Share FileMaker Pro Database Files on a network

FileMaker Pro (FMP) has built-in file sharing capabilities. Your FileMaker Pro database can be made available to anyone with a networked computer and another copy of the same version of the FMP application. Please consider carefully whether it is appropriate for the information you have to be shared. If you decide to do so, please make sure to password protect your file!

 

NOTE: IT does not recommend placing FileMaker Pro files in a "shared" network folder for others to access. Example: on a Windows machine, you can "map a network drive" to another machine to see its shared folder. Opening and using mission-critical FMP files from any network share is NOT recommended. Also, on Windows computers, FileMaker Pro files should be stored on your Local Disk (C:). Why? The answer is that FileMaker Pro is very dependent of being able to write (save) it's data to disk as needed. FileMaker does not have a "Save" command. It saves automatically when the computer is idle. If you are using a FileMaker Pro database from a network share and the network is down when it attempts to save, the file will crash and may become unrecoverable.

 

NOTE: IT does not recommend using these steps to share files from the YDEP program. The YDEP program is made up of 13 inter-related files. This complex arrangement works best in Single User mode. If you do decide to share files from this program, keep DAILY backups of the files to minimize data loss in the event of a network error and crash of the files.

 

Instead, you should use FileMaker Pro's built-in file sharing to share files. One computer will act as the Host. FileMaker Pro files must be open on that computer. Then the other machines may connect to it as Guests.

 

To access a FileMaker Pro database on the network your computer must have the FileMaker Pro Application Network Protocol Preferences set to TCP/IP.

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To check FileMaker's network protocol preferences:

1. Open the FileMaker Pro application or any FileMaker Pro database file.
2. From the Edit menu choose Preferences and then Application.
3. Under the General tab, make sure TCP/IP displays in the Network protocol pop-up menu. If not, select TCP/IP from the pop-up list.
4. Click OK.
   
   Note: If you switched to the TCP/IP setting you will need to exit FileMaker and relaunch the application.

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To share a specific FileMaker Pro document as the Host

1. Open the FileMaker Pro database document you wish to share.
2. From the File menu choose Sharing...
3. Select Multi-User to share the database file.
   
   Note: If using FileMaker Pro 5 or higher, select Multi-User (Hidden) to share the file but
   not have the file name displayed in the Hosts database dialog box.
   
   
4. Click OK.
   
   Note: Your FileMaker Pro database file will be available to other people as long as it remains open on your computer.
   
   Note: If your FileMaker Pro database solution contains multiple files, you should open and share (repeat Steps 2 - 4) all the files.

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To open a shared FileMaker Pro database file as a Guest

1. From within FileMaker Pro, from the File menu choose Open.
2. Click on the Hosts button.
3. The Hosts window will appear and list all shared files available of any locally hosted FileMaker Pro database files.
4. To select and open a file, double click the file name.
   
   Note: optionally, Click the Specify Host... option in the bottom portion of the dialog box.
   Enter a host name a specific IP address if you have one for the Host. If you plan to connect to this database in the future, click the check box next to the Permanently add entry to Hosts list option. Click OK.

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Troubleshooting

1. If unable to see the Host, switch from the TCP/IP in FileMaker's network protocol preferences to IPX/SPX.
2. If you use the Cicso VPN Client, disconnect from VPN. Open the Shared file. Have the guests connect. Then re-connect to VPN.
3. If your computer has Windows XP SP2, see How To Share FileMaker Pro files on Windows XP Service Pack 2 machine.
   

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