[MACEP] FileMaker 8 Advanced Server

[Darrin King]

Hi Don,
We've been running FM 7 Server Advanced for about a year and a half.  I am sure there are additional wiz bangs that 8 provides, but the file format is the same as 7 so I feel fairly confident that my two cents worth will be worth at least that much.
 :-)

>From a structural standpoint, FMP 7/8 is RADICALLY different than FMP 5/6 due to the introduction of tables.  Where you needed a separate file for each type of data you were collecting (Customers, vendors, Invoices, Invoice lines, etc) you can now
create separate tables for each of these in ONE file.  This change requires a significant shift in your programming method, but once mastered, it is well worth it.

One of the other awesome changes is the ability to use a directory server for authentication.  We have yet to do this, but I look forward to the day I don't have to maintain a separate authentication DB just for FileMaker.

The admin app can be run remotely (finally) and is VASTLY superior to the cheezey admin app of FMS 5.  That alone would be worth the upgrade in my opinion.

One of the things I have struggled with is OS X permissions.  FMSA is subject to the OS permissions which has been a bit frustrating when trying to publish files on the server.  Not insurmountable, just one more thing to add the list of things to do
to publish a file.

My biggest struggle has been with web publishing.  I had big plans for instant web publishing (IWP) so I could do all my work in FMP and get out of the custom web publishing (CWP) business using Lasso.  Although IWP is vastly superior and there will
eventually be a use for it in our district, it did not meet our immediate needs with our current projects.  So I attempted CWP by using XML and XSLT and discovered it was so complex that it was not worth the effort.  Believe it or not, I have come
full circle back to Lasso.  I've been using a demo version to check out the latest and greatest features of of Lasso 8.  I have made more headway on projects in the last three weeks than I have in the last 8 months.  I'm sold and will be making the
purchase case to the powers that be real soon.

In short, FMP 7/8 is more complex, vastly more powerful, but well worth the investment in my opinion.

Darrin

DATABASE & EMAIL MANAGER

GBSD Tech Center
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Darrin_King at gbsd.gresham.k12.or.us




Don Wolff <don.wolff at phoenix.k12.or.us> on Friday, February 17, 2006 at 7:48 PM -0800 wrote:
>Anyone out there been using FM 8 advanced server at all? I may be forced to
>go this route with a project at one of my schools and I haven't seen the
>beast at all. Am wondering what I might be walking into.
>
>Any input as to it's ability to make dbs available via the web? Ease of
>management compared to server 5?
>
>Any input is appreciated!

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