Running FMP in Windows NT/2000

Chong-ho (Alex) Yu, Ph.D., MCSE, CNE, CCNA

Secure the server

If you run FMP in a Windows NT/2000 server, it is the wrong way to secure the server by "log off." When you log off the adminisrator, the Windows system closes all applications, including FileMaker Pro. However, in FileMaker Pro it requires that databases are open to serve clients. If you log off the administrator, then no user can access the databases via the Internet. Thus, you should press Control-Alt-Delete simultaneously and choose the option Lock computer. Locking does not close running applications yet this protects the server.

Start up

If you run FMP in a Mac server, you can put the aliases in the Start Up folder to enable automatic openning of databases upon reboot. However, you cannot do the same in a Windows NT/2000 server. Even if you place the short cut of databases in the Start Up folder, the first short cut will open the corresponding database, but all the rest will not open. There are two ways to rectify the situation. The first way is to trick the system. In FileMaker Pro, you can make all databases relational even though not all of them require relationships. By making them relational, the first open file would trigger the opening of all other databases. The second way, which I recommend, is to run a script that can open all databases. The procedure is illustrated in the following:

• Put an alais of one database in the StartUp folder.
• Open ScriptMaker under Scripts when the database is open.
• Create a script named "open all databases" and write the commands to open the databases that should be available to users. You cannot type the script into the box. Instead, you must double-click or move the "open" command from the left pane to the right pane, and then click File to select the databases.

• Open Preferences/Document under Edit. Specify to run the script when this database is open.

From now on the Windows system opens the first database upon startup, and the first database run the script to open all others.

 

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