[derekryan]

My boss just asked me to put our database on the internet, so he can access it from his home. I test Filemaker web publishing feature and it's paitfully slow. Is there anything I can do to achieve this? Any other solution? I don't know MySQL or any other database except Filemaker. What can I do?

My database has only about 3000 records.

Derek

[larkost]

It sounds like the boss just wants to have access to the data from home. You have a few options:

You can put the FileMaker box with the database directly on the internet (outside any firewalls so that it has its own world-accessable ip address). Then when your bodd goies into "Open Remote" and chooses to input the address manually (I don't have it in front of me, but the bottom part of the dialog box allows you to manually put in addresses), he can enter in the IP address for the box and get access.

The big problem with this idea is that it puts the box on the outside, an exposes it to attack. My guess is that not many people are gunning for FMP boxes, but.... This would need a lot of security work. There is also a variant on this one where you forward ports to the FMP box through the firewall... slightly better security, but you are still trailing a non-secure port on the outside.

Another option is the web route... it is never going to be fast or particularly convenient, but it does work.

The third option would be to setup a VPN, this requires a little bit of know-how, but not too much. Once your boss is connected from home, he can access everything as if he were on the work network. Setting up a VPN server is a whole 'nuther ball of wax...

[derekryan]

Thanks for the input. You are saying that not many people use FMP. What else is out there? Something that doesn't cost thousands of dollars and is relatively easy to set up. Can I export data from FMP into other solutions. FMP is very good but over the internet is very very sloooooow. Even if I do setup VPN (I have a Netscreen Firewall) here. It would still be very slow to use. What eles can I switch to?

[Simon Mundy]

Originally posted by derekryan:
Thanks for the input. You are saying that not many people use FMP. What else is out there? Something that doesn't cost thousands of dollars and is relatively easy to set up. Can I export data from FMP into other solutions. FMP is very good but over the internet is very very sloooooow. Even if I do setup VPN (I have a Netscreen Firewall) here. It would still be very slow to use. What eles can I switch to?

Switch to MySQL. Multi-platform friendly, very quick, strong as an ox and the price is right.

If you spend some time with some SQL basics you'll be up and running in no time at all. There's plenty of OS-specific interfaces, but the most flexible way is to set up PHP on a webserver and use phpMyAdmin for access from many locations. I'd recommend setting up an SSL connection to your box to protect your passwords as well (or VPN as suggested previously).

[larkost]

Simon: I didn't mean to discourage you from FileMaker at all... It is really the best of the Personal Database Solution systems out there (PHP and MySQL do not enter that market at all). Unless you know what you are doing and have time to admin the system I would not recommend going to MySQL, it will have none of the features you are used to on FileMaker.

When I said that not many people are gunning for FileMaker on the net it is because it is not common to have a FMP box exposed to the net, they are almost always internal things. I do not recommend putting a FMP box on the outside of the firewall, but I can think of riskier things that I have done for companies.

As to speed over the internet, it is not the fastest out there but it sounds like you may have a slow uplink from your building. If you want to eek more speed out of it, look at going to FileMaker Pro 7, it is much more efficient at this sort of thing (I am not talking about web here). The main drawback on FMP7 is that it is not compatible with FMP5-6 (you can upgrade your databases without major changes, but you can't get data from a FMP7 database from a FMP6 client). And FMP7 does not have a MacOS 9 client, leaving those systems behind.

[derekryan]

Do you have any suggestions where can I find some info about MySQL front ends? I would like to at least take a look at MySQL to see how hard it is to learn and switch fro FMP. My database is really easy with a few fields and few buttons. Is there any website I can take a look at about learning SQL? Or maybe a good book to get me start it?

[larkost]

There are not MySQL front ends like FileMaker. It takes a lot of work to get close to the interface that FileMaker provides for free, and a lot more work to make it any more network efficient.

If you have to try it out, then you should look at w3School's tutorials on PHP and MySQL. You would be far better advised into solving your probable network problems.

[Simon X]

I'm no expert in these matter but have you thought about a Filemaker web host?

[derekryan]

is this the web publishing feature? I tried and it's kind of a slow. I was thinking about buying Filemaker Advanced Server (2,500) and use this without client licenses. So, I can save money by not upgrading my 10 user license (of Filemaker 6 Pro)

[larkost]

umm.... you do know that FileMaker Pro 5-6 clients cannot talk to FileMaker 7 software, yes? And this include FileMaker Server 7 Advanced. If you are going to spend that much money to get the server, it is time to call in a consultant to evaluate your real needs.