Mac OS).
rather than in individual AutoUpdate folders in each database folder.
This allows you to store an update in one place on the server
computer, and makes it available for all databases that need it. Opening runtime solutions automatically
3. Place files for automatic download in the AutoUpdate folder. (Windows and Mac OS X)
Guest platform File format You can have FileMaker Server automatically host runtime solution
Windows .fmx file type for plug-in files files that have been bound using FileMaker Developer 5.x and have
.txt format plug-in version control files a custom filename extension.
Mac OS fmxt file type in bin format (MacBinary) for plug-in files
.txt format plug-in version control files
About FileMaker Developer
FileMaker Developer lets database developers create and distribute
complete single user database solutions with layouts that are not
Tip If some guest computers on your network run Windows and
modifiable by users.
some run the Mac OS, you can include both Windows and Mac OS
versions of the plug-in in the AutoUpdate folder.
Runtime solution files typically have unique filename extensions.
4. In the FileMaker Server Properties (Windows) or Preferences For example, rather than the standard .fp5 extension, a runtime
(Mac OS) dialog box, click the Files tab. solution file might have the extension .cm1. Registering these
5. Select Allow FileMaker Pro guests to download updates automatically. runtime solution filename extensions in the FileMaker Server
Properties (Windows) or Preferences (Mac OS) dialog box enables
6. Set any other options, then click OK.
FileMaker Server to open these files automatically when they are
7. Instruct users of guest computers to enable automatic download in placed in the same folder as the FileMaker Server application (or
FileMaker Pro 5.5 as follows: Start FileMaker Pro, choose Edit subfolders one level down).
menu > Preferences > Application (Windows and Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)
or FileMaker Pro menu > Preferences > Application (Mac OS X). To enable FileMaker Server to open runtime solution files
automatically:
8. Click the Plug-ins tab and select Auto Update.
1. In the Properties (Windows) or Preferences (Mac OS X) dialog
box, click the File Types tab.
 Configuring FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS) 6-9

Opening runtime solutions automatically

(Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)
You can have FileMaker Server automatically host runtime solution
files that have been bound using FileMaker Developer 5.x.

About FileMaker Developer

FileMaker Developer lets database developers create and distribute
complete single user database solutions with layouts that are not
modifiable by users. Users can purchase and use these databases
without having to obtain full FileMaker Pro licenses for the
computers running the databases.

If runtime solution files were bound using FileMaker Developer

File Types tab (Windows) running in Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1, they open automatically when
FileMaker Server starts if they are located in the FileMaker Server
2. Select Allow FileMaker Server to open registered runtime solutions. 5.5 folder (or subfolders one level down).
3. To register a filename extension for a runtime solution, type the
If runtime solutions files were bound using FileMaker Developer
extension into the first box, then click Add.
running in Windows, you must open them using FileMaker Pro 5.x
You can register a maximum of 16 filename extensions. You can use running in Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 and then close them before placing
the following wildcard characters when defining filename extensions. them in the FileMaker Server 5.5 folder (or subfolders one level
down). Thereafter, these solution files open automatically when
Use this
character To indicate FileMaker Server starts.
* Zero or more characters. For example, c* registers all extensions
that begin with c.
Enabling remote administration
? One character. For example, c?p registers all extensions that
begin with c and end with p, and c? registers all extensions that Using FileMaker Pro 5.x, you can remotely control, or administer,
begin with c and are two characters in length. FileMaker Server from a different computer than the one on which
FileMaker Server is installed and hosting databases. After you
4. To remove a filename extension, select it, then click Remove.
enable remote administration, you can use a remote computer to
view a list of hosted databases, and the guests using them, and
5. Set any other options, then click OK. monitor performance statistics.
6-10 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

If you have installed the Server Administration plug-in on your Choose To

remote computer, you can also send messages to guests, disconnect
Requires password Let FileMaker Pro 5.x guests remotely view
guests, and open or close files remotely. For more information about
statistics or control FileMaker Server only after
remote administration tasks, see chapter 7, “Administering entering the password you specify. Passwords are
FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS).” For more information limited to 31 characters.
about installing the Server Administration plug-in, see
“Automatically downloading the Server Administration plug-in to a If you select Disabled, the FileMaker Server name is dimmed (not
remote computer” on page 7-6. selectable) when FileMaker Pro guests view it in the Hosts dialog
box.
To enable remote administration of FileMaker Server:
3. Set any other options, then click OK.
1. In the Properties (Windows) or Preferences (Mac OS) dialog box,
click the Administration tab. Important If you choose to require a password for security reasons,
also remember to restrict access to the server computer. Do not put
the computer in an insecure room.

Windows: You can use Windows administrative tools to password-

protect a computer. If you do, remember to always log off when
leaving the computer unattended.

To prevent guests from viewing or modifying the data, scripts, and

layouts in FileMaker Pro, you must create a password in each of the
hosted files in FileMaker Pro. See “Protecting files with a password”
on page 6-17 for more information.

Administration tab
(Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)
This option, described on page 6-11, is available for
FileMaker Server running in Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 only
Specifying a custom host name
You can specify a host name for the computer running
2. Choose one of the following options for remote administration. FileMaker Server that’s different from the name registered by the
operating system.When you define a custom name, guests see this
Choose To
new name when they open the Hosts dialog box in FileMaker Pro
Disabled Disable remote administration and when they administer FileMaker Server remotely.
Requires no password Let any FileMaker Pro 5.x guest remotely view
statistics or control FileMaker Server
 Configuring FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS) 6-11

Note Guests connecting to databases hosted by FileMaker Server might Important Do not enable this feature unless your server computer is
see the host name displayed in different ways. IPX/SPX displays names dedicated to only FileMaker Server and unless FileMaker Server
using only numerals, uppercase characters, underscores (_), and always runs in the foreground. If you switch to the Finder on a
periods (.), and replaces any other characters with underscores. computer running FileMaker Server in maximum performance
mode, expect Finder response time to be slow.
TCP/IP IPX/SPX (Windows)
Mktg’s FileMaker Server MKTG_S_FILEMAKER_SERVER
To maximize performance of FileMaker Server:
1. In the Preferences dialog box, click the Administration tab.
Choose custom and system names carefully to reduce confusion 2. Select Maximize performance (less CPU time for other applications).
between different protocols.
3. Set any other options, then click OK.
To specify the host name that is displayed in the Hosts dialog box: 4. Select FileMaker Server in the Application menu in the upper-right
corner of the desktop to ensure that it is running in the foreground.
1. In the Properties (Windows) or Preferences (Mac OS) dialog box,
click the Administration tab.
2. Choose one of the following options for Host name. Choosing network protocols
Choose To FileMaker Server can host databases using a variety of network
System name Have FileMaker Server use the name of the computer in the
protocols, but TCP/IP is highly recommended.
Network control panel (Windows), File Sharing control panel
(Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1), or Sharing preferences (Mac OS X) Network protocol Windows Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 Mac OS X

Custom name Have FileMaker Server use the custom name you specify TCP/IP Yes Yes Yes

IPX/SPX Yes No No
Names are limited to 31 characters. AppleTalk No Yes No
3. Set any other options, then click OK.
You must restart FileMaker Server for the new setting to take effect. To choose the network protocols that FileMaker Server uses:
1. In the Properties (Windows) or Preferences (Mac OS) dialog box,
click the Networking tab.
Maximizing performance
(Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)
You can specify that FileMaker Server uses more CPU (central
processing unit) cycles than any other application installed on your
server computer.
6-12 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

3. Set any other options, then click OK.

You must restart FileMaker Server for the new setting to take effect.

Recording usage statistics and

setting size limits
When you enable statistical logging for FileMaker Server, a log file
is created in your FileMaker Server 5.5 folder.

Platform Statistics log name View log in

Windows fmsvplog.txt Performance Monitor (Windows NT)
System Monitor (Windows 2000)
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 Server Statistics Log Usage Statistics window
Networking tab (Windows)
Mac OS X Statistics.log Mac OS X console application

2. Choose the network protocol(s) you want FileMaker Server to use

The log file is a tab-delimited text file, so you can import it into, or
when communicating with FileMaker Pro guests.
drag and drop it onto, FileMaker Pro (or any other application that
3. Set any other options, then click OK. supports tab-delimited input). You can then examine historical
You must restart FileMaker Server for the new setting to take effect. statistical information about how FileMaker Server is performing.

Windows: You can view information from this log in the Usage
Setting the preferred IP address Statistics window when you administer remotely, or you can display
it graphically in real-time on your server computer using the
If you have multiple IP addresses, you can specify the one you want
Performance Monitor. For more information about viewing
FileMaker Server to use.
statistics, see “Viewing usage statistics for FileMaker Server” on
Windows and Mac OS X: Each network card in your server page 7-7 and “Monitoring performance (Windows NT)” on
computer has its own IP address. page 7-17.
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1: Apple Open Transport determines the number of
IP addresses available for each network card in your computer. Mac OS: You can view information from this log in the Usage
Statistics window when you administer either remotely or locally.
1. In the Properties (Windows) or Preferences (Mac OS) dialog box,
For more information, see “Viewing usage statistics for
click the Networking tab.
FileMaker Server” on page 7-7 and “Viewing usage statistics
2. Select an IP address from the menu. (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)” on page 7-14.
 Configuring FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS) 6-13

Tips
1 Renaming logs
Windows and Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1: When FileMaker Server is stopped
and restarted, the existing log file is renamed fmsvplas.txt
(Windows) or Server Last Statistics Log (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1). A new
log is created to record information for the current session. To save
statistics for more than two sessions, rename the backup copy of the
log before restarting FileMaker Server or it will be overwritten.
Mac OS X: When Statistics.log reaches its maximum size, it is
renamed Statistics-old.log and a new Statistics.log is created.

1 Displaying statistics graphically

Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1: To display statistical information graphically in
real-time, you can use Apple events to transfer information from the Logging tab (Mac OS X) This option, described on page 6-15, is available
for FileMaker Server running in the Mac OS only
Server Statistics Log to Microsoft Excel. You can then use Microsoft
Excel to chart statistics. For more information about supported
2. Select Log Usage Statistics.
Apple events, see the AppleScript Examples folder inside the
FileMaker Server 5.5 folder. 3. For Collect and update Usage Statistics every n option, select a time
interval. The minimum collection interval is 1 second and the
Windows: You can chart real-time statistics for various aspects of
maximum is 5 minutes.
FileMaker Server performance. See “Monitoring server performance
(Windows)” on page 7-17. FileMaker Server collects statistical information at the interval you
selected, then writes this information to the log file at the interval
To record usage statistics in a log file: displayed in Server will write to the Statistics Log every n (hh:mm:ss).
1. In the Properties (Windows) or Preferences (Mac OS) dialog box,
Click to change the collection
click the Logging tab. frequency for usage statistics

Statistics are
written to disk at
this interval
6-14 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

The difference between how often data is collected and how often it Tip You might want to overwrite data when the log is full so you
is written to the log depends on the size of the FileMaker Server always have current events in the log. For more information, see
cache. Holding statistics in the cache rather than writing to the log at “Keeping event data current (Windows)” on page 7-20.
each collection optimizes performance while still providing useful
and timely statistical information.
4. For Maximum size of Statistics Log, select a maximum size in
Setting a size limit for the Application Log
megabytes for the log file. The minimum setting is 1 MB and the (Windows 2000)
maximum is 40 MB.
You can set a maximum size for the FileMaker Server Application
5. Set any other options, then click OK. Log, which records with a timestamp situations that occur while
FileMaker Server is running. Typical events that are logged include
For information on the types of statistics that are collected in the FileMaker Server startup and shut down, database file opening and
Statistics Log, see “Viewing usage statistics for FileMaker Server” closing, guests logging on and off, tasks that execute on schedules,
on page 7-7. and changes to FileMaker Server properties.

To set the size of the FileMaker Server Application Log:

Setting a size limit for the Application Log 1. Click the Start button > Programs > FileMaker Server Console.
(Windows NT) 2. Select Event Viewer (Local) in the Console Tree.
You can set a maximum size for the FileMaker Server Application 3. Select the FileMaker Server icon in the Details Pane of the Event
Log, which records with a timestamp situations that occur while Viewer console.
FileMaker Server is running. Typical events that are logged include
4. Right-click and select Properties.
FileMaker Server startup and shut down, database file opening and
closing, guests logging on and off, tasks that execute on schedules, 5. For Maximum Log size n, select a maximum size in kilobytes for the
and changes to FileMaker Server properties. FileMaker Server Application Log.
6. Click OK.
To set the size of the FileMaker Server Application Log:
Tip You might want to overwrite data when the log is full so you
1. Click the Start button > Programs > Administrative Tools (Common) > always have current events in the log. For more information, see
Event Viewer. “Keeping event data current (Windows)” on page 7-20.
2. Choose Log menu > Log Settings.
3. For Maximum Log size n, select a maximum size in kilobytes for
the FileMaker Server Application Log.
4. Click OK.
 Configuring FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS) 6-15

Setting a size limit for the event log Your system administrator should be able to give you the
information you need to complete the required directory service
(Mac OS) preference settings.
You can set a maximum size for the Server Event Log (Mac OS 8.6
For information about setting up a directory service, see the
to 9.1) or Events.log (Mac OS X), which records with a timestamp
Directory Service folder on the FileMaker Server CD.
situations that occur while FileMaker Server is running. Typical
events that are logged include FileMaker Server startup and shut Registering FileMaker Server with a directory service
down, database file opening and closing, guests logging on and off,
Note This feature requires TCP/IP to be the selected network
tasks that execute on schedules, and changes to FileMaker Server
protocol.
preferences.
To register FileMaker Server with a directory service:
To set the size of the event log:
1. In the Properties (Windows) or Preferences (Mac OS) dialog box,
1. In the Preferences dialog box, click the Logging tab.
click the Directory Service tab.
2. For Maximum size of Event Log, select a maximum size in
megabytes.
The minimum size setting for the log is 1 MB and the maximum is
40 MB.
3. Set any other options, then click OK.

Using FileMaker Server with a

directory service
If your organization uses a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
(LDAP)-compliant directory service, such as Microsoft Active
Directory, Netscape Directory, or OpenLDAP, you can centrally
manage your hosted databases by registering FileMaker Server with
your directory service.
Directory Service tab (Windows)
When FileMaker Server is registered with an LDAP-compliant
directory service, its host name and IP address are published to the 2. Select Register FileMaker Server with a directory service.
directory service. The FileMaker Server administrator’s contact 3. Type the directory service name (IP address) in the top box.
information can also be published.
4. Type the distinguished name in the second box.
6-16 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

The distinguished name specifies the location of FileMaker Server in 3. Choose one of the following options for user authentication.
the directory service. For example:
Choose To
ou=FileMaker,dc=mydomain,dc=Sales
Log on anonymously Log on without specifying an account name and
Spaces after commas are optional.
password
5. Set any other options, then click OK. Specify account Log on using the account name and password you specify
name and password
Specifying the authentication method (Windows)
To specify how to authenticate FileMaker Server to a directory 4. Set any other options, then click OK.
server:
1. In the Properties dialog box, click the Directory Service tab. Publishing your contact information to your
2. Select Register FileMaker Server with a directory service. directory service
3. Choose from the following options for user authentication. As the FileMaker Server administrator, you can publish your name,
location, phone number, and e-mail address to your directory
Choose To service. This is useful if the directory service administrator needs to
Use Windows Use the account name and password of a Windows contact you if, for example, hosted databases are unavailable for
Authentication domain to access Microsoft Active Directory guest access.
Log on as current user Log on using the current Windows account, if Use To publish contact information for the FileMaker Server
Windows Authentication is selected administrator:
Log on anonymously Log on without specifying an account name and 1. In the Properties (Windows) or Preferences (Mac OS) dialog box,
password. (This option is not available if Use Windows click the Directory Service tab.
Authentication is selected.)
2. Select Register FileMaker Server with a directory service.
Specify account Log on using the account name and password you specify
name and password 3. Click Options.
4. In the Options dialog box, enter the contact information you want
4. Set any other options, then click OK. to publish.
For example:
Specifying the authentication method (Mac OS)
If you are using Windows 2000 Active Directory, for the Owner
To specify how to authenticate FileMaker Server to a directory field:
server: CN=user1,CN=users,dc=mydomain,dc=filemaker,dc=com
1. In the Preferences dialog box, click the Directory Service tab. If you are using another LDAPv3-compliant directory service, for
2. Select Register FileMaker Server with a directory service. the Owner field:
Marie Durand
5. Click OK.
 Configuring FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS) 6-17

Changing the port number Protecting files with a password

The port number setting indicates the type of the port required by
It is especially important to use the access privileges in
your directory service. Some LDAP-compliant directory services
FileMaker Pro when files are shared on a network. Using
use a port number other than the default, 389.
FileMaker Pro, you can restrict what users see and do in a database
To change the port number for your directory service connection: file by defining passwords and groups. Passwords limit what users
1. In the Properties (Windows) or Preferences (Mac OS) dialog box, can do and groups limit the layouts and fields they can see.
click the Directory Service tab.
Important Protect shared FileMaker Pro 5.x files by using
2. Select Register FileMaker Server with a directory service. FileMaker Pro access privileges. Although the shared FileMaker Pro
3. Click Advanced. files reside on a file server, which may have its own security scheme,
any files available to FileMaker Pro guests bypass network and file
4. In the Advanced dialog box, type a number.
server protection. For more information about protecting files with a
Click Default to restore the value to 389, the designated port number password, see chapter 9 in the FileMaker Pro 5 User’s Guide. See
for LDAP. also FileMaker Pro 5.5 Help for information about using record-by-
5. Click OK. record access privileges.

Restoring FileMaker Server How FileMaker Server behaves during

default settings system sleep (Windows 2000 and Mac OS)
To restore all default settings: Windows 2000 supports Power Conservation mode, which can cause
your server computer to sleep (hibernate or enter Standby mode),
Windows Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 Mac OS X suspending access to hosted databases.
Uninstall FileMaker Quit FileMaker Server, In the Preferences dialog,
Server and reinstall it. then delete the files click the Restore Settings Computers running the Mac OS can suspend operation when they
See “Uninstalling FileMaker Server 5.5 Prefs. button, click OK, then enter an energy-saving system sleep state.
FileMaker Server This file is stored in the restart FileMaker Server
(Windows)” on Preferences folder inside Config. FileMaker Inc. recommends that you disable sleep mode on
page 2-5. the System Folder. computers running FileMaker Server.

To prevent your system from sleeping:

1 Windows 2000: Disable Hibernation and Standby Mode in the Power
options control panel on the computer running FileMaker Server.
6-18 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

1 Mac OS: Disable system sleep in the Energy Saver control panel Whenever FileMaker Server restarts after sleep or a forced
(Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) or Energy Saver preferences (Mac OS X) by shutdown, you should always check the Application Log (Windows
setting the slider control to Never in the Put the system to sleep 2000) or Server Event Log (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) or Events.log
whenever it is inactive area. (Mac OS X) for database corruption notifications. For more
information about viewing the events, see “Viewing activities in the
If sleep is enabled on the computer running FileMaker Server, it’s Event Viewer (Windows 2000)” or “Viewing activities in the event
important to understand how FileMaker Server reacts, should the log (Mac OS)” on page 7-20.
computer enter sleep mode:
Also, check your scheduled tasks to ensure that important backups or
1 If there are no guests connected to hosted files when the operating
scripts were not scheduled to run while the operating system was
system notifies FileMaker Server that it is going to sleep,
asleep or off. These tasks will not run until the next scheduled time
FileMaker Server flushes the cache to disk and leaves hosted
when FileMaker Server is running and the operating system is
databases open. Because the cache is saved to disk before the
awake.
computer sleeps, hosted databases experience no data loss and are
open when the operating system wakes up. To find out the last time a scheduled task ran:
Note Database backups or scripts scheduled in FileMaker Server do 1. Click the Start button > Programs > FileMaker Server Console
not run while the operating system is sleeping. (Windows 2000) or bring FileMaker Server to the foreground
1 If there are guests connected to FileMaker Server when the (Mac OS).
operating system notifies FileMaker Server that it is going to sleep, 2. Click Schedules in the FileMaker Server Console Tree (Windows
FileMaker Server responds to the operating system, instructing that 2000) or choose Window menu > Schedules Window (Mac OS).
it should not sleep while FileMaker Server is running.
3. Look at the time and date displayed in the Last Run column.
If the operating system shuts down unexpectedly while guests are
connected and before the cache can be written to disk (for example,
because the battery is critically low, the computer is overheating, or
a user turns off the server computer in an emergency),
FileMaker Server attempts to recover the state of hosted files when
it restarts. As it opens the files located in the FileMaker Server 5.5
folder (or subfolders one level down), FileMaker Server performs a
consistency check on each file. If a file is found to be corrupt,
FileMaker Server logs a corruption event in the Application Log
(Windows 2000) or Server Event Log (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) or
Events.log (Mac OS X).

Important Files that were open but are not located in the
FileMaker Server folder (or subfolders one level down) are not
reopened or checked for consistency.
 Chapter 7
Administering FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS)
This chapter provides information about starting and stopping
FileMaker Server and administering hosted files.
Starts the FileMaker
Server service
Note For information about administering FileMaker Server running Stops the FileMaker
in Red Hat Linux, see chapter 9, “Using FileMaker Server in Red Server service
Hat Linux.”
Sets FileMaker Server
to start up
automatically or
Starting FileMaker Server (Windows NT) manually

To start the FileMaker Server service: Services control panel (Windows NT)

1. Place the FileMaker Pro 5.x files that you want FileMaker Server
Note The Services control panel also lets you change how
to open—or shortcuts to those files—in the same folder as
FileMaker Server starts: either manually or automatically. If you
FileMaker Server (or in subfolders one level down).
want to start FileMaker Server manually when Windows restarts,
Up to 125 FileMaker Pro 5.x database files can be automatically click the Startup button, then click Manual. If you want
opened when FileMaker Server starts up. FileMaker Server to start automatically when Windows restarts,
2. Click the Start button > Settings > Control Panel. click the Startup button, then click Automatic.

3. Double-click the Services icon. For information about starting the FileMaker Server service from the
command prompt, see “Using the command line to automate tasks
(Windows)” on page 8-8.

4. Select FileMaker Server in the list, then click Start.

FileMaker Server opens the FileMaker Pro files for access by Starting FileMaker Server (Windows 2000)
FileMaker Pro 5.x guests on the network. To start the FileMaker Server service:
1. Place the FileMaker Pro 5.x files that you want FileMaker Server
to open—or shortcuts to those files—in the same folder as
FileMaker Server (or in subfolders one level down).
Up to 125 FileMaker Pro 5.x database files can be automatically
opened when FileMaker Server starts up.
2. Click the Start button > Programs > FileMaker Server Console.
7-2 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

3. Select Services (Local) in the Console Tree.

4. Select FileMaker Server in the Details Pane. Message guests see
when you stop
5. Choose Action menu > Start. FileMaker Server

FileMaker Server opens the FileMaker Pro files for access by

FileMaker Pro 5.x guests on the network.
For information about starting the FileMaker Server service from the
command prompt, see “Using the command line to automate tasks
(Windows)” on page 8-8.
Shut down notification dialog box on
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 guest computer

Stopping FileMaker Server (Windows NT)

After five minutes, FileMaker Server disconnects any remaining
Stopping the FileMaker Server service disconnects all
guests and begins closing all open files.
FileMaker Pro guests and closes all database files hosted by
FileMaker Server. The process of stopping the service and closing the files may take
several minutes.
Important Stop the FileMaker Server service before shutting down
Windows to give FileMaker Server adequate time to alert guests and
prepare to shut down. Stopping FileMaker Server
To stop FileMaker Server:
(Windows 2000)
1. Click the Start button > Settings > Control Panel. Stopping the FileMaker Server service disconnects all
FileMaker Pro guests and closes all database files hosted by
2. Double-click the Services icon. FileMaker Server.

To stop FileMaker Server:

1. Click the Start button > Programs > FileMaker Server Console.
3. Select FileMaker Server in the list, then click Stop.
2. Select Services (Local) in the Console Tree.
4. Click Yes in the confirmation dialog box if you’re sure you want
to stop the service. 3. Select FileMaker Server in the Details pane, then choose Action
menu > Stop.
FileMaker Server gives guests five minutes to close files before
disconnecting them. Guests see a notification dialog box requesting
that they close the files hosted by FileMaker Server.
If guests don't close the files, the dialog box reappears one minute
before the files are closed.
 Administering FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS) 7-3

Starting FileMaker Server Quitting FileMaker Server

(Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)
Start FileMaker Server by double-clicking its icon in the Quitting FileMaker Server disconnects all FileMaker Pro guests and
FileMaker Server 5.5 Folder, or by selecting the icon and choosing closes all database files hosted by FileMaker Server.
File menu > Open. To quit FileMaker Server:
1. Choose File menu > Quit.
Application icon 2. Enter text for disconnection options in the dialog box, or accept
the default settings, and then click OK.
You can also make an alias to start FileMaker Server automatically
each time you start your computer. See the next section for more For this option Do this
information. Message to send Type text you want the guests to see.
Minutes until guests forced Enter a value (the default is 5 minutes or the
Making an alias to disconnect last-entered value).
Previous versions of FileMaker Server automatically put an alias of
the application in the Startup Items folder of your System Folder. After you select Quit, you see a diamond next to the command in the
File menu. In the Local Administration dialog box, all databases or
Important Throw away any alias from a previous version of
guest names become italicized to show that FileMaker Server is
FileMaker Server in your Startup Items folder.
attempting to disconnect all guests, close all files, and quit.
To make an alias for FileMaker Server:
FileMaker Server will give guests five minutes, or the amount of
1. In the Finder, select the FileMaker Server icon in the time you specify in the dialog box, to close files before disconnecting
FileMaker Server 5.5 folder. them. Guests see a notification dialog box requesting that they close
2. Choose File menu > Make Alias. the files hosted by FileMaker Server. If guests don’t close the files,
the dialog box reappears one minute before the files are closed by
You see an alias of FileMaker Server in the application folder.
FileMaker Server.

It might take FileMaker Server several minutes to complete the

quitting process.
Application alias

3. Copy or drag the alias into the Startup Items folder in your
System Folder. Starting FileMaker Server (Mac OS X)
FileMaker Server running in OS X has two components: the
configuration application, called FileMaker Server Config, and the
server application. They are started (and stopped) separately.
7-4 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

You can also make an alias to start FileMaker Server Config Quitting FileMaker Server (Mac OS X)
automatically each time you start your computer. See the next
section for more information. FileMaker Server running on OS X has two components: the
configuration application, called FileMaker Server Config, and the
Making an alias for FileMaker Server Config server application. They are stopped (and started) separately.
Note You can make an alias for FileMaker Server Config, but not for
the server itself.
Quitting the FileMaker Server Config application
To quit the FileMaker Server Config application, choose FMServer
To make an alias for FileMaker Server Config: Config menu > Quit FMServer Config.
1. In the Finder, select the FileMaker Server Config icon in the
FileMaker Server 5.5 folder.
Stopping the FileMaker Server application (Mac OS X)
Stopping the FileMaker Server application disconnects all
2. Choose File menu > Make Alias.
FileMaker Pro guests and closes all database files hosted by
You see an alias of FileMaker Server Config in the application FileMaker Server.
folder.
To stop FileMaker Server, click the Stop Server button in the
FileMaker Server window.
Application alias
Guests see a notification dialog requesting that they close the files
3. In the Login Items pane of the Login preferences, click Add.
hosted by FileMaker Server. If guests don’t close the files, the dialog
4. Navigate to the alias you just made and click Open. reappears before the files are closed by FileMaker Server.
5. Close the Login preferences window.
It might take FileMaker Server several minutes to complete the
quitting process.
Starting the FileMaker Server application (Mac OS X)
1. Place the FileMaker Pro 5.x files that you want FileMaker Server
to open in the same folder as FileMaker Server (or in subfolders one Using remote administration
level down). Add an extension to a filename if it does not have one.
You can use FileMaker Pro 5.x to view information about guests and
Up to 125 FileMaker Pro 5.x database files can be automatically control database files hosted by one or more servers from a different
opened when FileMaker Server starts up. computer than the one running FileMaker Server. This process is
2. In the FileMaker Server window, click the Start Server button. called remote administration.

Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1: You can also control the hosted files and guests
using the same computer that’s running FileMaker Server. This
process, using FileMaker Server 5.5, is called local administration.
 Administering FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS) 7-5

The remote administration capability in FileMaker Server is If you disable remote administration in FileMaker Server or you stop
provided through three FileMaker Pro 5.x databases. These or quit FileMaker Server, the remote administration databases are
databases are created in the server computer’s temporary directory removed from the server computer. If remote administration is
when you enable remote administration: enabled in the Administration tab of the Properties (Windows) or
1 in the Administration tab of the properties (Windows) or Preferences Preferences (Mac OS) dialog box or in the UseRemoteAdmin
(Mac OS) dialog box preference parameter (Red Hat Linux), when you restart
FileMaker Server, the remote administration files are recreated.
1 with the UseRemoteAdmin preference parameter (Red Hat Linux)
1 when you start FileMaker Server (if remote administration is Important
already enabled) Windows and Mac OS X: Do not use the remote administration
capability in FileMaker Pro 5.x on the server computer to administer
The databases are created in a subdirectory named Remote FileMaker Server.
Administration, which appears as an active folder when you view the Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1: You can administer FileMaker Server by using
Folders tab of the Remote Administration window. Likewise, the the remote administration capability in FileMaker Pro 5.x or the local
remote administration databases appear when you view the Files tab in administration capability in FileMaker Server.
the Remote Administration window. However, the remote
administration databases do not appear in the Hosts dialog box when When you administer FileMaker Server remotely, your
you use FileMaker Pro 5.x to view hosted files on your server administration capabilities are limited depending on whether or not
computer. the Server Administration plug-in for FileMaker Pro is installed on
the remote computer.
The names of the remote administration databases contain the name
of the FileMaker Server computer. The computer name is truncated If the Server Administration plug-in is not installed on the remote
if it exceeds 31 characters when combined with the name of a remote computer, you can:
administration database. This name defaults to the computer’s 1 view a list of folders that contain database files hosted by
system name, but you can change the name displayed in the Hosts FileMaker Server
dialog box using the Administration tab of the Properties (Windows)
or Preferences (Mac OS) dialog box or in the CustomServerName 1 view a list of database files hosted by FileMaker Server and the
preference parameter (Red Hat Linux). number of guests connected to each
1 view a list of all guests and the database files that they are
For example, if your FileMaker Server computer is named Database connected to
Server, you see the following filenames:
1 view usage statistics for FileMaker Server
1 Database Server_Admin
1 Database Server_Usage If the Server Administration plug-in is installed on the remote
computer, you can also:
1 Database Server_Data
1 open FileMaker Pro files for access by FileMaker Pro guests
through FileMaker Server
7-6 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

1 close files hosted by FileMaker Server Note You can install the Server Administration plug-in manually, if
1 disconnect a selected FileMaker Pro guest from one or all hosted you want. See chapter 10, “Manually installing the Server
files Administration plug-in on a remote computer.”

1 send messages to guests of hosted files For more information about automatically downloading plug-ins, see
1 display detailed information about hosted files and guests “Allowing software updates to be downloaded automatically” on
page 6-7.
Automatically downloading the Server Administration
Opening the Remote Administration window
plug-in to a remote computer
Note FileMaker Pro 5.x must be installed on the remote computer
To automatically download the Server Administration plug-in to a
before you can administer FileMaker Server remotely.
remote computer:
1. In the FileMaker Server Properties (Windows) or Preferences To administer FileMaker Server remotely:
(Mac OS) dialog box, click the Files tab and Select Allow FileMaker 1. Log on to a Windows client computer or a computer running the
Pro guests to download updates automatically. Mac OS located on the same network as your FileMaker Server
Red Hat Linux: Enable the UseAutoUpdate preference parameter. computer.
For more information, see “Enabling Auto Update in FileMaker 2. Click the Start button > Programs > FileMaker Pro 5.x (Windows) or
Server” on page 9-8. double-click the FileMaker Pro 5.x application icon (Mac OS).
2. In the FileMaker Server Properties (Windows) or Preferences 3. Choose File menu > Open, and then click Hosts.
(Mac OS) dialog box, click the Administration tab and enable remote
4. Select the name of your FileMaker Server in the list of hosted
administration.
databases, then click Open.
Red Hat Linux: Enable the UseRemoteAdmin preference parameter.
Tip For information on changing the name that appears in the list, see
For more information, see “Enabling remote administration in
“Specifying a custom host name” on page 6-10.
FileMaker Server” on page 9-10.
5. Type the remote administration password, if you are prompted to
3. Instruct users of guest computers to enable automatic download in
enter it.
FileMaker Pro 5.5 as follows: Start FileMaker Pro, choose Edit
menu > Preferences > Application (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) You see the FileMaker Server Remote Administration window.
or FileMaker Pro menu > Preferences > Application (Mac OS X).
4. Click the Plug-ins tab and select Auto Update.
When you open the Remote Administration window, the Server
Administration plug-in is downloaded to the remote computer and
automatically enabled in FileMaker Pro.
 Administering FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS) 7-7

Click this tab To see

Folders A list of folders on the computer running FileMaker Server
that contain hosted databases and the number of databases in
each folder. Click to display the database files located in a
folder.

Files A list of the database files hosted by FileMaker Server,

regardless of which folder they are located in. Also included
is the status (for example, Closing, Pausing, Paused, Disk Full, or
Exclusive) and the number of guests connected to each
database. For more information about Exclusive status, see
“Determining if you have exclusive access to
hosted databases” on page 7-12.
For remote administration details, refer to the following sections. For
Guests A list of FileMaker Pro guests logged onto the database files
information about getting onscreen Help for the Remote hosted by FileMaker Server. Also included is the length of
Administration window, see “Getting help while administering time guests have been connected and their inactive time. Click
FileMaker Server remotely” on page xii. next to guest names to view a list of databases that they are
connected to.
Listing hosted files and current guests
Remote administration gives you several ways to list information Tips
about hosted databases and the guests accessing them. 1 You can see a summary of all folders containing databases, the
number of all databases, and the number of all guests just below the
Click a tab to display a different list no matter which tab is displayed.
view of databases or guests
1 You can sort information in columns by clicking the column
heading. The triangle in the selected column heading indicates the
sort order: up for ascending (A–Z, 0–n, or shortest to longest for time
durations) or down for descending (Z–A, n-0, or longest to shortest
for time durations).
1 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1: To view database and guest information while
working on the server computer, see “Listing hosted files and guests
(Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)” on page 7-13.

Viewing usage statistics for FileMaker Server

When you administer remotely, you can display usage statistics, such
as how FileMaker Server is performing and how many guests are
logged into FileMaker Server.
7-8 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

To display usage statistics for FileMaker Server, click Usage in the Statistic Description
Remote Administration window.
Cache Unsaved % Percentage of cache that is currently unsaved. This should be
You see the Usage Statistics window. a relatively low number, such as 0 or 5, so you won’t lose
data if you experience a system crash. If the number is
Click to reverse the sort order consistently high, consider increasing the frequency with
which the cache is flushed.

Cache Hit % Percentage of the times FileMaker Server retrieved data

from the cache (RAM) rather than the hard disk. Reading
data from RAM is much more efficient than reading it from
the hard disk, so this value should be a high number, like 90
or 95. If it isn’t, you might need to allocate more memory to
the FileMaker Server database cache.
The following statistics are listed in the Usage Statistics window:
By default, FileMaker Server updates the statistics in the Usage
Statistic Description Statistics window every 15 seconds or less but no more than once a
Transactions/ Number of guest requests handled per second. second. Although this reduces the overhead required to calculate the
second statistics, it means the statistics are approximations of how
FileMaker Server is using resources.
Network Amount of data being moved across the network or to and
(Kbytes/sec) from disk. Data is measured in KB unless network activity is
Windows and Mac OS: For information about where usage statistics
greater than 10 MB per second. In that case, the value
displayed represents MB per second. are stored and how to display them in a chart, see “Recording usage
statistics and setting size limits” on page 6-12.
Guests Number of connected guests. Use this information to help
configure the Allow up to n simultaneously connected guests
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1: To view usage statistics while working on the
option (Windows and Mac OS) or the MaxGuests preference
server computer, see “Viewing usage statistics (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)”
parameter (Red Hat Linux).
on page 7-14.
Files Number of open databases. Use this information to
configure the Maximum number of files to host option Tip In Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1, you can also collect usage statistics
(Windows and Mac OS) or the MaxFiles preference
information by using Apple events. For more information about
parameter (Red Hat Linux).
Apple events, see the AppleScript Examples folder inside the
Disk (Kbytes/sec) Amount of data being written to disk. Data is measured in FileMaker Server 5.5 folder.
KB unless data written to disk is greater than 10 MB per
second. In that case, the value displayed represents MB per
Hosting FileMaker Pro 5.x files
second.
Important FileMaker Server 5.5 supports only FileMaker Pro 5.x
databases. Therefore, any databases you have from a previous
version of FileMaker Pro must be converted to FileMaker Pro 5.x
format before you can host them using FileMaker Server 5.5.
 Administering FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS) 7-9

When FileMaker Server starts, it automatically opens or hosts all 1 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1: You can open a file by dragging a
multi-user files in the FileMaker Server 5.5 folder including those in FileMaker Pro 5.x file icon onto the FileMaker Server application
subfolders one level down. It also opens single user files, if you have icon or onto the local administration window.
enabled the Allow FileMaker Server to host Single User files option in the 1 Windows: You can open a file by using the command prompt. See
Files tab of the Properties (Windows) or Preferences (Mac OS) dialog “Using the command line to automate tasks (Windows)” on page 8-8
box or the HostSingleUserFiles preference parameter (Red Hat for more information.
Linux). For more information, see “Allowing single user files to be
hosted” on page 6-7. Don’t use personal file sharing to share 1 Mac OS: You can use Apple events to open files. To host files
FileMaker Pro files. while working on the server computer, see “Hosting FileMaker Pro
5.x files (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)” on page 7-14. For more information
Note To open database files while administering remotely, you must about Apple events, see the AppleScript Examples folder inside the
have the Server Administration plug-in for FileMaker Pro installed FileMaker Server 5.5 folder.
on the remote computer. See “Automatically downloading the 1 If you are hosting large numbers of files or guests, you might
Server Administration plug-in to a remote computer” on page 7-6. improve Remote Administration performance by increasing the
FileMaker Pro cache size. For more information, see the
To open files remotely while FileMaker Server is running: FileMaker Pro 5 User’s Guide.
1. In FileMaker Pro, click Open File in the Remote Administration 1 You can use the Multi-User (Hidden) command in
window. FileMaker Pro 5.x to prevent subordinate related files from
You see a dialog box with a list of FileMaker Pro 5.x files available appearing in the Hosts dialog box. For more information, see the
for hosting, organized by folder. FileMaker Pro 5 User’s Guide.
2. Choose a database in the Select a database file or folder list, then 1 Mac OS X: Add an extension to a filename if it does not have one.
click OK.
FileMaker Server opens the file, and the database name appears in Closing hosted files
the list in the Remote Administration window (if you are viewing To close a database and disconnect any guests accessing it:
database information in the list). 1. In the Remote Administration window, choose the Folders or Files
If you selected a folder, FileMaker Server opens all of the files in that tab (if it’s not already selected) to display a list of open databases.
folder. 2. Select a file or folder in the list.

Tips 3. Click Close File.

1 Windows: You can open a file by dragging a FileMaker Pro 5.x You see the Close File dialog box with the name of the file or folder
file icon and dropping it on the FileMaker Server application icon to be closed in the title bar.
(fmserver.exe), if the FileMaker Server service is already running
7-10 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

Tips
1 Mac OS: To close files while working on the server computer, see
“Closing hosted files (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)” on page 7-15.
Type your message here
1 Mac OS: You can also close files using Apple events. For more
Enter the number of minutes
until FileMaker Server will information about Apple Events, see the AppleScript Examples
disconnect guests folder in the FileMaker Server 5.5 folder.
1 Windows: You can also close files from the command line. See
4. Enter text for the options in the dialog box, or accept the default “Using the command line to automate tasks (Windows)” on page 8-8
message and settings. for more information.

For this option Do this

Disconnecting guests
Message to send Type text you want the guests to see in addition to the
To disconnect a guest from a hosted database:
standard FileMaker Pro message (asking guests to close
the database file). 1. In the Remote Administration window, select the guest to
disconnect.
Minutes until guest Enter a value (the default is 5 minutes or the
forced to disconnect last-entered value). Click And select To
Guests The guest’s name Disconnect the selected guest
5. Click OK. from all databases
If the Files tab is displayed, the Status of the files being closed Guests guestname The database file under Disconnect the guest from the
changes to indicate that FileMaker Server has begun closing files. the guest’s name in the list selected database
Guests see a notification dialog box with your message requesting Files filename The guest’s name under Disconnect the selected guest
they close their connection to a file. If guests don’t close the file, the the database in the list from a particular database
message repeats approximately one minute before the file is set to be
closed by FileMaker Server. 2. Click Disconnect Guest.
When the set time elapses, FileMaker Server disconnects any You see the Disconnect Guest dialog box with the name of the guest
remaining guests and closes the file or files in the folder. The file or to be disconnected in the title bar.
folder name no longer appears in the Remote Administration
3. Enter text for the options in the dialog box, or accept the default
window.
settings.
Completing the process of closing a folder, a large database file, or a
file with many connected guests may take several minutes. For this option Do this
Message to send Type text you want the guest to see in addition to the
standard FileMaker Pro message (the default).

Minutes until guest forced Enter a value (the default is 5 minutes or the last-
to disconnect entered value).
 Administering FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS) 7-11

4. Click OK. 1 the number of files the guest is currently connected to

The selected guest sees a notification dialog box with your message 1 the length of time in days, hours, and minutes that the guest has
requesting that the guest disconnect from the server. If the guest been connected
doesn’t disconnect, the message repeats approximately one minute 1 the length of time in days, hours, and minutes that the guest has
before the guest is set to be disconnected. been idle
When the set time elapses, FileMaker Server disconnects the guest 1 guest status: Normal or Closing
and the guest’s name disappears from the Remote Administration
window. To display detailed information about hosted files and guests:
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1: To disconnect guests while working on the server 1. Select a file or guest in the Remote Administration window.
computer, see “Disconnecting guests (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)” on
2. Click Get Details.
page 7-16.
You see the Get Details dialog box showing detailed information for
Viewing detailed information about hosted files the file or guest.
and guests
If you have the Server Administration plug-in installed on the remote
computer, you can use FileMaker Pro 5.x to view detailed
information about hosted files and the guests that are currently Detailed information
connected to them. For each hosted database, you can display: about your selection
appears here
1 the name of the file
1 the number of guests connected to it
1 the number of records it contains
Sending messages to guests
1 the number of layouts it has
To send a message to one or more guests:
1 its current size in bytes
1. In the Remote Administration window, make a selection.
1 file status: Normal (active), Closing, Pausing, Paused, Nearly full,
Exclusive by username. For more information about the Exclusive Select To send a message to
status, see “Determining if you have exclusive access to A database file All guests of the database
hosted databases” on page 7-12.
A folder Guests of the databases in the folder

For each guest, you can display: A guest One guest

1 the name of the guest

2. Click Send Message.
1 the network protocol that the guest is using
You see the Send Message dialog box with the name of the selected
1 the guest’s network address
recipient(s) in the title bar.
7-12 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

To find out if you have exclusive access to a hosted database:

1. In the Remote Administration window, click the Files tab to
display all hosted databases.
Type your
message here For more information, see “Opening the Remote Administration
window” on page 7-6.
2. Select the database that you want exclusive access to, then click
Get Details.
3. For Message to send, type your message, and then click OK. If you have exclusive access, the Get details for filename dialog box
FileMaker Server sends the message to the selected recipient(s). lists you as the only guest connected to the selected database.

Windows and Mac OS X: You can also send a message to guests If you don’t have exclusive access, FileMaker Pro provides a way for
while working on the server computer by scheduling a Send Message you to notify other guests and gain exclusive access to the database
task. For more information, see chapter 8, “Scheduling without using FileMaker Server messaging. For more information,
administrative tasks (Windows and Mac OS).” see FileMaker Pro Help.

Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1: To send a message to guests while working on

the server computer, see “Sending messages to guests (Mac OS 8.6 Using local administration
to 9.1)” on page 7-16.
(Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 )
Sending messages to all guests If you’re running FileMaker Server in Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1, you can
To send a message to all guests currently accessing any hosted perform most of the administrative activities described in the
databases: previous sections in this chapter from the computer running the
server software. However, the steps you follow are different. In
1. In the Remote Administration window, click Send Message to All. addition, you can perform many administrative tasks using Apple
You see the Send Message to all guests dialog box. events both from the local computer or a remote computer. For more
2. For Message to send, type your message, then click OK. information about Apple events, see the AppleScript Examples
folder inside the FileMaker Server 5.5 folder.
Determining if you have exclusive access to
Opening the local administration window
hosted databases
(Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)
Although you can use FileMaker Pro to make some changes to the
To open the FileMaker Server local administration window:
structure and layout of databases that are hosted by FileMaker Server,
you can’t change field definitions unless you have exclusive access to a 1. Start FileMaker Server.
database. When you have exclusive access, no other guests are connected 2. Choose Window menu > Administration Window.
to the database. Exclusive access enables you to change field definitions
You see the FileMaker Server administration window.
without first having to close the database in FileMaker Server.
 Administering FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS) 7-13

FileMaker Server host name Click this tab To see

Click to reverse the
sort order in the Guests A list of FileMaker Pro guests accessing the database files
selected column hosted by FileMaker Server. Also included is the network
protocol used by each guest, each guest’s network address,
Number of open
List of hosted databases length of time guests have been connected, and their inactive
database files time.
Shows total files,
guests, and the network Sorting and resizing columns (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)
protocols in use
Local administration window You can sort information in a list by column or you can change the
(Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) width of a column to display more text.

Listing hosted files and guests (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) To sort items in a list, click a column heading.
The local administration window lists hosted databases and the
The column heading darkens and the triangle control above the
guests who are using them. You can choose to display information
scrollbar indicates the current sort order of the selected column.
by folder, files (databases), or guest.
This symbol Indicates the selected column is sorted in
Click a tab to display a different Click a column heading to sort the list Ascending order (A–Z, 0–n, or shortest to longest for time
view of databases or guests by that column. Sort order is indicated
by the triangle above the scrollbar durations)

Descending order (Z–A, n-0, or longest to shortest for time

Click to reverse the durations)
Click to sort order of the list
expand or based on the
collapse a list selected column To reverse the sort order in the selected column, click the triangle
control.
The sort order in each tabbed screen is retained when you click
between Folders, Files, and Guests.

Click this tab To see To unsort the list, click the heading of the sorted column to deselect
it.
Folder A list of the database files hosted by FileMaker Server
grouped by the folder in which they reside. Also included is To resize the width of a column, place the pointer over a column
the number of files in each folder. heading border. When the pointer changes to , drag it horizontally.
Files A list of the database files hosted by FileMaker Server. Also
included is the status (Open, Opening, Closing, Backing up,
Pausing, Paused, Disk Full, or Exclusive) and the number of
guests connected to each database.
7-14 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

Selecting information in scrolling lists (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) To display usage statistics, in FileMaker Server choose
The following table describes keyboard shortcuts for selecting Window menu > Usage Statistics.
information in scrolling lists.
You see the Usage Statistics window.
Use this shortcut To do this
Click an entry Select a row

Double-click an entry Switch to the tab for that entry and scroll to display the
selected entry in the new tabbed screen. For example,
if you double-click a filename in the Folders tab, the
display changes to the Files tab and scrolls to show the
file.

Shift-click another entry Extend the current selection For information about the statistics displayed, see “Viewing usage
statistics for FileMaker Server” on page 7-7. For information about
2-click another entry Deselect the entry, if it was selected, or select the entry
where usage statistics are stored and charting them, see “Recording
without including entries between it and your original
selection usage statistics and setting size limits” on page 6-12.

C Select the row above the current selection

Hosting FileMaker Pro 5.x files (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)
D Select the row below the current selection
When FileMaker Server starts, it automatically opens or hosts all
Shift-C or Shift-D Extend the current selection multi-user files in the FileMaker Server folder (and subfolders one
2-C or 2-D Select the first or last entry in a list level down).
2-B Expand the details displayed under the current Important
selection
1 FileMaker Server 5.5 supports only FileMaker Pro 5.x databases.
2-A Collapse the details displayed under the current
Therefore, any existing databases you have from a previous version
selection
of FileMaker Pro must be converted to FileMaker Pro 5.x format
Page Up key Scroll up before you can host them using FileMaker Server 5.5.
Page Down key Scroll down
1 Don’t use personal file sharing to share FileMaker Pro files.
Home key Scroll to the top of the list
To host database files using the local administration window:
End key Scroll to the bottom of the list
1. In FileMaker Server, choose File menu > Open File.
You see the Open dialog box.
Viewing usage statistics (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)
Use the Usage Statistics dialog box to view usage statistics, such as
how FileMaker Server is performing and how many guests are
connected to hosted databases.
 Administering FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS) 7-15

1 You can Shift-click additional files in the Open dialog box to open
more than one file at a time.

Closing hosted files (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)

Select one or To close a hosted database and disconnect any guests currently
more databases accessing it:
you want to open
1. In FileMaker Server, choose Window menu > Administration
Window to display the list of currently hosted files.
2. Select a database file in the list that you want to close.
2. Select one or more database files you want to host, then click Tip You can Shift-click additional databases in the list to close more
Open. than one at a time. If you are viewing databases by folder, you can
The database files appear in the Folders tab of the administration select one folder to close all files in it or Shift-click an assortment of
window. files and folders to close them.

3. Choose File menu > Close File.

You see the Close selected files/folders dialog box.

Type your
message here

Specify how long

guests have to
disconnect before
Tips the file will be closed
1 Alternatively, you can drag one or more database files onto the
FileMaker Server administration window to open them for guest access. 4. Enter text for the options in the dialog box, or accept the default
message and settings.
1 FileMaker Server can open files set to Single User in FileMaker
Pro, if you have enabled the Allow FileMaker Server to host Single User For this option Do this
files option. For more information, see “Allowing single user files to Message to send Type text you want the guests to see in addition to the
be hosted” on page 6-7. standard FileMaker Pro message (asking guests to close
1 You can use the Multi-User (Hidden) command in the database file).

FileMaker Pro 5.x to prevent subordinate related files from Minutes until guests Enter a value (the default is 5 minutes or the
appearing in the Hosts dialog box. For more information, see the forced to disconnect last-entered value).
FileMaker Pro 5 User’s Guide.
7-16 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

5. Click OK. 5. Enter text for the options in the dialog box, or accept the default
The file or folder name in the list changes to italicized text to show settings. For more information about disconnection options, see
that FileMaker Server is closing the file. “Disconnecting guests” on page 7-10.

Guests see a notification dialog box with your message requesting 6. Click OK.
they close their connection to the file. If guests don’t close the file, The guest name in the list changes to italics to show that
the message repeats approximately one minute before the file is FileMaker Server is attempting to disconnect the guest.
closed by FileMaker Server. 7. The selected guest sees a notification dialog box with your
When the set time elapses, FileMaker Server disconnects any message requesting that the guest disconnect from the database. If
remaining guests and closes the file or files in the folder. The file or the guest doesn’t disconnect, the message repeats approximately one
folder name no longer appears in the local administration window. minute before the guest is disconnected.
Completing the process of closing a folder, a large database file, or a 8. When the set time elapses, FileMaker Server disconnects the guest
file with many connected guests may take several minutes. and the guest’s name disappears from the Guests tab in the
administration window.
Disconnecting guests (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)
To disconnect a guest of a hosted database: Sending messages to guests (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)
1. In FileMaker Server, choose Window menu > Administration To send a message to one or more guests:
Window. 1. In FileMaker Server, choose Window menu > Administration
2. Click the Guests tab to display a list of guests who are currently Window.
connected to hosted databases. 2. In the Administration window, make a selection.
3. Select a guest that you want to disconnect from hosted databases. Select To send a message to
Tip You can Shift-click additional guests in the list to disconnect A database file All guests of the database
more than one at a time.
A folder Guests of the databases in the folder
4. Choose File menu > Disconnect Guest.
A guest One guest
You see the Disconnect selected guests dialog box.
Nothing All guests

Tip You can Shift-click additional guests to send your message to a

group of specific guests.
Type your
message here
3. Choose File menu > Send Message.
Enter the number of minutes You see the Send Message to selected guests dialog box.
until FileMaker Server
disconnects guests
 Administering FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS) 7-17

Name of the server Click to add a selected

you are monitoring counter to your chart

Type your Choose

message here FileMaker Server

Select
FileMaker Server
usage statistics
counters to add
4. In the Message to send box, type your message, then click OK. to your chart
FileMaker Server sends the message to the selected recipient(s).
Click to see your chart

Monitoring server performance (Windows) 4. For Object, choose FileMaker Server.

You can monitor usage statistics from the server computer using the 5. For Counter, choose the FileMaker Server statistics that you want
Performance Monitor (Windows NT) or System Monitor to track, then click Add after each selection.
(Windows 2000).
Tip Transactions, Network KB/sec, Disk KB/sec. Cache Hit %, and Cache
Monitoring performance (Windows NT) Unsaved % give you the most information about how your system is
performing.
Using the Windows Performance Monitor, you can chart real-time
statistics for various aspects of FileMaker Server performance. 6. Click Done.
Real-time statistical information for FileMaker Server appears in the
To view FileMaker Server statistics in the Performance Monitor: Performance Monitor.
1. Start the FileMaker Server service, if it is not already running.
2. Click the Start button > Programs > Administrative Tools (Common) >
Performance Monitor.
Statistics are
3. Choose Edit menu > Add To Chart. charted in
real-time here

FileMaker Server
usage statistics
counters
Performance Monitor (Windows NT )

For information about the statistics displayed, see “Viewing usage

statistics for FileMaker Server” on page 7-7.
7-18 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

Tip You can use the Performance Monitor on a Windows client Tip Transactions, Network KB/sec, Disk KB/sec. Cache Hit %, and Cache
computer or the System Monitor on a Windows 2000 client Unsaved % give you the most information about how your system is
computer to view usage statistics for FileMaker Server remotely performing.
when the server is also a Windows computer. 9. Click Close.

Monitoring performance (Windows 2000) Real-time statistical information for FileMaker Server appears in the
System Monitor. For information about the statistics displayed, see
Using the Windows System Monitor, you can chart real-time
“Viewing usage statistics for FileMaker Server” on page 7-7.
statistics for various aspects of FileMaker Server performance.

To view FileMaker Server statistics in the System Monitor:

1. Start the FileMaker Server service, if it is not already running.
2. Click the Start button > Programs > FileMaker Server Console.
3. Select System Monitor in the Console Tree. Statistics are
charted in
real-time here
4. Click the + button on the toolbar.
5. You see the Add Counters dialog box.
FileMaker Server
usage statistics
counters
Click to add a System Monitor (Windows 2000)
Name of the server selected
you are monitoring counter to
your chart Tip You can use the Performance Monitor on a Windows NT client
Choose
FileMaker Server computer or the System Monitor on a Windows 2000 client
Select computer to view usage statistics for FileMaker Server remotely
FileMaker Server
usage statistics when the server is also a Windows computer.
counters to add
to your chart

Using reported events to track activities

6. Click Select counters from computer, then choose the computer FileMaker Server uses the Windows Event Viewer (Windows) or
running FileMaker Server from the list. creates a Server Event Log (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) or Events.log
(Mac OS X) to help you keep track of activities on the server. These
7. For Performance object, choose FileMaker Server.
log files contain time-stamped information on:
8. Click All counters (to chart all FileMaker Server usage statistics) or
click Select counters from list and choose the statistics you want to
1 FileMaker Server starting and stopping
chart, clicking Add after each selection. 1 size of the database cache
1 database files opened and closed by FileMaker Server
 Administering FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS) 7-19

1 guests that connect to and disconnect from FileMaker Server, as

well as the files they access
1 guests that are disconnected by FileMaker Server
1 new, completed, upcoming, and currently running schedules The event is
described here
1 pre-defined errors and other unusual conditions that occur when
FileMaker Server is running
1 current properties (Windows) or preferences (Mac OS) settings
when FileMaker Server starts up, as well as settings that are changed
during a FileMaker Server session

Viewing activities in the Event Viewer (Windows NT)

To view information about FileMaker Server activities:
1. Click the Start button > Programs > Administrative Tools (Common) > For more information about the error conditions reported in the
Event Viewer. Event Log, see appendix C, “Event log messages and
troubleshooting.”
2. Choose Log menu > Application.
You see a list of FileMaker Server Events in the Event Viewer. Tip Choose Log menu > Save As to save information displayed in the
Event Viewer as a tab-delimited text file (.TXT) and then import the
information into a FileMaker Pro database for further analysis.

Double- Viewing activities in the Event Viewer (Windows 2000)

click an To view information about FileMaker Server activities:
event to
display 1. Click the Start button > Programs > FileMaker Server Console.
details
2. Select Event Viewer (Local) in the Console Tree.
Event Viewer (Windows NT)
3. Double-click the FileMaker Server icon in the Details Pane.
3. Double-click an event to display details about it. You see a list of FileMaker Server events.
4. Double-click an event to display details about it.
Tip Select Event Viewer (Local) and choose Action menu > Export List
to save information displayed in the Event Viewer as a tab-delimited
text file (.TXT) and then import the information into a FileMaker Pro
database for further analysis.
7-20 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

For more information about the error conditions reported in the event Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1: You can have the log file open when
log, see appendix C, “Event log messages and troubleshooting.” FileMaker Server is running, but you won’t see recent updates in the
file until you close the log file and reopen it. A new log file is created
Keeping event data current (Windows) each time you start FileMaker Server. The log from the previous
You might want to configure the Event Viewer to overwrite event session is backed up in the FileMaker Server 5.5 folder and renamed
information, because the default setting is to stop recording events Server Last Event Log. Therefore, you always have the current log
when the application log becomes full. If you have many databases file and the previous one available for review. To save a specific log
open with many users accessing them, and if you flush the cache file, use the Finder to rename it before it is overwritten by
often, the log could fill up quickly and the information in the Event FileMaker Server.
Viewer could quickly become out of date.
Mac OS X: You can have the log file open in the OS X console
To overwrite event information when the log is full: application when FileMaker Server is running. Events are logged
continuously, with the most recent log entry at the bottom of the
1. Choose one of the following:
console application window. Events.log is created when FileMaker
1 Windows NT: In the Event Viewer, choose Log menu > Server starts, only if there is no existing Events.log. Activities are
Log Settings. added to Events.log until it reaches the maximum size, at which point
1 Windows 2000: In the Event Viewer, choose Action menu > it is renamed Events-old.log, and a new Events.log is created.
Properties.
You can set a maximum size for the log file to prevent it from taking
2. For Event Log Wrapping, select Overwrite Events as Needed. up too much space on your disk. For more information, see “Setting
3. Click OK. a size limit for the event log (Mac OS)” on page 6-15.

Tip You might want to increase the Maximum Log Size setting from For more information about the error conditions reported in the event
the default 512 KB to 4096 KB or more, depending on how much log, see appendix C, “Event log messages and troubleshooting.”
FileMaker Server activity you anticipate on your server computer.

Viewing activities in the event log (Mac OS) Recalculating the Today function
The Server Event Log (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) or Events.log (Mac OS X) in hosted databases
file is created in the FileMaker Server 5.5 folder. You can use any The Today function in FileMaker Pro updates whenever a database
application capable of opening plain text files or the Mac OS X file is opened. If a database file you’re hosting with
console application to view or print it. FileMaker Server contains fields that use the Today function, you
must close that file and reopen it each day for this function to
recalculate correctly. See the FileMaker Pro 5 User’s Guide for
information about the Today function.
 Administering FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS) 7-21

Tip You can avoid using the Today function by creating a calculation A message appears stating that the Today function is being
field that uses the Status(CurrentDate) function in FileMaker Pro. calculated. This process may take some time depending on the
number of records and other database calculations in the file.
If you have the Server Administration plug-in installed on a client
computer, you can use the FileMaker Server remote administration Tips
capability to recalculate the Today function as described below.
1 You can automate the process of opening and closing files by
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1: You can alternatively open and close the database setting up a schedule in FileMaker Server to run a .CMD script
using the local administration capability as described on page 7-14. (Windows) or a system-level script (Mac OS). For more information
about running scripts on a schedule, see chapter 8, “Scheduling
To recalculate the Today function: administrative tasks (Windows and Mac OS).”
1. Log on to a Windows client computer or a computer running the 1 Windows: You can use the Schedule service provided with
Mac OS located on the same network as your FileMaker Server Windows to perform these steps each day. See the sample files in the
computer. RCToday folder in the Examples folder, inside the
FileMaker Server 5.5 folder, and the Windows documentation for
2. Click the Start button > Programs > FileMaker Pro 5.x (Windows) or
more information about the Schedule service.
double-click the FileMaker Pro 5.x application icon (Mac OS).
3. Click Open an existing file, then click OK.
1 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1: You can automate how you recalculate the
Today function in hosted databases using the sample AppleScript
4. Click Hosts and select the name of your FileMaker Server named Recalculate Today Function located in the AppleScript
computer. Examples folder inside the FileMaker Server 5.5 folder.
5. In the Remote Administration window, select the database
containing the Today function in the Files or Folders tab, then click
Close File.
6. Click Open File, select the file that you just closed, then click OK.
Closing and reopening the database in FileMaker Server causes the
Today function to be recalculated by the next FileMaker Pro guest
who opens the hosted file.
7. Choose File menu > Close to close the Remote Administration
window.
8. In FileMaker Pro, choose File menu > Open, then click Hosts.
9. Double-click the file containing the Today function to access it as
a guest.
This page intentionally left blank.
 Chapter 8
Scheduling administrative tasks (Windows and Mac OS)
You can create schedules to perform these tasks: To create a scheduled task:
1 back up hosted databases 1. Click the Start button > Programs > FileMaker Server Console.
1 run command files (Windows) You see the FileMaker Server Console. FileMaker Server is selected
1 run scripts (Mac OS) in the Console Tree and the Details Pane displays the configuration
assistants.
1 send messages to guests
2. Click Task Scheduler in the Details Pane of the FileMaker Server
You can define up to 50 schedules in FileMaker Server. If you set up Console.
schedules that overlap, FileMaker Server starts the first task and
holds the next task in queue. When the first task has completed, the
next task will begin. You see the Task Scheduling assistant.
Windows: In addition to defining scheduled tasks in 3. Follow the directions provided by the assistant to define a task and
FileMaker Server, you can also automate administrative tasks by set up a schedule to run the task automatically.
using the command line interface. You can use utilities that come
with Windows, such as Windows Backup and Schedule services, for
running automated tasks similar to those provided by
Scheduling tasks to run automatically
FileMaker Server. (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)
1. Choose Schedules menu > New Schedule.
Scheduling tasks to run automatically You see the New Schedule dialog box.
(Windows)
You can use the Task Scheduling assistant to define three unique
kinds of tasks and set the times that they execute. You can:
1 schedule database backups
1 run command files
1 send messages to guests of hosted databases
8-2 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

Type a name for the scheduled task Scheduling database backups (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)
1 For Operate on, choose one of the following options:
Choose a Choose To
task type
All Databases Back up all hosted databases that are currently open
Choose the files
Choose a (or files in a
backup location A specific folder name Back up hosted databases in the selected folder
folder) that the
(if applicable) task should in the pop-up menu
operate on, or
choose No
Databases 1 For Back up to, click Specify and locate a folder that you want
Set the day FileMaker Server to store your backups in, or create a new folder.
and time the
schedule
should run Tips
1 Be sure to specify a folder that is not in the same folder as the
Enable or disable the
FileMaker Server application (or a subfolder one level down).
scheduled task Otherwise, your backups could accidentally be opened after a server
restart because FileMaker Server automatically opens all databases
2. In the New Schedule dialog box, type a name for the task in the in this location on startup.
Schedule Name text box.
1 It’s important that you have enough disk space on the backup
3. Choose the type of task (Back Up Database, Run Script, or Send destination disk. For more information, see “Making sure you don’t
Message) from the pop-up menu. See the sections following step 6 run out of disk space during backups” on page 8-10.
for more information.
4. Click one or more days you want the task to be performed. Running a script (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)
5. Click one or more hours and the up arrow for Start at n minutes past 1 For Operate on, choose one of the following options:
the hour to set the time you want the task to be performed. Choose To
To deselect a day or hour, click it again. All Databases Have the script affect all hosted databases that are
Note A new scheduled task is enabled by default, which means the currently open
task will run at its scheduled time after you close the New Schedule A specific folder name Run the script on all databases in the selected folder
dialog box. For more information about enabling and disabling in the pop-up menu
scheduled tasks, see page 8-7. No Databases Run a non-database related script
6. Click OK.
Note For an example using the No Databases option, see the example
AppleScript named Run a Schedule in the AppleScript Examples
folder inside the FileMaker Server 5.5 folder.
 Scheduling administrative tasks (Windows and Mac OS) 8-3

1 For Specify Script, click Specify and locate an AppleScript on your 2. In the Schedules window, click New.
system that you want to run. 3. Type a name for the task in the Schedule Name text box.
4. Choose the type of task (Back Up Database, Run Script, or Send
Sending messages to guests of hosted databases
Message) from the pop-up menu. See the sections following step 7
(Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) for more information.
1 For Operate on, choose one of the following options: 5. Click one or more days you want the task to be performed.
Choose To 6. Click one or more hours and the up arrow for Minutes after the hour
All Databases Send a message to all users who are currently to set the time you want the task to be performed.
connected to hosted databases
To deselect a day or hour, click it again.
A specific folder name in Send a message to guests of all open databases in the
Note A new scheduled task is enabled by default, which means the
the pop-up menu selected folder
task will run at its scheduled time after you close the Schedules
window. For more information about enabling and disabling
1 Type your message in the text box. scheduled tasks, see page 8-7.
7. Click OK.
Scheduling tasks to run automatically
Scheduling database backups (Mac OS X)
(Mac OS X) 1 For Operate on, choose one of the following options:
1. Choose Window menu > Schedules Window.
Choose To

Type a name for the Choose the files that the All Databases Back up all hosted databases that are currently open
scheduled task task should operate on
Specify Back up hosted databases in the selected folder

Choose a
task type
1 For Back up to, click Specify and locate a folder that you want
FileMaker Server to store your backups in, or create a new folder.
Choose a
backup
location (if Tips
applicable)
1 Be sure to specify a folder that is not in the same folder as the
Set the day FileMaker Server application (or a subfolder one level down). Otherwise,
and time the
schedule your backups could accidentally be opened after a server restart because
should run
FileMaker Server automatically opens all databases in this location on
Enable or startup.
disable the
scheduled
task
8-4 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

1 It’s important that you have enough disk space on the backup Viewing scheduled tasks in the Schedules
destination disk. For more information, see “Making sure you don’t
run out of disk space during backups” on page 8-10. list (Windows)
After you create scheduled tasks, they appear in the Schedules list.
Running a script (Mac OS X) The list shows you a summary of each defined schedule, including
1 For Operate on, choose one of the following options: the last time the task ran and the next time it will run.
Choose To To display the Schedules list, select Schedules in the Console Tree.
All Databases Have the script affect all hosted databases that are currently
open Click buttons on the toolbar to Drag the border to Click a column heading
administer scheduled tasks change the column width to sort by this column
No Databases Run a non-database related script

Specify Run a script on all databases in the selected folder

1 For Specify Script, click Specify and locate a script on your system
that you want to run. Add an extension to a script filename if it does
not have one.

Sending messages to guests of hosted databases

(Mac OS X) Console Tree Details Pane
1 For Operate on, choose one of the following options:
You can use this view of your scheduled tasks to change, duplicate,
Choose To
enable, disable, and run tasks manually.
All Databases Send a message to all users who are currently connected to
hosted databases Tip To change the way items are displayed in the scheduled task list,
Specify Send a message to guests of all open databases in the selected choose View menu and then choose a display option.
folder
Administering scheduled tasks with the toolbar
1 Type your message in the text box. (Windows)
Use the toolbar to work with scheduled tasks in the list. First, select
one or more schedules in the list, then click an active tool on the
toolbar.
 Scheduling administrative tasks (Windows and Mac OS) 8-5

Note The tools available on the toolbar change depending on your Use this
selection in the FileMaker Server window. Therefore, not all tools tool To perform this action
described below are always visible. Prevent all scheduled tasks from running, even if they are enabled
(checked) in the Schedules list. This option lets you turn off all
Use this schedules at once and is convenient for performing administrative
tool To perform this action
tasks on the server computer. When you click this button,
Display the information that was previously displayed in the Details checkmarks of enabled tasks are dimmed in the Schedules list.
Pane of the FileMaker Server Console. Information is displayed in
Allow all scheduled and enabled tasks to run. Tasks that you have
reverse historical order.
individually disabled will not run.
Display the information that was previously displayed in the Details
Duplicate one or more selected scheduled tasks to use as a template
Pane of the FileMaker Server Console. This button activates after
for creating a new scheduled task.
you have used the Back button (above) to display a previous page in
the Details Pane and lets you go “forward” in historical order. Display FileMaker on the Web information in the Details Pane of the
console, which gives you easy access to the official FileMaker, Inc.
Move the selection up one level in the folder hierarchy in the Console
web site. Click this tool again to return to the previously displayed
Tree.
page in the Details Pane.
Hide the Console Tree.
Tip You can place the pointer over a tool to display a description of it.
Delete the current selection.
Updating Last Run and Next Run information (Windows)
Display properties for the current selection. Last Run and Next Run information gets updated in the Schedules list
every 15 seconds. You can update it more often, if you want.
Update information displayed in the Details Pane of the
FileMaker Server Console (such as the last time a schedule ran). To update the information about when a scheduled task ran last and
Display procedural FileMaker Server Help.
when it will run again, select one or more scheduled tasks and choose
Action menu > Refresh.
Open the New Schedule assistant to create a new schedule.

Viewing scheduled tasks in the Schedules

Run the selected scheduled tasks right now, regardless of the
execution time defined by the schedule. window (Mac OS)
Enable or disable the selected scheduled tasks. If the selected tasks After you create a scheduled task, it appears in the Schedules
are enabled to run on their defined schedule, clicking this button window.
disables them, removing the checkmark from their list entries. If the
selected tasks are disabled and are prevented from running on their To display the Schedules window, choose Window menu > Schedules
defined schedule, clicking this button enables them, placing a Window.
checkmark on the left of their list entries.
8-6 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

Click a column heading to sort the list by that column. The following table describes keyboard shortcuts for selecting
Sort order is indicated by the triangle above the scrollbar information in scrolling lists.
Drag the border to Click to reverse the sort order of the
change the column width list based on the selected column Use this shortcut To do this
Click an entry Select a row
Click a checkbox to Shift-click another entry Extend the current selection
disable or enable
an individual 2-click another entry Deselect the entry, if it was selected, or select the entry
scheduled task
without including entries between it and your original
selection

C Select the row above the current selection

Schedules window (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) D Select the row below the current selection

Shift-C or Shift-D Extend the current selection

Click a column heading to sort the list by that column 2-C or 2-D Select the first or last entry in a list (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)
Drag the border to If a schedule is disabled, the Last Run
change the column width and Next Run columns become blank Page Up key Scroll up

Page Down key Scroll down

Click a Home key Scroll to the top of the list (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)
checkbox to
disable or End key Scroll to the bottom of the list (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)
enable an
individual
scheduled For information on working with lists, see “Sorting and resizing
task
columns (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)” on page 7-13.

Schedules window (Mac OS X) Running scheduled tasks manually

1. In the Schedules list (Windows) or Schedules window (Mac OS),
The list shows you a summary of each defined schedule, including
select a scheduled task that you want to run.
the task it performs, the last time it ran, and the next time it will run.
2. Choose Action menu > Run Now (Windows) or Schedules menu >
You can use this view of your scheduled tasks to change, duplicate, Run Schedule (Mac OS).
enable, disable, and run them manually as described in the following
The Last Run column is updated with the current date and time.
sections.

Changing scheduled tasks

1. In the Schedules list (Windows) or Schedules window (Mac OS),
select a scheduled task.
 Scheduling administrative tasks (Windows and Mac OS) 8-7

2. Choose Action menu > Properties (Windows) or Schedules menu > You see a confirmation message asking you to confirm that you want
Edit Schedule (Mac OS). to delete the selected schedule.
See page 8-2 (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) or page 8-3 (Mac OS X) for an Note You can’t undo the deletion of a schedule.
illustration of the options in the Edit Schedule dialog box. 3. Click OK.
3. Make changes to the scheduled task, then click OK.

Tips Enabling and disabling scheduled tasks

1 You can double-click a schedule in the list to open the schedule You can enable or disable specific schedules or disable all schedules
Properties (Windows) or Edit Schedule dialog box (Mac OS). at once.
1 To change the format of dates or times in the Schedules list, change To perform
the date or time format settings in the Regional Settings control panel this action Do this
(Windows) or the Date & Time control panel (Mac OS).
Enable a In the scheduled task’s Properties dialog box (Windows) or
schedule when New Schedule dialog box (Mac OS), be sure Enable this
creating it schedule is selected.
Duplicating scheduled tasks Windows: If you use the Task Scheduling assistant to create
Sometimes it’s easier to use an existing scheduled task as a template, a schedule, the scheduled task is enabled by default.
rather than defining a completely new schedule. To duplicate an Enable a Windows: Select one or more disabled schedules in the
existing schedule and use it as a base for a new one: schedule that Schedules list and choose Action menu > Enabled. A
was disabled checkmark appears next to the Enabled command in the
1. In the Schedules list (Windows) or Schedules window (Mac OS), Action menu to indicate the current selection is enabled.
select one or more scheduled tasks. Mac OS: In the Schedules window, click the empty
2. Choose Action menu > Duplicate (Windows) or Schedules menu > checkbox to the left of the schedule name. A checkmark
appears, indicating that the scheduled task is enabled.
Duplicate Schedule (Mac OS).
Disable a Windows: Select one or more enabled schedules in the
The duplicate schedule appears with the word “copy” appended to its
selected Schedules list and choose Action menu > Enabled. The
name. For more information about editing the duplicate schedule, see
schedule checkmark next to the Enabled command in the Action menu
the previous section. disappears to indicate the current selection is disabled.
Mac OS: In the Schedules window, click the checkbox to the
left of the schedule name. The checkmark disappears,
Deleting scheduled tasks indicating that the scheduled task is disabled.
1. In the Schedules list (Windows) or Schedules window (Mac OS),
select one or more scheduled tasks.
2. Choose Action menu > Delete (Windows) or Schedules menu >
Delete Schedule (Mac OS).
8-8 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

To perform You can use the command line to:

this action Do this 1 start or stop FileMaker Server
Prevent all Windows: Choose Action menu > Allow schedules to run.
1 host FileMaker Pro files
schedules from Mac OS: Choose Schedules menu > Allow Schedules to Run.
running 1 close files hosted by FileMaker Server
The checkmark on this command disappears, indicating that
this option is turned off. 1 pause or resume a file or files to periodically flush the cache
This setting overrides any individual schedule settings you
have enabled and all checkmarks in the list are dimmed Below is a list of commands available with FileMaker Server. Text
indicating that all schedules are disabled. If you open the enclosed in the [ ] characters indicates that the item is optional.
Properties (Windows) or Edit Schedule dialog box [path] indicates one or more filenames (possibly including wildcard
(Mac OS) for a disabled scheduled task, however, the characters) or folder names are optional parameters to the command.
checkmark in the Enable this schedule option might still be #minutes indicates you need to type a numeric value for the number
checked.
of minutes before guests are disconnected after a stop or close
Allow enabled Windows: Choose Action menu > Allow schedules to run. command.
schedules to run Mac OS: Choose Schedules menu > Allow Schedules to Run.
A checkmark appears on this command, indicating that all Command syntax Description
scheduled tasks that are individually checked in the fmserver start [-s] Start the FileMaker Server service. Include the -s option to
scheduled task list are enabled. skip automatically opening files in the FileMaker Server
Scheduled tasks that were individually disabled are not re- 5.5 folder (and subfolders one level down).
enabled until you enable them individually.
fmserver stop Stop the FileMaker Server service, send a custom
[-m “message text”] message to guests, and set the number of minutes
Windows: You can also use tools on the toolbar in the Schedules list [-t #minutes] before the files close.
to enable and disable scheduled tasks. For more information, see
fmserver open [path] Host specific FileMaker Pro files.
“Viewing scheduled tasks in the Schedules list (Windows)” on
page 8-4. fmserver close [path] Close specific FileMaker Pro files, send a custom
[-m “message text”] message to guests, and set the number of minutes
[-t #minutes] before the files close.

Using the command line to automate tasks fmserver pause [path] Pause activity on specific or all FileMaker Pro files.
Pause files before copying them to another folder, for
(Windows) example, when backing them up. Useful with the NT
Backup and Schedule services. If you don’t specify a
You can use the DOS command line interface to automate tasks with
path, all hosted files are paused.
FileMaker Server, such as backing up files using the Windows
Pause causes all changes for a particular file to be
Backup and Schedule services, or administering files from the
written from cache to disk and prevents guests from
FileMaker Server computer. making any changes to the file until the file is
“resumed.” After a file is successfully paused, it’s safe
to copy it using a script or back-up program.
 Scheduling administrative tasks (Windows and Mac OS) 8-9

Command syntax Description Use this command To

fmserver resume [path] Resume activity on specific or all paused fmserver open Open the Names and Addresses file.
FileMaker Pro files after they have been copied or “names and addresses.fp5” Note The filename in this example includes
backed up. Useful with the NT Backup and Schedule spaces and therefore must be enclosed in quotes.
services. If no path is specified, all paused files are
resumed. fmserver close Close all hosted FileMaker Pro files in the default
close time (five minutes).

To access the command line interface: fmserver close Send a message to guests of the Expenses file and
expenses.fp5 -m “I’ll be close it in 10 minutes.
1. Open an MS-DOS window using the Command Prompt icon
closing the Expenses file in
(Windows NT) or click the Start button > Programs > Accessories > 10 minutes” -t 10
Command Prompt (Windows 2000).
fmserver pause Pause all currently hosted FileMaker Pro files,
2. At the command prompt, switch to the FileMaker Server 5.5 which restricts guest activity to all hosted files.
folder. If you installed FileMaker Server in the default location, type:
fmserver pause Pause the Expenses file, which restricts guest
cd c:\Program Files\FileMaker\FileMaker Server 5.5 expenses.fp5 activity to that file.

3. Type fmserver followed by a FileMaker Server command and fmserver resume Resume all paused files.
any optional parameters and switches. fmserver resume Resume the paused Expenses file.
The following table contains examples of FileMaker Server expenses.fp5
commands you can use.
For more examples, see the FileMaker Server sample files (installed
Use this command To in the Examples folder in the FileMaker Server 5.5 folder) or use the
fmserver start Start the FileMaker Server service and open all
fmserver /? command at the command prompt to view a list of
multi-user FileMaker Pro files in the available commands. For general information about using the
FileMaker Server 5.5 folder (and subfolders one command prompt, see your Windows documentation.
level down).

fmserver start -s Start the FileMaker Server service without

Example: Backing up hosted databases on the command
opening any FileMaker Pro files. line (Windows)
fmserver stop -m “All Send a custom message to guests and stop the You can use the fmserver pause and fmserver resume
servers will be shut down in FileMaker Server service in 10 minutes. This commands in the MS-DOS window, along with DOS commands, to
10 minutes” -t 10 sequence closes all hosted database files. back up FileMaker Pro database files to another folder. To automate
fmserver open Open all multi-user FileMaker Pro files in the this process, you can enter the commands described in a text file, and
FileMaker Server 5.5 folder (and subfolders one then execute the commands using a Windows batch process.
level down).

fmserver open Open the Expenses and Messages files.

expenses.fp5 messages.fp5
8-10 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

The process of backing up hosted databases using the command line Using a script to automate tasks (Mac OS)
is to create a directory in which to temporarily store the backups,
pause hosted databases to limit access to them on your network, copy You can use a script to automate administrative tasks performed by
the files to the new directory, restore availability of the files to FileMaker Server. For more information about AppleScript
guests, and remove the temporary backup directory you created. application programs that are provided with FileMaker Server and
These steps are described in detail below. about supported Apple events, see the AppleScript Examples folder
inside the FileMaker Server 5.5 folder.
1. Use the DOS mkdir command to create a new directory, for
example, Backups.
2. Use the fmserver pause command, which pauses a specified
Making sure you don’t run out of disk space
file or files hosted by FileMaker Server. during backups
Guest activity on paused database files is restricted, so it’s best to It’s important that the destination disk where you plan to store your
limit overall pause time as much as possible. hosted files and backups has plenty of free space. If the hard disk
3. Use the DOS xcopy command to copy all files (including files in runs out of space while a file is being modified or if a database file
subdirectories) from the FileMaker Server 5.5 directory to the reaches the 2GB size limit, FileMaker Server will automatically
Backups directory. begin compressing the hosted file to reduce the amount of disk space
it uses. During the compression, all guest activity to the server is
4. Use the fmserver resume command to restore guest access to
paused and guests see the coffee cup icon or the network icon.
paused database files.
Compression may take some time to complete. To avoid automatic
5. Move the files from the Backups directory to a permanent backup compression, leave plenty of free disk space on the computer running
location and use the rmdir/s/q command to delete the Backups FileMaker Server.
directory and subdirectories.
If the hard disk runs out of space during a backup, the backup stops
Tips and FileMaker Server logs an error in the application event log
1 A sample command file named Backup.cmd containing this (Windows) or Server Event Log (Mac OS). It’s a good idea to
sequence of commands is in the Examples folder inside the periodically check the Schedules list for error conditions, which are
FileMaker Server 5.5 folder. You can use this file as a template for reported in the Last Run column. To avoid running out of disk space
backing up your own hosted databases. when backing up files, choose tape or a different hard disk as your
backup destination.
1 To execute this set of commands on an automatic schedule, you
need to use the at command and Schedule service provided by For additional help troubleshooting command line problems, see
Windows. For more information, see your Windows documentation. appendix C, “Event log messages and troubleshooting.”
If you have a tape drive, you can use the backup command provided
by Windows to copy files directly to tape.
 Chapter 9
Using FileMaker Server in Red Hat Linux
This chapter provides instructions for: Tip You can also use the administrative commands described here in
1 administering FileMaker Server running in Red Hat Linux scripts to automate administrative tasks. For information about
scripting, see your operating system documentation or consult a
1 configuring FileMaker Server settings for maximum performance third-party book on scripting.

The following table describes the administrative commands in

Getting onscreen help with command and FileMaker Server. Text enclosed in the [ ] characters indicates that
preference syntax the item is optional. path indicates a filename or directory.

The QuickRef.pdf file installed in /usr/doc/fmserver5-5 lists syntax Command syntax Description
and options for each administration command and preference
fmserverd start [-s] Start the FileMaker Server service, read the FileMaker
setting. In addition, preference settings are described and default [-c path] Server configuration file in /etc/fmserver.conf, and
values are listed in comments in the configuration file (/etc/ open files in the /var/fmserver directory (and
fmserver.conf). subdirectories one level down).
Use the -s option to skip automatically opening files in
the /var/fmserver directory (and subdirectories one
Administering FileMaker Server level down).
You can use the shell prompt in Red Hat Linux to administer Use the -c path option to have FileMaker Server read
FileMaker Server manually. the configuration file (fmserver.conf) in the alternate
path specified.
Administrative tasks include: fmserverd stop Stop the FileMaker Server service after notifying guests
1 starting and stopping FileMaker Server [-m “message text”] that they must disconnect from hosted databases within
[-t #minutes] [-f] 2 minutes.
1 hosting FileMaker Pro files Use the -m “message text” option to send a custom
1 closing files hosted by FileMaker Server message to guests.

1 pausing and resuming files (to periodically flush the cache or back Use the -t #minutes option to set a custom duration
before FileMaker Server stops.
up databases)
Use the -f option to force the FileMaker Server service
1 listing hosted files to disconnect guests immediately, but close databases
1 reloading the configuration file to apply changes to runtime safely so data integrity is maintained.
preference settings. See “Applying configuration changes” on
page 9-4 for a list of all preference settings and how changes must be
applied.
9-2 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

Command syntax Description Starting and stopping FileMaker Server

fmserverd open
[path]
Open (host) FileMaker Pro files in the /var/fmserver
directory (and subdirectories one level down) or in the
automatically
specified path. The FileMaker Server installer installs a file containing a script that
fmserverd close Close FileMaker Pro files located in the /var/fmserver can automatically start and stop FileMaker Server when your
[path] directory (and subdirectories one level down) or in the operating system boots and shuts down. This script is located in /etc/
[-m “message text”] specified path. rc.d/init.d/fmserverd.
[-t #minutes] Use the -m “message text” option to send a custom
message to guests. To have the FileMaker Server service automatically start when the
Use the -t #minutes option to set a custom duration operating system boots and stop when the operating system shuts
before files are closed. down:
fmserverd pause Pause activity on files located in the /var/fmserver 1. Switch to the root user by entering the following command at the
[path] directory (and subdirectories one level down) or in the shell prompt:
specified path.
$ su -l root
Use this command to pause files before copying them to
another directory, for example, when backing up 2. Enter the root password.
databases. The prompt changes to #, indicating that you are now logged in as
Important Don’t copy files that are open. root.
fmserverd resume Resume activity on all paused FileMaker Pro files or 3. Enter the following command to enable FileMaker Server to
[path] files in the specified path. automatically start and stop when your operating system starts and
fmserverd files List all files currently open (hosted) by FileMaker shuts down:
Server. If a hosted file is in the paused state, this is
# chkconfig fmserverd on
indicated in the list.
4. Log out as the root user by entering:
fmserverd reload Reload the configuration file in /var/fmserver.conf and
[-c path] apply changes to runtime preference settings. See # logout
“Applying configuration changes” on page 9-4 for a list To disable automatic start and stop for FileMaker Server:
of preference settings that can be applied using the
reload command. 1. Switch to the root user.
Use the -c path option to have FileMaker Server read 2. Enter the following command to disable automatic start and stop:
the configuration file (fmserver.conf) in the alternate
path specified.
# chkconfig fmserverd off
3. Log out as the root user.
fmserverd -h Display a list of all FileMaker Server commands and
their usage.
 Using FileMaker Server in Red Hat Linux 9-3

Configuring FileMaker Server Important You must be logged in as the root user when making
changes to the FileMaker Server configuration file. Logging in as
The FileMaker Server configuration file (fmserver.conf) contains root gives you complete access to all system resources. Be extremely
FileMaker Server preference settings, which you can view and careful when working as the root user. You could accidentally issue
modify. Preference settings allow you to customize FileMaker a command that could detrimentally affect your operating system
Server for optimal performance. software.

Preference settings include: 1. Switch to the root user by entering the following command at the
1 set the maximum number of guests shell prompt:
1 set idle disconnect time and customize the pre-disconnect message $ su -l root
1 set the maximum number of open files 2. Enter the root password.

1 allocate the amount of memory (RAM) that FileMaker Server uses The prompt changes to #, indicating that you are now logged in as
for the database cache root.
1 set how often the database cache is flushed 3. Using your text editor, open the fmserver.conf file. For example:

1 allow single user files to be hosted and shared # pico /etc/fmserver.conf

1 allow connected guests to receive plug-in updates automatically The following illustration shows the beginning of the configuration
file.
1 specify a custom account name and group for FileMaker Server
Important The first 6 characters of the configuration file must be
1 enable remote administration and specify a remote administration
FMS550. Otherwise, FileMaker Server will not load the configuration
password
file during start-up and will start with the default preference settings.
1 specify a custom server name that appears in the FileMaker Pro
Hosts dialog box
1 specify a preferred IP address
1 open runtime solution files automatically
1 save event information and usage statistics in log files and set the
location and size limits on these logs
1 register FileMaker Server in a directory service

Editing the configuration file

You can use a text editor, such as pico, to open the configuration file
in the terminal window or pseudo terminal (pts).
FileMaker Server configuration file viewed in pico
9-4 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

In the configuration file, each preference setting parameter and its value Runtime preference settings that are applied when you
(either an ON or OFF or a specific integer or string value) must reside reload the configuration file or restart FileMaker Server
on a separate line. The parameter and value must be separated by a space 1 MaxIdleTime
or tab character. Parameters and values are not case sensitive. 1 DisconnectWarning
1 UseCacheFlush
Comments in the file, which describe each configuration setting, 1 FlushTimeInterval
begin with a # character and are ignored by FileMaker Server. You 1 HostSingleUserFiles
can add comments to the configuration file by inserting a # character 1 UseAutoUpdate
at the beginning of each line of text you add.
1 UseRemoteAdmin

Tip To preserve a preference setting before trying another value, 1 RequirePassword

insert a # character at the beginning of the existing setting. You can 1 Password

easily revert to this setting by deleting the new line and removing the 1 CustomExtensions

# character in the old line. 1 MaxEventLogSize

1 UseStatsLog
Preference settings are described in detail in the remaining sections 1 StatsTimeInterval
of this chapter. 1 MaxStatsLogSize

Applying configuration changes

Preference settings that require
FileMaker Server does not automatically reread the configuration you to restart FileMaker Server
file when you close the file. Depending on the preference settings 1 MaxGuests, if number of guests is increased
you have changed, you must either reload the configuration file or 1 MaxFiles, if number of guests is increased
restart FileMaker Server. 1 CacheSize
1 UseCustomServerName
The following lists group preference settings by whether they require
1 ServerRoot
you to reload the configuration file or restart FileMaker Server.
1 FMServerUser

Note Restarting FileMaker Server always applies all preference 1 FMServerGroup

settings, but restarting requires that all guests disconnect from hosted 1 CustomServerName
databases. Therefore, simply reloading the configuration file is 1 UsePrefIPAddr
recommended if you make changes to only runtime settings. 1 PrefIPAddr
1 UseCustomExtensions
Runtime preference settings that are applied when you 1 EventLogPath
reload the configuration file or restart FileMaker Server
1 StatsLogPath
1 MaxGuests, if number of guests is decreased
1 UseDirectoryService
1 DisconnectIdleGuests
1 DirectoryService.ServerName
 Using FileMaker Server in Red Hat Linux 9-5

Preference settings that require Restarting FileMaker Server to apply

you to restart FileMaker Server
configuration changes
1 DirectoryService.LogonRequired
If you make changes to the non-runtime preference settings, you
1 DirectoryService.AcctName
must restart FileMaker Server to apply preference settings.
1 DirectoryService.Password
1 DirectoryService.LdapServerPort To restart FileMaker Server and apply preference setting changes:
1 DirectoryService.DistinguishedName
1. Switch to the root user by entering the following command at the
1 DirectoryService.Owner
shell prompt:
1 DirectoryService.Location
1 DirectoryService.Phone $ su -l root
1 DirectoryService.Email 2. Enter the root password.
The prompt changes to #, indicating that you are now logged in as
Reloading the configuration file to apply runtime root.
preference changes
3. Stop the FileMaker Server service by entering:
If you make changes to the runtime preference settings, you can
reload the configuration file without affecting guest access to hosted # fmserverd stop
databases. Any guests currently accessing hosted databases are asked to
disconnect within two minutes.
To reload the configuration file:
4. After FileMaker Server has stopped, restart the service by
1. Switch to the root user by entering the following command at the entering:
shell prompt:
# fmserverd start
$ su -l root
5. Log out as the root user by entering:
2. Enter the root password.
# logout
The prompt changes to #, indicating that you are now logged in as
root.
3. Reload the configuration file by entering:
Restoring preference defaults
Default settings for each parameter are documented in comment
# fmserverd reload
lines in the configuration file (/etc/fmserver.conf). If you have
4. Log out as the root user by entering: changed a preference parameter value and you want to restore it to
# logout its default state, replace the changed value with the default value
located in the comment text that precedes the changed preference
parameter. Then reload or restart the configuration file, depending on
the requirements of the setting you restored.
9-6 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

To start FileMaker Server with preference settings in their default Note In FileMaker Pro 5.5, you can use a password privilege to keep
state, stop FileMaker Server, rename or delete the FileMaker Server a guest connected to FileMaker Server when the guest is idle. In
configuration file (/etc/fmserver.conf), then restart FileMaker Server. some instances, such as when a guest is also serving as a web
publishing host, the guest should maintain a connection to FileMaker
To reinstall FileMaker Server, overwriting all installed files and Server, so that users connecting to the database through a browser
create a new default configuration file, stop FileMaker Server, and will be able to access the database. For more information, see
enter the following command: FileMaker Pro 5.5 Help.
# rpm -Uvh --replace --force -noscripts fmserver-5.5.1-i386.rpm
To allow FileMaker Server to disconnect idle guests:
1. Switch to the root user and enter the root password.
Setting the number of guests
2. Using your text editor, open the fmserver.conf file.
You can specify the number of guests who are simultaneously
3. Find the DisconnectIdleGuests preference parameter and replace
connected to FileMaker Server. Specifying a lower number leaves
the current value with ON.
more memory available for FileMaker Server to operate.
DisconnectIdleGuests ON
To set the number of FileMaker Pro guests:
4. Find the MaxIdleTime preference parameter and replace the
1. Switch to the root user and enter the root password. current value with a whole number between 10 and 1440 minutes.
2. Using your text editor, open the fmserver.conf file. For example:

3. Find the MaxGuests preference parameter and replace the current MaxIdleTime 60
value with a whole number between 1 and 250. For example: The default setting is 720 minutes.
MaxGuests 30 5. Find the default DisconnectWarning message setting and type a
The default setting is 25. new message between the quotes or leave the default message
(shown below) in place.
4. If you’re finished making changes to the configuration file, close
the text editor. If you increased the number of guests, restart DisconnectWarning “It appears that you have been idle
FileMaker Server. If you decreased the number of guests, you can for a while. Please switch to another record to remain
reload the configuration file. Then log out as the root user. connected.”
6. If you’re finished making changes to the configuration file, close
the text editor, reload the configuration file, and log out as the root
Disconnecting idle guests user.
FileMaker Server can disconnect idle guests from hosted databases
after a specified length of time. If you want to change this setting,
first turn on guest disconnection. Then use the default idle time
setting or specify your own duration. You can use the default pre-
disconnection message or write a custom message.
 Using FileMaker Server in Red Hat Linux 9-7

Setting the maximum number of files When you change the amount of memory set aside for FileMaker
Server, you must restart FileMaker Server for the new setting to take
You can change the maximum number of files FileMaker Server can effect.
have open simultaneously. Specifying a lower number of files leaves
more memory available for FileMaker Server to operate. If you know To change the amount of memory FileMaker Server uses:
the approximate number of files you consistently host, you can set 1. Switch to the root user and enter the root password.
the maximum number of files close to this number to gain the best
performance from FileMaker Server. 2. Using your text editor, open the fmserver.conf file.
3. Find the CacheSize preference parameter and replace the current
When you increase the number of files allowed, you must restart value with a whole number between 2 and 40 megabytes (MB). For
FileMaker Server for the new setting to take effect. example:

To set the maximum number of files FileMaker Server can host: CacheSize 6
1. Switch to the root user and enter the root password. The default setting is 4 MB.

2. Using your text editor, open the fmserver.conf file. 4. If you’re finished making changes to the configuration file, close
the text editor, restart FileMaker Server, and log out as the root user.
3. Find the MaxFiles preference parameter, type a space, and type a
value for the number of files you expect to host. The minimum
setting is 1 and the maximum is 125. For example: Setting how often the cache is flushed
MaxFiles 60 FileMaker Server flushes (writes) information stored in the cache
The default setting is 50 files. (temporary storage) to disk wherever FileMaker Server is idle. If the
4. If you’re finished making changes to the configuration file, close cache is flushed frequently, data integrity in hosted files is improved
the text editor, restart FileMaker Server, and log out as the root user. but FileMaker Server performance may decline.

If you want to change this setting, first turn on the cache flush setting.
Note If you decrease the maximum number of hosted files, you can
Then you can use the default time interval or specify your own
reload the configuration file instead of restarting FileMaker Server.
interval.

To flush the cache periodically:

Changing the amount of memory used by
1. Switch to the root user and enter the root password.
FileMaker Server 2. Using your text editor, open the fmserver.conf file.
You can change the amount of memory FileMaker Server uses for
3. Find the UseCacheFlush preference parameter and replace the
the database cache. Do not specify more RAM than is physically
current value with ON.
available on the server computer. Be sure to leave enough RAM for
the operating system. UseCacheFlush ON
9-8 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

4. Find the FlushTimeInterval preference parameter and replace the When a FileMaker Pro file is hosted using FileMaker Server, any
current value with a whole number between 15 and 120 minutes. For plug-ins required by the file must exist on each guest computer used
example: to open the database. By allowing plug-in updates to be downloaded
FlushTimeInterval 20 automatically, you ensure that all guests have access to plug-ins
required by the database the first time they attempt to open it. In
The default setting is 15 minutes.
addition, when plug-ins are changed by database developers, you can
5. If you’re finished making changes to the configuration file, close the store new versions on the server computer so you don't have to
text editor, reload the configuration file, and log out as the root user. update plug-ins on many individual guest computers.

If you want to change this setting, first turn on the Auto Update
Allowing single user files to be hosted setting. Then place plug-in and plug-in version files in the Auto
For your convenience, you can set FileMaker Server to open files set Update directory on the server computer and instruct database guests
to Single User in FileMaker Pro. This setting lets you host single- to turn on the Auto Update plug-in in the Application preferences in
user databases without first having to manually open them in FileMaker Pro 5.5.
FileMaker Pro and change them to multi-user.
Enabling Auto Update in FileMaker Server
To open single user files automatically: To enable FileMaker Pro guests to automatically receive plug-in
1. Switch to the root user and enter the root password. updates from the server computer:

2. Using your text editor, open the fmserver.conf file. 1. Switch to the root user and enter the root password.

3. Find the HostSingleUserFiles preference parameter and replace 2. Using your text editor, open the fmserver.conf file.
the current value with ON. 3. Find the UseAutoUpdate preference parameter and replace the
HostSingleUserFiles ON current value with ON.

4. If you’re finished making changes to the configuration file, close the UseAutoUpdate ON
text editor, reload the configuration file, and log out as the root user. 4. If you’re finished making changes to the configuration file, close the
text editor, reload the configuration file, and log out as the root user.

Allowing software updates to be Note FileMaker Pro 5.5 can check the version of plug-in files
downloaded automatically required by the hosted database and update plug-ins if the current
version is not located on the guest computer. However, FileMaker
You can store software updates on the server computer and allow Pro cannot verify the version of other downloadable files. If a non-
FileMaker Pro 5.5 guests to download these files automatically when plug-in file is located on both the server and guest computers, the file
they open database files hosted by FileMaker Server 5.5. Examples of on the guest computer is backed up in the Saved System Folder
files you might want to download automatically are plug-in files or (Windows) or Saved FileMaker Extensions folder (Mac OS) and the
plug-in license files, sometimes required by FileMaker Pro databases. file on the server is placed in the System Folder (Windows) and
FileMaker Extensions folder (Mac OS).
 Using FileMaker Server in Red Hat Linux 9-9

Storing plug-in files on the server computer Specifying the location of hosted files
For automatic file downloading to work correctly, you must place
When FileMaker Server starts, it looks for databases in the
current plug-in files and text files containing version information for
/var/fmserver directory (and one level down) by default and opens
each plug-in in the correct location on the server computer. In
them automatically. You can have FileMaker Server open files in a
addition, guests must activate the Auto Update plug-in in the
different directory (and one level down) by specifying the directory
Application preferences in FileMaker Pro 5.5 before attempting to
path in the configuration file.
open hosted files that require plug-ins.
Note The ServerRoot preference parameter is the search path for the
To set up the server and guest computers for Auto Update:
close, pause, and resume commands as well. Therefore, when you
1. Obtain updated plug-in and version control files from your issue a close, pause, or resume command, FileMaker Server looks for
FileMaker Pro database developers. files located in this path.
2. Place files for automatic download in the /var/fmserver/
When you change the location of hosted files, you must restart
AutoUpdate directory or create a directory named AutoUpdate in the
FileMaker Server for the new setting to take effect.
directory that contains the databases that require plug-ins.
Guest platform File format To specify the location of hosted files:
Windows .fmx file type for plug-in files 1. Switch to the root user and enter the root password.
.txt version plug-in version control files 2. Using your text editor, open the fmserver.conf file.
Mac OS fmxt file type in bin format (MacBinary) for plug-in files 3. Find the ServerRoot preference parameter and replace the current
.txt format plug-in version control files value with a new path. For example:
ServerRoot “/var/fmserver/autoopen”
Tip If you host multiple databases that use the same plug-ins, store
4. If you’re finished making changes to the configuration file, close
updates in the /var/fmserver/AutoUpdate directory, rather than in
the text editor, restart FileMaker Server, and log out as the root user.
individual AutoUpdate folders in each database directory. This
allows you to store an update in one place on the server computer,
and makes it available for all databases that need it. Specifying a user account name and group
3. Instruct users of guest computers to enable automatic download in name for FileMaker Server
FileMaker Pro 5.5 as follows: Start FileMaker Pro, choose Edit
For security reasons, you can specify a custom user account name for
menu > Preferences > Application (Windows and Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)
FileMaker Server to use after installation, which makes FileMaker
or FileMaker Pro menu > Preferences > Application (Mac OS X).
Server run as a non-privileged user. Changing the account and group
4. Click the Plug-ins tab and select Auto Update. name can protect your system from extensive damage if someone
were to misuse the fmserverd process.
9-10 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

To specify a customized user account name and group name: Enabling remote administration in
1. Switch to the root user and enter the root password.
FileMaker Server
2. Using your text editor, open the fmserver.conf file.
Using FileMaker Pro 5.x, you can remotely control FileMaker Server
3. Find the FMServerUser preference parameter and replace the existing
from a different computer than the one on which FileMaker Server is
user name between the quotes with a custom user name. For example:
installed and hosting databases. After you turn on remote
FMServerUser “fmsdaemon” administration, you can use a remote computer to view a list of
The default user account name is fmserver. hosted databases, the guests using them, and monitor performance
statistics. You can control access to remote administration by
4. Find the FMServerGroup preference parameter and replace the
requiring a password that restricts access to the Remote
existing group name between the quotes with a custom group name.
administration databases. For more information about using remote
For example:
administration on a guest computer, see chapter 7, “Administering
FMServerGroup “MKTG” FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS).”
The default group name is fmserver.
If you want to administer FileMaker Server from a remote computer,
Note Both the user name and group name are case sensitive.
first enable it on the server computer. Then install the remote
5. If you’re finished making changes to the configuration file, close administration plug-in on the client computers you plan to use for
the text editor. remote administration. For more information about installing and
6. Ensure that all databases hosted by FileMaker Server are readable enabling the remote administration plug-in, see “Automatically
and writable by the new user and group names by entering the downloading the Server Administration plug-in to a remote
following commands: computer” on page 7-6.

# chown fmsdaemon database_1 database_2 … To administer FileMaker Server from a remote computer, first turn
# chgrp MKTG database_1 database_2 … on remote administration and then enable password protection, if
# chmod 664 database_1 database_2 … you want. You use the fmspasswd utility installed with FileMaker
Server to encrypt the remote administration password.
where database_1 database_2 … is a list of all databases to be
hosted, separated by single spaces. To turn on remote administration and create a remote administration
The chmod command above grants read/write permission to the new user password:
account name and group. When you list hosted files using the operating 1. Switch to the root user and enter the root password.
system command ls -1, file permissions are now displayed as follows:
2. Using your text editor, open the fmserver.conf file.
-rw-rw-r--
3. Find the UseRemoteAdmin preference parameter and replace the
Important If permissions are not set correctly on database files, current value with ON.
FileMaker Server can’t open them.
UseRemoteAdmin ON
7. Restart FileMaker Server and log out as the root user.
 Using FileMaker Server in Red Hat Linux 9-11

4. Find the RequirePassword preference parameter and replace the Specifying a custom host name
current value with ON, if you want to restrict access to remote
administration. You can specify a host name for the computer running FileMaker
Server that’s different from the name registered by the operating
RequirePassword ON
system. When you define a custom name for FileMaker Server,
5. If you’re finished making changes to the configuration file, close guests see this name when they open the Hosts dialog box in
the text editor. FileMaker Pro and when they administer FileMaker Server
6. Use the fmspasswd utility to encrypt a remote administration remotely.
password, as described in the next section. Then reload the
configuration file, and log out as the root user. If you want to change this setting, first you turn on the custom host
name setting and then you specify the custom host name.

Using the fmspasswd utility to When you specify the custom host name, you must restart FileMaker
Server for the new setting to take effect.
encrypt passwords
To specify the custom host name:
You can use the fmspasswd utility installed with FileMaker Server
to encrypt passwords for remote administration and directory service 1. Switch to the root user and enter the root password.
access. Encrypted passwords are stored in the FileMaker Server 2. Using your text editor, open the fmserver.conf file.
configuration file.
3. Find the UseCustomServerName preference parameter and
replace the current value with ON.
To encrypt a password:
1. If you’re not already logged in as root, switch to the root user.
UseCustomServerName ON
4. Find the CustomServerName preference parameter and replace
2. Enter the following command to start the fmspasswd utility:
the current value between the quotes with a custom server name. For
# fmspasswd example:
3. Enter the path to the FileMaker Server configuration file when CustomServerName “MKTG DB Server”
prompted.
Custom host names are limited to 31 characters.
Tip Press Return if the configuration file is in the default location.
4. When prompted, enter R if you’re encrypting a password for the 5. If you’re finished making changes to the configuration file, close
remote administration preference or enter L if you’re encrypting a the text editor, restart FileMaker Server, and log out as the root user.
password for the LDAP preference.
5. Enter your password.
Note For security reasons, your password doesn’t appear on the
screen.
6. Verify your password by entering it again.
9-12 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

Specifying the preferred IP address About FileMaker Developer

FileMaker Developer lets database developers create and distribute
If you have more than one network card in the server computer, you
complete single user database solutions containing layouts that are
can specify a preferred IP address for FileMaker Server to use.
not modifiable by users.
Otherwise, FileMaker Server will use the first configured non-
loopback device returned by the operating system. Runtime solution files typically have unique filename extensions.
For example, rather than the standard .fp5 extension, a runtime
If you want to dedicate a specific IP address for FileMaker Server,
solution file might have the extension .cm1. Registering these
first you turn on this setting and then you specify the IP address to
runtime solution filename extensions in the fmserver.conf file
use. After you specify a preferred IP address, you must restart
enables FileMaker Server to open these files automatically when
FileMaker Server for the new setting to take effect.
they are placed in the /var/fmserver directory (or subdirectories one
To set the preferred IP address: level down).

1. Switch to the root user and enter the root password. If you want FileMaker Server to open runtime solutions
2. Using your text editor, open the fmserver.conf file. automatically, first turn on custom extensions, then specify the
extensions to recognize.
3. Find the UsePrefIPAddr preference parameter and replace the
current value with ON. To enable FileMaker Server to open runtime solution files
UsePrefIPAddr ON automatically:
4. Find the PrefIPAddr preference parameter and replace the current 1. Switch to the root user and enter the root password.
value between the quotes with a valid IP address. For example: 2. Using your text editor, open the fmserver.conf file.
PrefIPAddr “192.168.0.10” 3. Find the UseCustomExtensions preference parameter and replace
Note If UsePrefIPAddr is set to OFF, the PrefIPAddr setting is the current value with ON.
ignored and the first system IP address is used.
UseCustomExtensions ON
5. If you’re finished making changes to the configuration file, close 4. Find the CustomExtensions preference parameter and replace the
the text editor, restart FileMaker Server, and log out as the root user. current value between the quotes with from 1 to 16 custom file
extensions. Separate each extension with a colon. For example:
CustomExtensions “.cm1:.fregv:.fvgx:.pfc”
Opening runtime solutions automatically
Extensions can contain any characters except the double quote
You can have FileMaker Server automatically open runtime solution character (“) and can be any length, as long as the database file name
files that have been bound using FileMaker Developer 5.x. and extension don’t exceed 256 characters.
5. If you’re finished making changes to the configuration file, close
the text editor, restart FileMaker Server, and log out as the root user.
 Using FileMaker Server in Red Hat Linux 9-13

Using reported events and statistics to The statistics log (var/log/fmserver/stats.log) contains realtime
statistical information regarding FileMaker Server usage, such as the
track activities number of guests connected and the percentage of unsaved cache.
FileMaker Server creates event and statistics log files to help you
keep track of activities on the server.

The event log (var/log/fmserver/events.log) contains time stamped

information on:
1 FileMaker Server start and stop events
1 the size of the database cache
1 current preference settings from the configuration file
1 database files opened and closed by FileMaker Server
1 guests that connect to and disconnect from FileMaker Server and
the files they access
1 guests that are disconnected by FileMaker Server Statistics log

1 pre-defined errors and other unusual conditions that occur when

For more information about interpreting information in the statistics
FileMaker Server is running
log, see “Viewing usage statistics for FileMaker Server” on
page 7-7.

Setting a size limit and the location of the event log

To set a size limit and change the location for the event log:
1. Switch to the root user and enter the root password.
2. Using your text editor, open the fmserver.conf file.
3. Find the MaxEventLogSize preference parameter and replace the
current value between the quotes with a value between 1 and 40 MB.
For example:
MaxEventLogSize 10
The default setting is 1 MB. If the log file grows to within 5 KB of
Event log
the size set in the configuration file, the log is backed up in a file
named events.log.old in the log directory and a new log file is
created.
9-14 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

4. Find the EventLogPath preference parameter and replace the 5. Find the StatsTimeInterval preference parameter and replace the
current value between the quotes with the path where you want to current value with a value between 15 and 300 seconds. For
store the event log file. For example: example:
EventLogPath “/var/log/MKTG_DB_Server/events.log” StatsTimeInterval 20
The default path is /var/log/fmserver/events.log. The default setting is 15 seconds.
5. If you’re finished making changes to the configuration file, close 6. Find the MaxStatsLogSize preference parameter and replace the
the text editor. If you changed only the size of the event log, reload current value with a value between 1 and 40 MB. For example:
the configuration file. If you changed the location of the event log, MaxStatsLogSize 20
restart FileMaker Server. Then log out as the root user.
The default setting is 1 MB. If the log file grows to within 5 KB of
the size set in the configuration file, the log is backed up in a file
Creating a statistics log
named stats.log.old in the log directory and a new log file is created.
You can create a log file to collect statistical information about
7. If you’re finished making changes to the configuration file, close
FileMaker Server and set the time interval (in seconds) when
the text editor. If you changed the location of the event log, restart
statistical information is written to the log. You can also set a
FileMaker Server. Otherwise, reload the configuration file. Then log
maximum size for the log file.
out as the root user.
First you turn on the statistics log so a log file is created and updated
as statistical information is collected. Then set the location of the log
file, the collection interval, and maximum size, if you want.
Using FileMaker Server with a
To save usage statistics for FileMaker Server in a log file:
directory service
If your organization uses a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
1. Switch to the root user and enter the root password.
(LDAP)-compliant directory service, such as Microsoft Active
2. Using your text editor, open the fmserver.conf file. Directory, Netscape Directory, or OpenLDAP, you can centrally
3. Find the UseStatsLog preference parameter and replace the manage your hosted databases by registering FileMaker Server with
current value with ON. your directory service.
UseStatsLog ON When FileMaker Server is registered with an LDAP-compliant
4. Find the StatsLogPath preference parameter and replace the directory service, the host name and IP address are published to the
current value between the quotes with the path where you want to directory service. The FileMaker Server administrator's contact
store the statistics log file. information can also be published.
StatsLogPath “/usr/MKTG_DB_Server/stats.log”
For information about setting up a directory service, see the
The default path is /var/log/fmserver/stats.log. Directory Service directory on the FileMaker Server CD.
 Using FileMaker Server in Red Hat Linux 9-15

Enabling directory service registration 5. Find the DirectoryService.LogonRequired preference parameter

To register FileMaker Server with a directory service, you need to set and replace the current value with ON.
the following preferences in the configuration file: DirectoryService.LogonRequired ON
6. Find the DirectoryService.AcctName preference parameter and
1 specify the fully-qualified domain name or IP address of the
replace the current value between the quotes with your account
directory service
name. For example:
1 specify an account name and password for directory service access DirectoryService.AcctName “My_Company”
1 verify and possibly change the port number used to access the 7. Find the DirectoryService.Password preference parameter and
directory service
replace the current value with ON.
1 register the distinguished name for FileMaker Server in the DirectoryService.Password ON
directory service
8. Find the DirectoryService.LdapServerPort preference parameter
In addition, you can optionally publish your contact information with and replace the current value with the port number of your directory
the directory service. This way, the directory service administrator service. For example:
can contact you if, for example, hosted databases are unavailable for DirectoryService.LdapServerPort 300
guest access. The default setting is 389. The port number setting indicates the type
of the port required by your directory service. For example, 389
Your system administrator should be able to give you the
indicates an LDAP server port, but some LDAP-compliant directory
information you need to complete the required directory service
services use a different port number.
preference settings.
9. Find the DirectoryService.DistinguishedName preference
To enable FileMaker Server to register with a directory service: parameter and replace the current value between the quotes with
1. Switch to the root user and enter the root password. your distinguished name. For example:

2. Using your text editor, open the fmserver.conf file. DirectoryService.DistinguishedName”ou=filemaker,

dc=domainname, dc=com”
3. Find the UseDirectoryService preference parameter and replace
the current value with ON. The distinguished name indicates where FileMaker Server is
registered or located in the directory service.
UseDirectoryService ON
10. If you’re finished making changes to the configuration file, close
4. Find the DirectoryService.ServerName preference parameter and
the text editor.
replace the current value between the quotes with the domain name
of the directory service or IP address of the directory server. For 11. If you enabled the DirectoryService.Password preference
example: parameter, use the fmspasswd utility to encrypt a remote
administration password, as described in “Using the fmspasswd
DirectoryService.ServerName “17.184.8.9” utility to encrypt passwords” on page 9-11. Then restart FileMaker
Server and log out as the root user.
9-16 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

Publishing your contact information to your

directory service
As the FileMaker Server administrator, you can publish your name,
location, phone number, and e-mail address to your directory
service. This is useful if the directory service administrator needs to
contact you.

To publish contact information for the FileMaker Server

administrator:
1. Using your text editor, open the fmserver.conf file.
2. Find the DirectoryService.Owner preference parameter and
replace the current value between the quotes with your
administrator’s name. For example:
DirectoryService.Owner “Sophie Tang”
3. Find the DirectoryService.Location preference parameter and
replace the current value between the quotes with the physical
location of the server computer. For example:
DirectoryService.Location “Computer room in bldg 1”
4. Find the DirectoryService.Phone preference parameter and
replace the current value between the quotes with your phone
number. For example:
DirectoryService.Phone “408-555-1234“
5. Find the DirectoryService.Email preference parameter and replace
the current value between the quotes with your e-mail address. For
example:
DirectoryService.Email “sophietang@my_company.com”
6. If you’re finished making changes to the configuration file, close
the text editor, restart FileMaker Server, and log out as the root user.
 Chapter 10
Manually installing the Server Administration
plug-in on a remote computer
Note The Server Administration plug-ins are installed in the For information about using remote administration, see chapter 7,
AutoUpdate folder by default and can be automatically downloaded “Administering FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS).”
to a remote computer. For more information, see “Automatically
downloading the Server Administration plug-in to a remote
computer” on page 7-6. Manually installing the plug-in on a
remote computer (Windows NT and
About the Server Administration plug-in Windows 2000)
To have full administrative capabilities when administering 1. Exit all other applications and turn off virus protection utilities.
FileMaker Server from a remote computer (a computer that is not
2. Install FileMaker Pro 5.x on the remote computer, if it’s not
running the server software), you must install the Server
already installed.
Administration plug-in on each remote computer you plan to use for
remote administration. 3. Insert the FileMaker Server CD into your CD or DVD drive.
4. Double-click setup.exe.
In addition to viewing information about databases, guests, and
FileMaker Server activities, the plug-in also lets you use a remote You see the FileMaker Server Setup Wizard.
computer to: 5. Click Next.
1 open FileMaker Pro 5.x files for access by FileMaker Pro guests 6. Read the license agreement. If you agree to these terms, select I
through FileMaker Server accept the terms in the License Agreement, then click Next.
1 close files hosted by FileMaker Server 7. Type your name and organization, and indicate who can access
1 disconnect a selected FileMaker Pro guest from one or all hosted FileMaker Server from this computer (only you or anyone who uses
files the computer). Then click Next.

1 send messages to guests of hosted files 8. Select Custom, then click Next.
You see the Custom Setup screen in the Setup Wizard.
Before you can use FileMaker Pro 5.x to administer files hosted by 9. Click the disk icon to the left of FileMaker Server and choose This
FileMaker Server, you must use FileMaker Pro to enable the Server feature will not be available.
Administration plug-in (see page 10-2 for Windows procedure or
page 10-3 for Mac OS procedure), and use FileMaker Server to 10. Click the disk icon to the left of FileMaker Server Examples and
enable remote administration (see page 6-9). choose This feature will not be available.
10-2 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

11. Click the disk icon to the left of FileMaker Server Remote The Installer installs the plug-in (fmpsadm.fmx) on your hard disk.
Administration and choose This feature will be installed on local hard The Installer checks if FileMaker Pro 5.x is installed on the remote
drive, then click Next. computer. If the Installer finds FileMaker Pro 5.x, it uses the
12. Click Install. FileMaker Pro 5.x path as the default location for the Server
The Installer installs the plug-in (fmpsadm.fmx) on your hard disk. Administration plug-in. If FileMaker Pro 5.x is not found, the
Installer sets the default installation path to:
The Installer checks if FileMaker Pro 5.x is installed on the remote Program Files\FileMaker\FileMaker Pro 5.x\System
computer. If the Installer finds FileMaker Pro 5.x, it uses the
FileMaker Pro 5.x path as the default location for the Server 10. Click Finish to close the Setup Wizard.
Administration plug-in. If FileMaker Pro 5.x is not found, the
Installer sets the default installation path to:
Program Files\FileMaker\FileMaker Pro 5.x\System
Enabling the Server Administration plug-in
13. Click Finish to close the Setup Wizard. using FileMaker Pro (Windows)
To enable the Server Administration plug-in:

Manually installing the plug-in on a remote 1. Start FileMaker Pro 5.x.

2. Choose Edit menu > Preferences > Application.
computer (Windows 95 or Windows 98)
3. Click the Plug-ins tab, select Server Administration, then click OK.
1. Exit all other applications and turn off virus protection utilities.
If you want to administer FileMaker Server now, see “Enabling
2. Install FileMaker Pro 5.x on the remote computer, if it’s not remote administration” on page 6-9 and “Opening the Remote
already installed. Administration window” on page 7-6. Otherwise, choose
3. Insert the FileMaker Server CD into your CD or DVD drive. File menu > Exit to exit FileMaker Pro.
4. Double-click setup.exe.
You see the FileMaker Server Setup Wizard. Manually installing the Server
5. Click Next.
Administration plug-in on a remote
6. Read the license agreement. If you agree to these terms, select
I accept the terms in the License Agreement, then click Next. computer (Mac OS)
7. Type your name and organization, then click Next. Note You must be running Mac OS 7.6.1 to 9.1 or Mac OS X on the
remote computer to install the Server Administration plug-in.
You see the Custom Setup screen in the Setup Wizard.
8. Click the disk icon to the left of FileMaker Server Remote To install the Server Administration plug-in on a computer running
Administration and choose This feature will be installed on local hard the Mac OS:
drive, then click Next. 1. Quit all other applications, especially virus protection software,
9. Click Install. and disable file sharing.
 Manually installing the Server Administration plug-in on a remote computer 10-3

2. Install FileMaker Pro 5.x on the remote computer, if it’s not The plug-in must be installed in the FileMaker Extensions folder in
already installed. the FileMaker Pro 5.x folder. If FileMaker Pro 5.x is installed, the
3. Insert the FileMaker Server CD into your CD or DVD drive. FileMaker Server Installer locates this folder on your hard disk and
installs the Server Administration plug-in there. If FileMaker Pro 5.x
You see the CD window on your screen. If you see only the disc icon, is not installed on your computer, the Installer creates the following
double-click the icon to open its window. folder and installs the plug-in here:
4. Double-click the Installer icon named Start Here Mac OS Classic or
hard_disk:FileMaker Pro 5.x folder:FileMaker Extensions
Start Here Mac OS X.
8. Click Install.
9. Click Quit to leave the Installer when the installation is finished.
10. If you turned off virus protection and file sharing before
5. Read the license agreement. If you agree to these terms, click
installation, turn them back on now.
Accept.
You see the FileMaker Server Installer dialog box.
6. Click Easy Install and select Custom Install. Enabling the Server Administration plug-in
using FileMaker Pro (Mac OS)
To enable the Server Administration plug-in:
Select Custom Install
1. Start FileMaker Pro 5.x.
2. Choose Edit menu > Preferences > Application (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)
Note The Easy Install/Custom Install menu does not appear if you are or FileMaker Pro menu > Preferences > Application (Mac OS X).
running a version of Mac OS prior to 8.6. 3. Click the Plug-ins tab, select Server Administration, then click OK.

7. Select FileMaker Server Remote Administration. If you want to administer FileMaker Server now, see “Enabling
remote administration” on page 6-9 and “Opening the Remote
Administration window” on page 7-6. Otherwise, choose File
menu > Quit (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) or FileMaker Pro menu > Quit
FileMaker Pro (Mac OS X) to quit FileMaker Pro.
Select the
plug-in
This page intentionally left blank.
 Appendix A
Technical specifications and optimization
Limits for files and usage Hardware and network considerations
Item Maximum setting Keep the following points in mind when you’re setting up
FileMaker Server on your computer and configuring the network
Number of files hosted by 125 files, depending on the Maximum number of
where it will run.
FileMaker Server files to host (Windows and Mac OS) or MaxFiles
(Red Hat Linux) setting. (Other network
applications may limit this number.)
Use a dedicated computer
Use FileMaker Server by itself on a computer on which no other
Number of files open at the 50 per FileMaker Pro 5.x guests
same time
applications are normally running and that isn’t a user’s primary
workstation. When FileMaker Server is hosting many guests or a
Number of network users 250 guests. (AppleTalk support is limited to 124
large number of database files, it uses a high level of processor, disk,
simultaneous guests.) You can restrict the number
and network capacity. Other processor-intensive applications or
of simultaneously connected guests with the
Maximum number of simultaneously connected heavy network traffic on the same computer causes
guests (Windows and Mac OS) or MaxGuests FileMaker Server to run more slowly, and the performance of
(Red Hat Linux) setting. Specifying a realistic FileMaker Pro on guest computers to degrade.
number of guests fewer than 250 can optimize
performance. Use as fast a computer as possible
File size 2 GB (gigabytes) per file. The combined size of The faster the computer, the better the performance of
all open files is limited only by disk space. FileMaker Server.
Length of host name 31 characters 1 Windows and Red Hat Linux: FileMaker Server requires at
Length of FileMaker Server 31 characters minimum a Pentium processor.
password 1 Mac OS: FileMaker Server requires at minimum a PowerPC
Length of filename Windows: 255 characters processor.
Note To open the files in FileMaker Server, the
first 31 characters of the filename must be unique.
Mac OS: 31 characters
Red Hat Linux: 256 characters
A-2 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

Use a fast hard disk Coexistence with screen saver software

Because of the way FileMaker Pro stores information in files, Avoid using screen saver software that creates moving images on the
FileMaker Server benefits a great deal from fast disk input/output. monitor of the computer running FileMaker Server. This type of
Try to use a hard disk with software (or drivers) that supports software can use significant system resources, which hinders the
asynchronous disk I/O. This technology lets FileMaker Server processing of FileMaker Server networking traffic. Instead, use a
perform other operations after starting a read or write operation on a screen saver that blacks out your monitor or dims its brightness, or
file, rather than having to wait for the disk I/O to complete. If manually dim the monitor.
FileMaker Server can take advantage of asynchronous I/O when
opening a file, it notes it in the corresponding log file entry. (See Turn off file sharing
“Using reported events to track activities” on page 7-18 (Windows Make sure operating system file sharing is turned off on the server
and Mac OS) or “Using reported events and statistics to track computer.
activities” on page 9-13 (Red Hat Linux) for more information.) To
determine whether your hardware supports asynchronous I/O, refer Coexistence with AppleShare software (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)
to the documentation that came with your hardware. Running AppleShare software (including AppleShare and
AppleShare Pro) and the FileMaker Server application on the same
Use a fast network computer is not recommended. If you must use that configuration,
Mac OS: If possible, use a network faster than LocalTalk, such as keep the following information in mind:
Ethernet. 1 Limit connected AppleShare users.
Users connected to an AppleShare server through the AppleTalk
Software considerations protocol occupy a physical connection to the server known as an
AppleTalk socket. AppleTalk sockets are also used by
Consider the following issues when deciding which software to use
FileMaker Server when guests access a hosted file using the
with FileMaker Server.
AppleTalk protocol. If many users are connected to the AppleShare
server and are occupying these AppleTalk sockets, fewer sockets are
Only FileMaker Pro 5.x databases can be hosted
available to FileMaker Server running on the same computer. This
FileMaker Server 5.5 supports only FileMaker Pro 5.x databases.
could cause FileMaker Pro guests using the AppleTalk protocol to
Therefore, any existing databases you have from a previous version
receive a message indicating that they have exceeded host capacity,
of FileMaker Pro must be converted to FileMaker Pro 5.x format
which prevents them from accessing hosted databases on the server
before you can host them using FileMaker Server 5.5.
even if server limit requirements on page A-1 haven’t been reached.
1 Use a third-party server access monitoring utility to keep the
number of AppleShare connections to a minimum and to allow only
active connections.
 Technical specifications and optimization A-3

This lets FileMaker Server use the maximum number of sockets for
guests of FileMaker Pro files. For more information about
configuring AppleShare software, see your AppleShare
documentation.
Don’t allow the server to sleep (Windows 2000 and Mac OS)
Windows 2000 supports Power Conservation Mode, which can
cause your computer to hibernate or enter Standby mode, affecting
the operation of FileMaker Server. Similarly, computers running the
Mac OS can suspend operations when they enter an energy-saving
system sleep state. Therefore, FileMaker, Inc. recommends that you
disable Power Conservation mode (Windows 2000) or system sleep
(Mac OS) on the computer running FileMaker Server. For more
information, see “How FileMaker Server behaves during system
sleep (Windows 2000 and Mac OS)” on page 6-17.
This page intentionally left blank.
 Appendix B
Performance and usage tips
Performance tips 1 Monitor the percentage of unsaved cache in usage statistics. This
value indicates how much data could potentially be lost if your server
If you find that FileMaker Server is sluggish when performing computer shut down unexpectedly before writing data stored in
certain operations, try the following: cache to the hard disk.
1 Run FileMaker Server on a dedicated computer. The percentage reported is the portion unsaved in the total cache. For
1 Use as fast a computer and network as possible. example, if the cache is set to 2 MB and the Cache Unsaved % value
is 50, you would lose 1 MB of data should your computer fail
1 Always use remote administration to perform administrative tasks
unexpectedly.
on hosted files, such as sending messages to connected guests.
If the Cache Unsaved % value is consistently high, increase the
1 Reduce the number of guests able to access FileMaker Server. See
frequency with which the cache is flushed, or schedule backups that
“Setting the number of guests” on page 6-3 (Windows and Mac OS)
occur more often. For more information about changing cache flush
or “Setting the number of guests” on page 9-6 (Red Hat Linux).
frequency, see “Setting how often the cache is flushed” on page 6-7.
1 Reduce the maximum number of files that can be hosted by
FileMaker Server. See “Setting the maximum number of files” on
1 Don’t collect statistical information too frequently. FileMaker, Inc.
recommends setting the collection rate no lower than 15 seconds. For
page 6-5 (Windows and Mac OS) or “Setting the maximum number
more information, see “Recording usage statistics and
of files” on page 9-7 (Red Hat Linux).
setting size limits” on page 6-12 (Windows and Mac OS) or
1 Monitor the cache hit percentage in usage statistics. You can view real- “Creating a statistics log” on page 9-14 (Red Hat Linux).
time usage statistics using the Performance Monitor (Windows NT),
System Monitor (Windows 2000), or the Usage Statistics window
1 Perform calculation-intensive operations on a small found set.
Sorting, replacing data, viewing and printing summary report
(Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 or remote administration).
layouts, and other calculation-intensive operations performed on
The value for Cache Hits is the percentage of times FileMaker Pro many database records affect the overall performance of
retrieves data from the cache (RAM) rather than the hard disk. FileMaker Server for connected guests. Try to perform these types of
Reading data from RAM is much more efficient than reading it from operations on a smaller found set of only the records you’re
the hard disk, so this value should be a high number, like 90 or 95. If interested in. (See the FileMaker Pro 5 User’s Guide for more
it isn’t, you might need to allocate more memory to information about using found sets.) In addition, it’s best to schedule
FileMaker Server. these types of operations to be performed during low usage periods.
FileMaker Server tracks three values for Cache Hits: Current, Average,
and Peak. It’s best to monitor the Current value periodically, as an
average value can be skewed by running even one data-intensive
report on a hosted database.
B-2 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

1 Avoid automatic file compression. If the hard disk runs out of Usage tips
space while a file is being modified or if a database file reaches the
2 GB size limit, FileMaker Server will automatically begin 1 FileMaker Server can host FileMaker Pro 5.x files created on
compressing the hosted file to reduce the amount of disk space it either the Windows or Mac OS platform, but the files should reside
uses. During the compression, all guest activity to that file is paused. in the FileMaker Server 5.5 folder (Windows and Mac OS) or /var/
To avoid automatic compression, leave plenty of free hard disk space fmserver (Red Hat Linux) and subfolders or subdirectory one level
on the computer running FileMaker Server and monitor database file down. With Windows, you can have the files in other folders if you
sizes. place shortcuts to the FileMaker Pro files (or to folders containing
FileMaker Pro files) in the FileMaker Server 5.5 folder. You can also
1 Enable FileMaker Server to open files automatically. Put database drag database files on top of the fmserver.exe (Windows) or
files you want FileMaker Server to host in the same folder as
FileMaker Server (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) application icon to open them.
FileMaker Server (and subfolders one level down) to take advantage
of the application’s ability to open these files automatically on 1 Windows: If you modify the .fp5 extension of a FileMaker Pro file,
startup and when remote administration is enabled. FileMaker Server can't automatically open the file when started. To
open files with modified filename extensions:
1 Avoid using FileMaker Server on the same computer that is
operating as a file server as performance will be significantly 1 Register the non-standard file extension using the File Type
decreased for both services. properties (see page 6-8) and place the file in the FileMaker Server
5.5 folder (and subfolders one level down) so it opens when the
1 Increase the cache size in the Properties (Windows) or Preferences FileMaker Server service starts.
(Mac OS) dialog box or CacheSize preference parameter (Red Hat
1 Manually drop the file with the non-standard extension on top of
Linux). See “Changing the amount of memory used by the FMServer.exe file.
FileMaker Server” on page 6-5 (Windows and Mac OS) or
“Changing the amount of memory used by FileMaker Server” on
1 Use the command line to open the file with the non-standard
extension. For more information about command line options, see
page 9-7 (Red Hat Linux) for details.
“Using the command line to automate tasks (Windows)” on
1 Verify that no other processor-intensive programs or applications page 8-8.
that create a high level of network traffic are being used on the 1 Red Hat Linux: If hosted database files have custom file extensions
computer running FileMaker Server. Examples of software that can (something other than .fp5), FileMaker Server can’t open them
cause performance problems for FileMaker Server include screen automatically when it starts unless you register the file extensions in
savers, Internet Information Server (Windows), or SQL Server the FileMaker Server configuration file (fmserver.conf). For more
(Windows). information, see “Opening runtime solutions automatically” on
Windows: Consider using either the Logon screen saver or the Blank page 9-12.
Screen screen saver that is available with Windows. 1 If you have duplicate filenames in the FileMaker Server 5.5 folder
1 Don’t use personal file sharing to share FileMaker Pro files. Guests and subfolders one level down, FileMaker Server opens the first
should access hosted FileMaker Pro files using the Hosts button in copy it finds.
the Open dialog box in FileMaker Pro.
 Performance and usage tips B-3

1 FileMaker Server administration allows several operations to be

performed simultaneously on all of the files in a single subfolder. For
example, you can use Pause, Resume, Close, and Open from the
command line, or you can use Back up and Send Message from a
scheduled task (Windows and Mac OS). To take advantage of this
feature, place related databases into the same subfolder. When
FileMaker Server is started, these files are hosted as a group.
1 Up to a maximum of 125 files can be made accessible to
FileMaker Pro 5.x guests on the network. Each FileMaker Pro guest
can open a maximum of 50 files. Since FileMaker Server can host up
to 125 files, it is possible to have multiple files available for access
by multiple workgroups.
1 Remember that double-clicking a FileMaker Pro file opens that file in
FileMaker Pro 5.x, not FileMaker Server. See “Hosting
FileMaker Pro 5.x files” on page 7-8 (Windows and Mac OS) or
“Administering FileMaker Server” on page 9-1 (Red Hat Linux) to learn
about opening files with FileMaker Server.
1 FileMaker Server displays a message if it can’t open the selected
database file and writes a description of the problem to the
Application Log (Windows) or the server event log (Mac OS) or
/var/log/fmserver/events.log (Red Hat Linux). For more
information, see “Using reported events to track activities” on
page 7-18 (Windows and Mac OS) or “Using reported events and
statistics to track activities” on page 9-13 (Red Hat Linux).
1 If the database file you’re hosting uses the Today function to
calculate dates, you must close and reopen it using FileMaker Server
each day to update the dates correctly. See “Recalculating the Today
function in hosted databases” on page 7-20 for more information.
This page intentionally left blank.
 Appendix C
Event log messages and troubleshooting
FileMaker Server event log messages
The following is a list of some of the log file messages you might see
and an explanation. Variables, such as the name of the user or file,
are in italics.

Message Explanation
AppleTalk network initialization failed; an unexpected error FileMaker Server couldn’t initialize AppleTalk due to an unexpected operating system error. See your
occurred (error number) operating system documentation for an explanation of the specified error. Check the AppleTalk configuration
and reconfigure or reinstall, if needed.

AppleTalk network initialization failed; not enough memory There is insufficient memory to use AppleTalk. See “What you need” on page 3-1 for RAM requirements.

AppleTalk network initialization failed; protocol not installed Check the network installation and setup procedures in the operating system documentation and reinstall the
protocol, if necessary.

Closing file filename due to a serious error (error number) The specified file is being closed by FileMaker Server due to an error condition. The file may need to be
recovered in the FileMaker Pro 5.x application. See “Troubleshooting” in FileMaker Pro 5.5 Help for
information about recovering damaged files.

Could not pause file filename because of an outstanding FileMaker Server is trying to get exclusive use of the file to pause it for an operation (for example, a backup
database lock from guest guestname or cache flush), but can’t because a guest is changing the file. You can try the backup later, or close the file to
force the guest(s) to disconnect.

File could not be opened: database may be damaged; try The file may be damaged and needs to be opened in FileMaker Pro 5.x. Start the FileMaker Pro application,
opening in FileMaker Pro open the file, and follow any instructions on your screen. (See “Troubleshooting” in FileMaker Pro 5.5 Help
for more information about recovering files.) Then try opening the file with FileMaker Server.

File could not be opened: must be set to Multi-User in FileMaker Server can’t open files set to single user by default. However, you can select Allow FileMaker Server
FileMaker Pro to host Single User files in the Files tab of the Properties dialog box (Windows) or the Preferences dialog box
(Mac OS) or enable the HostSingleUserFiles preference parameter (Red Hat Linux) to open the file without
changing it using FileMaker Pro. Alternatively, you can open the file in the FileMaker Pro 5.x application and
choose File menu > Sharing > Multi-User before opening it with FileMaker Server.

File filename full, compression started When a FileMaker Pro file approaches the 2 GB file size limit or there is no longer enough free space on the
hard disk, FileMaker Server attempts to compress it by reclaiming unused space in the file. This process is
automatic, and this message is written to the log file when the process begins.
C-2 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

Message Explanation
File filename compressed, freeing x blocks The specified file has been successfully compressed, leaving FileMaker Server enough room to continue
working with the file safely. (One block equals 1,024 bytes.)

File filename compressed, but still nearly full. Only x block(s) The specified file was compressed, but there isn’t enough room for FileMaker Server to continue safely
free working with the file. The administrator should close the file, back it up, and take steps to reduce the size of
the file and create more room on the hard disk.

FileMaker Server is now awake. All schedules will be This message is sent to the log by FileMaker Server when the server computer wakes up from hibernation
resumed. (Windows 2000) or system sleep mode (Mac OS). Files that were hosted by FileMaker Server before
hibernation or sleep occurred are now available for guest access once again.

FileMaker Server is going to sleep. The entire cache will be If the server computer is configured to sleep during periods of inactivity, before doing so the operating system
flushed. All schedules will be suspended. prompts each open service or application to find out if the service or application can accommodate sleep mode.
If any guests are currently connected to a hosted database, FileMaker Server denies the sleep request and the
server computer does not sleep. If no guests are connected, FileMaker Server writes any unsaved changes to
disk (flushes the cache) and allows the server computer to sleep. During sleep, all scheduled tasks are
suspended and do not run again until the next scheduled time when the server computer is awake.

FileMaker Server quitting! (error number) FileMaker Server detects a severe error during network use, due to a network failure or other causes. Check
network installation, settings, and the system error log (Windows).

FileMaker Server quitting! Network initialization failed; an FileMaker Server can’t use any network protocol because of an unexpected error. Check network installation,
unexpected error occurred settings, and the system error log (Windows).

FileMaker Server quitting! Network initialization failed; not FileMaker Server can’t use any network protocol due to insufficient memory. See “What you need” on
enough memory page 2-1 (Windows), page 3-1 (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1), page 4-1 (Mac OS X), or page 5-1 (Red Hat Linux) for
RAM requirements.

FileMaker Server quitting! This disk is full FileMaker Server detects that the disk volume is full. Free some space on the disk and restart
FileMaker Server.

FileMaker Server quitting! Network initialization failed FileMaker Server is unable to start because of missing required software or hardware. See “What you need”
(error number) on page 2-1 (Windows), page 3-1 (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1), page 4-1 (Mac OS X), or page 5-1 (Red Hat Linux) for
more information.

Quit forced; User username forced to close connection During a shutdown or disconnect operation, the named user didn’t close the file within the specified time. The
(error number) user’s connection was forcibly closed by FileMaker Server.

Registration with directory service failed. (error number) Registration with the directory service failed because Microsoft Active Directory is not installed on this
computer.

Remote administration has been disabled because the The system’s storage area for temporary files might be full or set to read-only. Check the temporary storage
databases could not be opened (error number) area on the server computer and try again.
 Event log messages and troubleshooting C-3

Message Explanation
Schedule schedulename aborted; destination could not be The specified destination could not be found. If the destination is a removable medium, make sure it is inserted
found in its drive. If the destination volume is an external or network drive, connect the drive or network. Try again
after the destination is correctly set up.

Schedule schedulename aborted; the destination The specified destination is locked or read-only. If the destination is a removable medium, you might need to
destination is not writable remove it, make it writable, and reinsert it.

Schedule schedulename aborted; no open databases to The schedule specifies a directory in which FileMaker Server currently has no databases open. Therefore, the
operate on scheduled task can’t proceed. Make sure that the schedule specifies the correct directory to operate on, and that
all databases have been opened correctly.

Schedule schedulename was unable to back up file filename; When FileMaker Server backs up a file, it first checks if a file with the same name already exists on the
can’t replace item with that name on destination destination volume and attempts to rename the existing file. In this case, the existing file could not be renamed,
and therefore it could not be replaced with the new backup. Move the existing file to another location or give
it a name that doesn’t conflict with the file being backed up.

Schedule schedulename was unable to back up file filename; An unexpected operating system error occurred when FileMaker Server attempted to copy files to the
error writing to destination (error number) destination volume. Refer to the system error log or look up the specified error number in your operating
system documentation to determine the cause of the problem.

Schedule schedulename was unable to back up file filename; The named file already exists on the destination volume and is locked or read-only. For the backup to succeed,
file on destination is locked you need to either move the locked/read-only file to a different folder or change the schedule definition to use
a different destination. The file could also be open by another application, in which case it must be closed
before it can be moved or renamed.

Schedule schedulename was unable to back up file filename; The destination volume does not have enough free space to hold a copy of the specified file. Check the free
not enough free space on destination space on the destination or choose a different destination for the backup.

TCP/IP network initialization failed; an unexpected error FileMaker Server couldn’t initialize TCP/IP due to an unexpected operating system error. See the system event
occurred (error number) log (Windows) or your operating system documentation for an explanation of the specified error. Check the
TCP/IP configuration and reconfigure or reinstall, if needed.

TCP/IP network initialization failed; the TCP/IP address is The IP address selected for use by FileMaker Server is already in use or isn’t correctly configured.Verify the
already in use or an address could not be obtained IP address and TCP/IP configuration in the Networks control panel (Windows) or TCP/IP control panel (Mac
(error number) OS 8.6 to 9.1) or TCP/IP preferences (Mac OS X). If FileMaker Pro 5.x is already running on the same
computer and is set to use TCP/IP, FileMaker Server is prevented from using the same IP address. You should
run FileMaker Server on a dedicated computer.

TCP/IP network initialization failed; not enough memory There is insufficient memory to use TCP/IP. See “What you need” on page 2-1 (Windows), page 3-1 (Mac OS
8.6 to 9.1), page 4-1 (Mac OS X), or page 5-1 (Red Hat Linux) for RAM requirements.

TCP/IP network initialization failed; protocol is not installed Windows: FileMaker Server can’t initialize TCP/IP, because the TCP/IP protocol is not installed or not
(error number) configured correctly in the Networks control panel. Check the network installation and setup procedures in the
Windows documentation and reinstall, if necessary.
C-4 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

Message Explanation
IPX/SPX network initialization failed; an unexpected error Windows: FileMaker Server can’t initialize IPX/SPX. Check network settings and system error log.
occurred (error number)

IPX/SPX network initialization failed; not enough memory Windows: There is insufficient memory to use IPX/SPX. See “What you need” on page 2-1 for RAM
requirements.

IPX/SPX network initialization failed; protocol is not installed Windows: FileMaker Server can’t initialize IPX/SPX, because the IPX/SPX protocol is not installed or not
(error number) configured correctly in the Networks control panel. Check the network installation and setup procedures in the
Windows documentation and reinstall, if necessary.
User username no longer responding, connection closed A connected guest’s computer has stopped communicating with FileMaker Server due to a network disruption
or a software error.

Using a database cache size of xK Written at FileMaker Server startup to show how much of the application’s memory is usable for the database
cache (x is replaced by a number). You can adjust application memory by changing the Reserve n MB of RAM
for database cache in the Files tab of the Properties (Windows) or Preferences (Mac OS) dialog box or enabling
the CacheSize preference parameter. The new cache size takes effect the next time you start FileMaker Server.
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1: You might have to adjust the application memory size for FileMaker Server using the Get
Info dialog box in the Finder. For more information, see “Adjusting memory (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)” on page 6-6.
 Event log messages and troubleshooting C-5

Troubleshooting
The following table lists some problems you may encounter when
using FileMaker Server.

Tip When FileMaker Server behaves unexpectedly, check the log

file to diagnose the problem. See “Using reported events to track
activities” on page 7-18 (Windows and Mac OS) or “Using reported
events and statistics to track activities” on page 9-13 (Red Hat
Linux) and “FileMaker Server event log messages” on page C-1 for
more information.

Problems installing or starting FileMaker Server

Symptom Suggested solution or explanation
You’re unable to install FileMaker Server. Check the hardware and software requirements listed in “What you need” on page 2-1 (Windows), page 3-1
(Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1), page 4-1 (Mac OS X), or page 5-1 (Red Hat Linux) to ensure your equipment and software
are compatible.
Windows, Mac OS X, and Red Hat Linux: Be sure to log in with administrative privileges when checking for
compatibility.

You’re unable to start FileMaker Server. Check the hardware and software requirements listed in “What you need” on page 2-1 (Windows), page 3-1
(Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1), page 4-1 (Mac OS X), page 5-1 (Red Hat Linux) to ensure your equipment and software
are compatible. Also check the Windows Event Viewer, the Server Event Log (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) or
events.log (Mac OS X and Red Hat Linux) for a description of why FileMaker Server couldn’t start. For more
information about the Event Viewer, see “Using reported events to track activities” on page 7-18 (Windows
and Mac OS) or “Using reported events and statistics to track activities” on page 9-13 (Red Hat Linux).

Network problems
Symptom Suggested solution or explanation
A FileMaker Pro guest using IPX can’t find Windows: Verify that IPX networking software is properly installed. Verify that the host and guest are using
FileMaker Server databases on the network. the same frame type. Verify that the IPX/SPX network protocol (or both TCP/IP and IPX/SPX) is selected in
the Networking tab of the Properties dialog box. Verify that the 250 simultaneous guest limit has not been
reached.
C-6 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

Symptom Suggested solution or explanation

A FileMaker Pro guest using TCP/IP can’t find Verify that TCP/IP networking software is properly installed on the host and guest computers. In the Hosts
FileMaker Server databases on the network. dialog box, click the Specify Hosts button and enter the host IP address.
Windows and Red Hat Linux: Use the Ping command to contact the host address and verify the network is
working properly. Verify that the 250 simultaneous guest limit has not been reached.
Windows: Verify that the TCP/IP network protocol (or both TCP/IP and IPX/SPX) is selected in the
Networking tab of the Properties dialog box.
Mac OS: Verify that the TCP/IP network protocol (or both TCP/IP and AppleTalk [Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1]) is
selected in the Networking tab of the Preferences dialog box.

A FileMaker Pro guest using AppleTalk can’t find Verify that the 124 simultaneous guest limit has not been reached. Also remember that AppleTalk is not
FileMaker Server databases on the network. supported by FileMaker Server running in Windows or Mac OS X.

Problems on guest computers

Symptom Suggested solution or explanation
The FileMaker Server name does not appear in the Hold down the Ctrl key (Windows) or Option key (Mac OS) as you click Hosts in the Open dialog box.
FileMaker Pro Hosts dialog box. Sometimes with high network traffic, FileMaker Pro might not find the server on the first attempt. Holding
down the Ctrl or Option key forces FileMaker Pro to check the network for a longer period of time.
Windows: Verify that the FileMaker Server service is started in the Windows Services control panel.
On a TCP/IP network, you may need to specify the host IP address or name. Click Specify Hosts in the
TCP/IP Hosts dialog box, then type in the IP address or the name of the computer running FileMaker Server.

Guests using the IPX/SPX protocol can’t see Windows: This is generally caused by using an incorrect frame type on the server or guest machine. To change
FileMaker Server databases. the frame type on Windows, you must change the configuration of the IPX/SPX compatible protocol in the
Network control panel. See your Windows documentation for more details.

Guests receive Communication with the host was The guest has been disconnected from a database by FileMaker Server because the guest didn’t comply with
interrupted and could not be re-established message on a request from FileMaker Server to close a database. Another reason communication between the host and
guest computer. guest may have been disrupted is due to a hardware failure (lost network connection) or a software connection
time-out (no response from guest for a given period of time). The latter could be caused by a screen saver,
debugger, or processor-intensive operation.

Guests receive servername is no longer available or the FileMaker Server has shut down or you reached the maximum allowable connections or guests on
host capacity has been exceeded message on guest FileMaker Server. Verify that FileMaker Server is running or increase the number of guests allowed in the
computer. Guests tab of the Properties dialog box (Windows) or the Preferences dialog box (Mac OS). See “Setting the
number of guests” on page 6-3.
 Event log messages and troubleshooting C-7

Symptom Suggested solution or explanation

Guests receive Host capacity exceeded message on guest You reached the maximum allowable connections or guests on FileMaker Server. Increase the number of
computer. guests allowed in the Guests tab of the Properties dialog box (Windows) or the Preferences dialog box
(Mac OS) or MaxGuests preference parameter (Red Hat Linux). See “Setting the number of guests” on
page 6-3 (Windows and Mac OS) or “Setting the number of guests” on page 9-6 (Red Hat Linux).

Problems administering remotely

Symptom Suggested solution or explanation
You’re unable to administer FileMaker Server remotely Check that remote administration is enabled in the Administration tab of the Properties dialog box (Windows)
using FileMaker Pro 5.x. or Preferences dialog box (Mac OS) or UseRemoteAdmin preference parameter (Red Hat Linux). See
“Enabling remote administration” on page 6-9 (Windows and Mac OS) or “Enabling remote administration in
FileMaker Server” on page 9-10 (Red Hat Linux).
If you want full administrative access to FileMaker Server, you must install and enable the Server
Administration plug-in on your remote computer. For more information, see “Automatically downloading the
Server Administration plug-in to a remote computer” on page 7-6.

The Open, Close, Disconnect, and Get Details buttons are The Server Administration plug-in isn’t installed and enabled on the remote computer. Install and enable the
dimmed in the Remote Administration window. plug-in and try again. For more information, see “Automatically downloading the Server Administration plug-
in to a remote computer” on page 7-6.

Problems using command line options (Windows and Red Hat Linux)
Symptom Suggested solution or explanation
The command you typed didn’t work. When typing at the command prompt, specify the filename extension (.FP5) after the filename.
Make sure that you are using the correct short filenames, or enclose long filenames that contain spaces in
quotation marks. To see the short filenames, type dir /x at the prompt.

You can’t remember command syntax or usage. Type fmserver /? (Windows) or fmserverd -h (Red Hat Linux) at the prompt to view a list of available
commands.
Windows: Look at the messages in the Windows Event Viewer for tips.
This page intentionally left blank.
 Appendix D
About the TechInfo database
The TechInfo database is a great resource for technical information
about FileMaker, Inc. products. This FileMaker Pro database serves
as a front-line resource for the company’s support technicians as they
solve customer inquiries. It collects Q&As, tips, FAQs, bug reports,
update notes, press releases, templates, and other material valuable
for support professionals. You can access the TechInfo database in
the support area of the official FileMaker, Inc. web site
(www.filemaker.com).

Searching the TechInfo database

To locate all information about FileMaker Server in the TechInfo
database, specify FileMaker Server as the product name and start
your search. You can look for more specific articles by adding
additional keywords before searching. For example, including the
word network as a keyword before you search displays a list of all
TechInfo articles that contain the words “FileMaker Server” and
“network.” Information on the Web
Keep the following search tips in mind: You can also find more information, tips, and database ideas by
1 Use the singular form, for example, host instead of hosts. visiting FileMaker, Inc. on the Web:
1 Try roots of words. For example, summar instead of summaries Windows: In the FileMaker Server Console, choose View menu >
or summary. FileMaker on the Web or point your browser to www.filemaker.com.
1 Use generic terms. For example, protocol instead of TCP/IP.
Mac OS: In FileMaker Server, choose Help menu > FileMaker on the
Web or point your browser to www.filemaker.com.
Sample TechInfo article Red Hat Linux: Point your browser to www.filemaker.com.
The following TechInfo article gives you an idea of the kind of
information you will find in the TechInfo database.
This page intentionally left blank.
 Index

A sending messages coexistence with FileMaker Server

locally (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-16 (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) A-2
Access privileges
remotely 7-11 connections (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) A-2
FileMaker Pro (Windows and
Mac OS) 6-17 setting passwords for remote access AppleTalk
Linux 9-10 Linux 9-10 See also Networks
Windows 2-2 Windows and Mac OS 6-9 hosting with (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 3-1
Account name, specifying custom for using command line Application log. See Log files
FileMaker Server (Linux) 9-9 Linux 9-1 – 9-2 Assistants (Windows)
Activities, FileMaker Server Windows 8-8 – 8-10 configuration 6-1
message descriptions C-1 viewing usage statistics starting 6-1
viewing locally (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-14 task scheduling 8-1
Linux 9-13 remotely 7-8 Asynchronous disk I/O A-2
Mac OS 7-20 Administration tab (Windows and Auto Update plug-in
Windows 2000 7-19 Mac OS) 6-10 Linux 9-8
Windows NT 7-19 Administration window Windows and Mac OS 6-7, 7-6
Administering (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-12 AutoUpdate directory, location of
closing files Alias, making Linux 5-3
locally (Linux) 9-2 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 7-3 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 3-3
locally (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-15 Mac OS X 7-4 Mac OS X 4-2
remotely 7-9 Apple events Windows 2-4
using command line (Windows) 8-9 support described
disconnecting guests Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 3-3 B
locally (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-16 using to
Backing up database files
remotely 7-10 close files (Mac OS) 7-10
running out of disk space 8-10
from different platforms (Windows and collect statistics
(Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-8 sample script
Mac OS) 2-2 Linux 5-2
local administration (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1), graph statistics
(Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 6-13 Windows 2-4
described 7-4, 7-12
open databases (Mac OS) 7-9 using command line (Windows) 8-9
opening files
AppleScript using FileMaker Server (Windows and
locally (Linux) 9-2 Mac OS) 8-1
locally (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-14 example file location
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 3-3 Bug reports, looking up D-1
remotely 7-9
using the command line recalculating Today function
(Windows) 8-9 (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-21
AppleShare software
See also Networks; Performance
I-2 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

C troubleshooting C-7 idle disconnect time

Cache using 8-8 – 8-10 Linux 9-6
flush setting Compression, database file 8-10, B-2, C-1 Windows and Mac OS 6-4
Linux 9-7 Computer, dedicated. See Dedicated host IP address
Windows and Mac OS 6-7 Configuration application, described Linux 9-12
(Mac OS X) 7-3 Windows and Mac OS 6-12
hit percentage 7-8
Configuration assistants (Windows) 6-1 maximum number of files
log file message C-2, C-4
Configuration file (Linux) Linux 9-7
monitoring B-1
applying changes 9-4 Windows and Mac OS 6-5
percentage unsaved 7-8
editing 9-3 memory considerations (Windows and
size in log file (Windows) 7-18
location of 5-2 Mac OS) 6-1
viewing percentages locally
(Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-14 opening 9-3 multiple network cards
CacheSize preference parameter (Linux) 9-7 reloading 9-2, 9-5 Linux 9-12
chgrp command (Linux) 9-10 restarting to apply changes 9-5 Windows and Mac OS 6-12
chmod command (Linux) 9-10 restoring defaults 9-5 number of guests
chown command (Linux) 9-10 Configuring Linux 9-6
ckconfig command (Linux) 9-2 applying changes (Linux) 9-4 Windows and Mac OS 6-3
Close command choosing network protocols opening configuration file (Linux) 9-3
Linux 9-2 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 6-11 opening preferences dialog
Windows 6-11 (Mac OS X) 6-3
Windows 8-8
customizing host name opening preferences dialog box
Closing files (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 6-2
See also Administering; Disconnecting Linux 9-11
Windows and Mac OS 6-10 opening properties dialog box
guests; Files; Quitting FileMaker Server (Windows) 6-2
locally (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-15 directory service
overview
remotely 7-9 Linux 9-14
Linux 9-3
using command line (Windows) 8-8 Windows and Mac OS 6-15
Windows and Mac OS 6-1
Coffee cup icon 8-10 disconnection message
remote administration password
Columns, resizing and sorting Linux 9-6
Linux 9-10
in local administration window Windows and Mac OS 6-4
Windows and Mac OS 6-9
(Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-13 downloading plug-ins automatically
requiring guest authentication
in Schedules list Linux 9-8 (Windows) 6-4
Mac OS 8-5 Windows and Mac OS 6-7 restoring defaults
Windows 8-4 flushing cache Linux 9-5
Command file, running on a schedule Linux 9-7 Windows and Mac OS 6-17
(Windows) 8-1 Windows and Mac OS 6-7 Connections, AppleShare A-2
Command line (Windows) hosting single user files Console, FileMaker Server (Windows) 6-1
examples 8-9 Linux 9-8 Contents, using in Help (Windows and
sample files 8-9 Windows and Mac OS 6-7 Mac OS) viii
 Index I-3

Control panel, Services (Windows) 7-1, 7-2 Windows xi Disconnection message

Copying schedules (Windows and Dimmed icon, in Hosts dialog box (Windows Linux 9-6
Mac OS) 8-7 and Mac OS) 6-10 Windows and Mac OS 6-4
Corrupted database (Windows and Directories, described (Linux) 5-2 DisconnectWarning preference parameter
Mac OS) 6-17 Directory service (Linux) 9-6
CPU, maximizing for FileMaker Server described Disk
(Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 6-11 Linux 9-14 running out of room when backing up
Crash, system (Windows and Mac OS) 6-18 Windows and Mac OS 6-15 files 8-10
Cross-platform issues distinguished name, specifying writing guest data
documentation notation vii Linux 9-15 Linux 9-7
Mac OS X 4-1 Windows and Mac OS 6-16 Windows and Mac OS 6-7
Windows and Mac OS 2-2, 3-1 encrypting password (Linux) 9-11 writing statistics to log file
Custom host name. See Host name port number, specifying Linux 9-14
Customer support 1-1 Linux 9-15 Windows and Mac OS 6-13
CustomExtensions preference parameter Windows and Mac OS 6-17 Disk I/O, asynchronous A-2
(Linux) 9-12 Disk KB/sec statistics, described 7-8
preference parameters (Linux) 9-15 – 9-16
Customizing FileMaker Server. See Distinguished name, specifying for a directory
Configuring publishing contact information
Linux 9-16 service
CustomServerName preference parameter Linux 9-15
(Linux) 9-11 Windows and Mac OS 6-16
registering with Windows and Mac OS 6-16
Linux 9-15 Documentation, described vii
D DOS command line (Windows) 8-8 – 8-10,
Windows and Mac OS 6-15
Daemon file location (Linux) 5-2 C-7
Directory Service tab (Windows and
Database files. See Files Mac OS) 6-15
Dates, incorrect calculation 7-20 Disabling E
Dedicated host remote administration Edit Schedule dialog box (Windows and
described 1-1, A-1 Linux 9-10 Mac OS) 8-6
performance issues (Windows and Windows and Mac OS 6-9 Enabling
Mac OS) 6-11 remote administration
scheduled tasks (Windows and
Default configuration settings, restoring Mac OS) 8-7 Linux 9-10
Linux 9-6 DisconnectIdleGuests preference parameter Windows and Mac OS 6-9
Windows and Mac OS 6-17 (Linux) 9-6 scheduled tasks (Windows and
Deleting Disconnecting guests Mac OS) 8-7
FileMaker Server (Windows) 2-5 See also Administering; Guests Server Administration plug-in manually
scheduled tasks (Windows and locally (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-16 Mac OS 10-3
Mac OS) 8-7 remotely 7-10 Windows 10-2
Dialog boxes, getting Help troubleshooting C-6 Encrypting passwords (Linux) 9-11
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 xi Error messages. See Messages; Log files;
Mac OS X xii Troubleshooting
I-4 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

Ethernet. See Networks FileMaker Pro installing

Event Viewer (Windows) changing field definitions in hosted Linux 5-1
described 7-18 files 7-12 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 3-1
keeping data current 7-20 downloading plug-ins from Mac OS X 4-1
message descriptions C-1 Linux 9-8 Windows 2-2
EventLogPath preference parameter Windows and Mac OS 6-7 limits A-1
(Linux) 9-14 enabling Server Administration plug-in network requirements
Events manually Linux 5-1
See also Log files Mac OS 10-3 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 3-1
checking for file corruption (Windows and Windows 10-2 Mac OS X 4-1
Mac OS) 6-18 FileMaker Server, comparison 1-2 Windows 2-1
recording filename extensions, registering new features 1-3
Linux 9-13 Linux 9-12 optimizing B-1, C-1
Mac OS 6-15 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 6-9 performance tips B-1, C-1
Windows 2000 6-14 Windows and Mac OS X 6-8 registering software license 1-1
Windows NT 6-14 passwords on files 6-17 sample files
Exclusive access to hosted files 7-12 record-by-record access privileges 6-17 Linux 5-2
Exiting FileMaker Server Remote Administration window 7-6 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 3-2
See also Quitting FileMaker Server runtime solutions Mac OS X 4-2
Windows 2000 7-2 Linux 9-12 Windows 2-4
Windows NT 7-2 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 6-9 starting
Extensions, registering filename Windows and Mac OS X 6-8 Linux 9-1, 9-2
Linux 9-12 FileMaker Server Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 7-3
Windows and Mac OS X 6-8 See also Administering; Configuring Mac OS X 7-4
described 1-1 – 1-3 using command line (Windows) 8-8
F documentation, described vii Windows 2000 7-1
FAQ for FileMaker Server D-1 FileMaker Pro, comparison 1-2 Windows NT 7-1
Features, new and improved 1-3 files, described stopping
File permissions, changing (Linux) 9-10 Linux 5-2 Linux 9-1
File sharing Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 3-2 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 7-3
cross-platform issues Mac OS X 4-2 Mac OS X 7-4
Mac OS X 4-1 Windows 2-3 using command line (Windows) 8-8
Windows and Mac OS 2-2, 3-1 hardware requirements Windows 2000 7-2
performance tip (Windows) B-2 Linux 5-1 Windows NT 7-2
File Types tab (Windows and Mac OS X) 6-8 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 3-1 system requirements
FileMaker Developer, described 6-8, 6-9, Mac OS X 4-1 Linux 5-1
9-12 Windows 2-1 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 3-1
Mac OS X 4-1
 Index I-5

Windows 2-1 locally (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-15 FMServerUser preference parameter
technical specifications A-1 remotely 7-9 (Linux) 9-10
troubleshooting C-5 using the command line fmspasswd utility (Linux), using 9-11
FileMaker Server 5.5 directory (Linux) 5-2 (Windows) 8-8 fmsvplas.txt file (Windows) 6-13
FileMaker Server 5.5 folder compression 8-10, B-2, C-1 Folders, described
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 3-2 corrupted after restart (Windows and Linux 5-2
Mac OS X 4-2 Mac OS) 6-17 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 3-2
Windows 2-3 filename length A-1 Mac OS X 4-2
FileMaker Server Help hosting single user Windows 2-3
Balloon Help (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) xi Linux 9-8 Found sets, optimizing performance B-1
command syntax (Linux) 9-1, 9-2 Windows and Mac OS 6-7 Frame types, troubleshooting C-6
Contents (Windows and Mac OS), limits A-1
using viii location of related B-2 G
Find, using (Windows and Mac OS) x maximum
Get Details button 7-11, 7-12
for dialog boxes number A-1
Group name, specifying custom for FileMaker
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 xi size A-1 Server (Linux) 9-9
Mac OS X xii opening Groups, for FileMaker Pro passwords
Windows xi locally (Linux) 9-2 (Windows and Mac OS) 6-17
for remote administration xii locally (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-14 Guests
for toolbar (Windows) xi remotely 7-9 disconnecting
Help topic window (Windows and using command line (Windows) 8-8 locally (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-16
Mac OS) viii remote administration databases 7-5 remotely 7-10
Index, using (Windows and resetting data 7-20 number of
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) ix setting location of (Linux) 9-9 Linux 9-6
navigating (Windows and Mac OS) viii size A-1 Windows and Mac OS 6-3
onscreen quick reference (Linux) xii unable to open C-1 sending messages
searching for specific words viewing locally (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-16
Mac OS X xi details, remotely 7-11 remotely 7-11
Windows and Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 x hosted, locally to all guests, remotely 7-12
FileMaker, Inc. web site D-1 (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-13 using schedule (Windows and
Filename extensions for runtime solutions hosted, remotely 7-7 Mac OS) 8-1
Linux 9-12 Files tab (Windows and Mac OS) 6-5 troubleshooting C-6
Windows and Mac OS X 6-8 FlushTimeInterval preference parameter viewing
Files (Linux) 9-8 details about guests, remotely 7-11
backing up (Windows and Mac OS) 8-1 fmpsadm.fmx (Windows) 10-2 locally (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-13
backup example using command line fms_registration utility (Linux) 5-2 remotely 7-7
(Windows) 8-9 fmserver account name, changing (Linux) 9-9 Guests tab (Windows and Mac OS) 6-3
closing fmserver.exe (Windows) 7-9
locally (Linux) 9-2
I-6 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

H sending messages to guests Windows and Mac OS 6-12

Hardware requirements locally (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-16 specifying for a directory service
See also Memory; System requirements; remotely 7-11 Linux 9-15
Troubleshooting troubleshooting C-1 Windows and Mac OS 6-15
asynchronous disk I/O A-2 using command line (Windows) 8-8 troubleshooting C-6
described Hosts dialog box IPX/SPX (Windows)
Linux 5-1 described 6-10 incorrect frame types C-6
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 3-1 dimmed icon (Windows and troubleshooting C-5
Mac OS X 4-1 Mac OS) 6-10 Italicized text, in local administration window
Windows 2-1 host name (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-16
networking setting (Linux) 9-11
Linux 5-1 setting (Windows and Mac OS) 6-10 K
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 3-1 troubleshooting C-6 Keyboard shortcuts (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-14
Mac OS X 4-1 opening 7-6
HostSingleUserFiles preference parameter
Windows 2-1
(Linux) 9-8 L
performance A-1 LDAP
Help. See FileMaker Server Help See Directory service
Hibernation (Windows 2000) 6-17 I, J
Limits for files and usage A-1
Hit percentage, cache 7-8 Idle disconnect time
Listing information (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-14
Host name Linux 9-6
Listing open files
maximum length A-1 Windows and Mac OS 6-4
locally (Linux) 9-2
setting Index, using in Help (Windows and
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) ix locally (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-13
Linux 9-11 remotely 7-7
Windows and Mac OS 6-10 Installing FileMaker Server
in Linux 5-1 – 5-2 Local administration (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)
unavailable C-6 described 7-4, 7-12
Hosting files in Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 3-1 – 3-2
in Mac OS X 4-1 – 4-2 hosting files 7-14
See also Administering; Files; Guests; viewing databases and guests 7-12
Remote administration in Windows 2-2 – 2-3
recommendations 1-2 LocalTalk. See Networks
automatically B-2
remote administration plug-in, Log files
described 7-8
automatically 7-6 application log
errors C-1
remote administration plug-in, manually Windows 2000 6-14
maximum number A-1
Mac OS 10-2 Windows NT 6-14
Linux 9-7
Windows 10-1 event log, described
Windows and Mac OS 6-5
troubleshooting C-5 Linux 9-13
runtime solutions
IP address Mac OS 7-20
Linux 9-12
setting Events.log (Mac OS X)
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 6-9
Linux 9-12 described 7-18
Windows and Mac OS X 6-8
 Index I-7

maximum size 6-15 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 6-6 performance considerations

keeping data current (Windows) 7-20 Windows and Mac OS 6-5 (Mac OS) A-2
location of (Linux) 5-3 minimum requirements
message descriptions C-1 Linux 5-1 Linux 5-1
statistics log Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 3-1, 6-6 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 3-1
described (Linux) 9-14 Mac OS X 4-1 Mac OS X 4-1
described (Windows and Mac OS) 7-8 Windows 2-1 Windows 2-1
maximum size (Linux) 9-14 virtual memory (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 6-7 setting IP address
maximum size (Windows and Messages Linux 9-12
Mac OS) 6-13 FileMaker Server log file C-1 Windows and Mac OS 6-12
writing to disk (Linux) 9-14 sending to guests sockets, AppleTalk A-2
writing to disk (Windows and locally (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-16 traffic and performance B-2
Mac OS) 6-13 remotely 7-11 troubleshooting C-5
viewing events (Windows) 7-18 Microsoft Active Directory New Schedule dialog box
Logging tab (Windows and Mac OS) 6-13 Linux 9-14 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 8-1
Windows and Mac OS 6-15 Mac OS X 8-3
M Monitoring FileMaker Server. See NOS (Windows) 2-2
MaxEventLogSize preference parameter Administering Number of guests
(Linux) 9-13 maximum A-1
MaxFiles preference parameter (Linux) 9-7 N setting
MaxGuests preference parameter (Linux) 9-6 Netscape Directory Linux 9-6
MaxIdleTime preference parameter Linux 9-14 Windows and Mac OS 6-3
(Linux) 9-6
Windows and Mac OS 6-15
Maximum number of files O
Network card requirements (Linux) 5-1
described A-1
Network KB/sec statistics, described 7-8 Onscreen Help. See FileMaker Server Help
setting
Network operating system (Windows) 2-2 Open command
Linux 9-7
Networking tab (Windows and Mac OS) 6-11 Linux 9-2
Windows and Mac OS 6-5
Networks Windows 8-8
Maximum number of guests
See also Optimization; Troubleshooting Opening files
troubleshooting C-6
choosing protocols automatically B-2
with AppleShare (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) A-2
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 6-11 locally
MaxStatsLogSize preference parameter
(Linux) 9-14 Windows 6-11 Linux 9-2
Memory error messages C-2 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 7-14
See also Cache; Hardware requirements; initialization failure C-2 remotely 7-6, 7-8
Optimization; Performance; System mixed networks runtime solutions
requirements Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 3-1, 6-11 Linux 9-12
adjusting Mac OS X 4-1, 6-11 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 6-9
Linux 9-7 Windows 2-2, 6-11 Windows and Mac OS X 6-8
I-8 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

using command line (Windows) 8-8 Windows 10-1 R

OpenLDAP Plug-ins RAM. See Memory
Linux 9-14 downloading automatically Registering
Windows and Mac OS 6-15 Linux 9-8 filename extensions for runtime solutions
Operating system requirements Windows and Mac OS 6-7 Linux 9-12
Linux 5-1 Port number, specifying for a directory service Windows and Mac OS X 6-8
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 3-1 Linux 9-15 software license 1-1
Mac OS X 4-1 Windows and Mac OS 6-17 Registration utility, description (Linux) 5-2
Windows 2-1 Power Conservation mode Related database files, locating B-2
Optimization B-1, C-1 (Windows 2000) 6-17
Reload command (Linux) 9-2, 9-5
See also Log files; Hardware requirements; Preferences. See Configuring
Remote administration
Memory; Networks; Performance PrefIPAddr preference parameter
(Linux) 9-12 described 1-1
Product features, new and improved 1-3 enabling in FileMaker Server
P Linux 9-10
Product registration 1-1
Passwords Windows and Mac OS 6-9
Properties. See Configuring
encrypting for configuration file encrypting password (Linux) 9-11
(Linux) 9-11 Protocols, network
setting getting Help xii
in FileMaker Pro files 6-17 hosting files 7-9
remote administration Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 6-11
Windows 6-11 installing plug-in manually
maximum length A-1 Mac OS 10-2
setting 6-10 supported
Linux 5-1 Windows 10-1
Pause command plug-in files
Linux 9-2 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 3-1
Mac OS X 4-1 Linux 5-3
Windows 8-8 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 3-3
Performance Windows 2-1
Mac OS X 4-2
coexistence with other software A-2 Windows 2-4
hardware A-1 Q troubleshooting C-7
maximize mode (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 6-11 Q&A for FileMaker Server D-1 Remote Administration window
network (Mac OS) A-2 Quick reference of commands (Linux) xii described 7-7
tips A-1, B-1 Quitting FileMaker Server opening 7-6
Performance Monitor (Windows NT), Linux 9-1 sorting columns 7-7
using 7-17 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 7-3 Remote administration, downloading plug-in
Permissions, file (Linux) 9-10 Mac OS X 7-4 automatically 7-6
Plug-in, remote administration Windows 2000 7-2 Removing
automatically downloading 7-6 Windows NT 7-2 FileMaker Server
described 7-5 Linux 5-3
installing manually Windows 2-5
Mac OS 10-2
 Index I-9

scheduled tasks (Windows and enabling and disabling (Windows and installing manually
Mac OS) 8-7 Mac OS) 8-7 Mac OS 10-2
Replacing data, performance issues B-1 running manually (Windows and Windows 10-1
Requirements. See Hardware requirements; Mac OS) 8-6 Server application, described
Memory; Networks; System requirements viewing (Windows) 8-4 (Mac OS X) 7-3
RequirePassword preference parameter Screen saver software, and FileMaker Server Event Log (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1)
(Linux) 9-11 Server A-2, B-2 See also Log files
Resizing columns Scripts described 7-20
in Schedules list autostart and stop (Linux) 9-2 maximum size 6-15
Mac OS 8-5 for administrative tasks (Linux) 9-1 Server Last Statistics Log file
Windows 8-4 running on a schedule (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 6-13
locally (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-13 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 8-2 Server name. See Host name
Restart command (Linux) 9-5 Mac OS X 8-4 ServerRoot preference parameter (Linux) 9-9
Resume command using to automate tasks (Mac OS) 8-10 Services control panel (Windows) 7-1, 7-2
Linux 9-2 Search path for hosting files (Linux) 9-9 Shutdown
Windows 8-9 Searching and FileMaker Server
Runtime solutions, hosting automatically Help (Windows and Mac OS) x Windows NT 7-2
Linux 9-12 TechInfo database D-1 checking for file corruption (Windows and
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 6-9 Security Mac OS) 6-18
Windows and Mac OS X 6-8 authenticating guests (Windows and Mac Single user files, hosting
OS) 6-4 Linux 9-8
S recommendations (Windows and Windows and Mac OS 6-7
Mac OS) 6-10 Sleep, by operating system (Windows and
Sample files Selecting information in lists Mac OS) 6-17
command line (Windows) 8-9 (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-14 Sockets, network. See Connections,
Linux 5-2 Sending messages to guests AppleShare; Networks; Optimization
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 3-2, 3-3 See also Administering; Messages Software requirements
Mac OS X 4-2 all, remotely 7-12 Linux 5-1
Windows 2-4 locally (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-16 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 3-1
Schedules remotely 7-11 Mac OS X 4-1
changing (Windows and Mac OS) 8-6 using a schedule (Windows and Windows 2-1
creating Mac OS) 8-1 Sorting
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 8-1 Server Administration plug-in columns
Mac OS X 8-3 automatically downloading 7-6 locally (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-13
Windows 8-1 described 7-5 remotely 7-7
deleting (Windows and Mac OS) 8-7 enabling manually performance issues B-1
described (Windows and Mac OS) 8-1 Mac OS 10-3 scheduled tasks
duplicating (Windows and Mac OS) 8-7 Windows 10-2 Mac OS 8-5
Windows 8-4
I-10 FileMaker Server Administrator’s Guide

usage statistics, remotely 7-8 Status (Current Date) function 7-21 Today function 7-20
Specify Hosts button C-6 Stop command (Windows) 8-8 Toolbar (Windows)
Standby mode (Windows 2000) 6-17 Stopping FileMaker Server described 8-4
Start command Linux 9-1 displaying descriptions for buttons xi
Linux 9-1 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 7-3 Transaction statistics, described 7-8
Windows 8-8 Mac OS X 7-4 Troubleshooting C-5 – C-7
Starting Windows 2000 7-2 See also Log files; Hardware requirements;
FileMaker Server, automatically Windows NT 7-2 Networks; Optimization; Performance
Linux 5-2, 9-2 Summary reports B-1 system crash (Windows and
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 7-3 Support, technical 1-1 Mac OS) 6-18
Mac OS X 7-4 System crash, checking for file corruption
troubleshooting C-5 (Windows and Mac OS) 6-18 U
Windows 2000 2-2 System Monitor (Windows 2000), using 7-18 Uninstalling FileMaker Server
Windows NT 2-2, 7-1 System requirements Linux 5-3
FileMaker Server, manually See also Hardware requirements; Memory; Windows 2-5
Linux 9-1 Troubleshooting Unsaved cache percentage 7-8
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 7-3 Linux 5-1 Unselectable icon, in Hosts dialog box
Mac OS X 7-4 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1 3-1 (Windows and Mac OS) 6-10
troubleshooting C-5 Mac OS X 4-1 Unused cache percentage B-1
using command line (Windows) 8-8 Windows 2-1 Usage statistics
Windows 2000 2-2, 7-1 logging
Windows NT 2-2, 7-1 T Linux 9-14
Statistics Task Scheduling assistant (Windows) 8-1 Windows and Mac OS 6-12
collecting Tasks, scheduling (Windows and Mac OS). viewing
Linux 9-13 See Schedules locally (Linux) 9-13
Windows and Mac OS 6-12 TCP/IP locally (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-14
viewing See also Networks locally (Windows 2000) 7-18
locally (Linux) 9-13 host address C-6 locally (Windows NT) 7-17
locally (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-14 troubleshooting C-6 remotely 7-8
Performance Monitor TechInfo database D-1 Usage Statistics window (Mac OS 8.6 to
(Windows NT) 7-17 Technical specifications A-1 9.1) 6-12
remotely 7-8 See also FileMaker Server; Optimization; UseAutoUpdate preference parameter
System Monitor (Windows 2000) 7-18 Performance (Linux) 9-8
Statistics log file. See Log files Technical support UseCacheFlush preference parameter
contacting 1-1 (Linux) 9-7
StatsLogPath preference parameter
(Linux) 9-14 TechInfo database D-1 UseCustomExtensions preference parameter
(Linux) 9-12
StatsTimeInterval preference parameter Tips. See Optimization; Performance;
(Linux) 9-14 Troubleshooting UseCustomServerName preference parameter
(Linux) 9-11
 Index I-11

UsePrefIPAddr preference parameter

(Linux) 9-12
UseRemoteAdmin preference parameter
(Linux) 9-10
Users. See Guests
UseStatsLog preference parameter
(Linux) 9-14

V
var/fmserverd, description (Linux) 5-2
var/log/fmserver, description (Linux) 5-3
Viewing
details about files and guests,
remotely 7-11
FileMaker Server events
Linux 9-13
Mac OS 7-20
Windows 2000 7-19
Windows NT 7-19
scheduled tasks
Mac OS 8-5
Windows 8-4
usage statistics
locally (Linux) 9-13
locally (Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1) 7-14
locally (Windows 2000) 7-18
locally (Windows NT) 7-17
remotely 7-8
Virtual memory. See Memory; Performance

W, X, Y, Z
Web site
for registering software 1-1
TechInfo database D-1
technical support 1-1
Writing guest data to disk
Linux 9-7
Windows and Mac OS 6-7
This page intentionally left blank.