[MACEP] FileMaker 8 Advanced Server

[Brian Kamlin]

I totally agree to all of this. I have recently migrated to Server 7
from 5.5 and find it much more powerful. 



Brian Kamlin
IT Support Coordinator
Columbia Regional Program
@ Wilcox Site
833 NE 74th Avenue
Portland, OR 97213
phone (503) 916-5570 x8347

http://www.crporegon.org

>>> darrin_king at gbsd.gresham.k12.or.us 2/18/2006 1:08:14 PM >>>
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
1444 SE 5th		                         
Gresham, OR 97080
Voice: (503) 465-0821
Fax:   (503) 456-2101
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!