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One computer can no longer access FMPro DB

Question asked by macmanserv on Jan 29, 2010
Latest reply on Feb 22, 2010 by TSGal

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I have contacted FM support on this and they suggested I try this venue for an answer. I support a small business that is all Mac based running FMPro 8.0v2 on all their clients. The server component is being hosted offsite with a FM Pro Hosting facility. On the clients I have a mix of Mac OS, and hardware models that have all been successfully working until last week. One of the MacBook, Intel users suddenly started receiving the following error when trying to remotely connect to the DB. "[dbfilename] could not be opened. Either the host is not available, or the file is not available on that host."

No other clients in the office are having this issue, just this one user. I thought it was something on the machine itself, but in the end I tried to install on another similar model machine for testing, and got the same error. The initial client is on OS 10.4.11, and an Intel processor (Core Duo), and the test machine is running 10.5.8, and an Intel processor (Core 2 Duo), with the same client version of 8.0v2.

No firewalls are running, either the Apple or any Third Party ones, all file/printer/other sharing features have been turned off. Not sure if there were any changes made to the server side, but I am following up with the hosting company to see if they can line this issue up with any changes on their end.

I'm hoping someone can offer some other areas to explore, or perhaps has encountered this issue before.

TSGal Feb 18, 2010 11:56 AM

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macmanserv:

Since reinstalling FileMaker Pro fails, go to one of the machines where it is working properly and right/control-click the application FileMaker Pro. Select "Show Package Contents". Open the Contents folder. Open the Mac OS folder, and copy the server.pem file to a public drive or flash drive. On one of the machines that is not working, replace the server.pem file with the one from the other machine.

The server.pem file is used to look across the network, and if one is corrupt, it may affect accessing the files.

Once replaced, launch FileMaker Pro, open Remote, and see if you are able to open the file.

TSGal

FileMaker, Inc.

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TSGal Feb 5, 2010 10:19 AM
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macmanserv:

Thank you for your post.

Are you attempting to access the file via Open Remote? Does the server display? If so, when the server displays, do all files display? Are you able to select any other file? Any other information you can provide may be helpful to narrowing down the possible cause(s).

TSGal
FileMaker, Inc.
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macmanserv Feb 10, 2010 6:56 AM
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Yes, trying to use Open Remote option. On a working machine, as soon as a user clicks on the favorite we've setup on all machines, they are presented with a user logon prompt. Once they successfully logon, the DB opens up. On the problem machine, when you click on the favorite, the error message I reported in the original message is what comes up instead. It appears that the machine just never gets to communicate or connect to the server on the other side. Can ping the server, and the same happens whether on their network or any other. I've been able to rule out a DNS issue, blocking, firewall, etc.

Attempted to install and use on a computer that has never been setup before, and get the same error. It has come to light that there was an event shortly before this started happening on the hosting side. I don't have details, but the term "crashed" was used, and "Rebuilding". We're starting to think that the issue is on the hosting site and a result of either the crash, a setting not being re-enabled, or something similar. We have our DB creator looking into this with them.
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TSGal Feb 10, 2010 7:02 AM
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macmanserv:

Thank you for the additional information.

Since you set up "Favorite Hosts" for each machine, what occurs when you select "Local Hosts"? That is, are you able to see other machines? If you select another machine, do you still get the error message?

TSGal
FileMaker, Inc.
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macmanserv Feb 10, 2010 7:53 AM
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Unfortuately we no longer have any "Local" hosts to test from. We used to host this DB internally on our own "server", but since moved it offsite to the hosting facility. However, to answer the question, we get no error messages or unexpected behaviors when using the local option, or if I even manually enter the connection info (i.e. typing in fm://... etc).

However, you have sparked an idea for me that may allow me further testing to prove out if it's the host facility or not. I can bring up the old version of the DB on the "server" we have in house, and see if that yields the same results or not. May take a couple of days for me to get in there to test that out or walk them through it. I will update if I come up with any additional information.

I also have yet to contact our DB expert to see if he's made any progress working with the hosting site.
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macmanserv Feb 18, 2010 10:52 AM
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Update: I have since followed up with our DB manager and he did follow up with the hosting facility and they have come up empty handed. They reviewed all settings, options, etc. and everything is as it should be. All previously existing users are still functioning save the one listed above. We are now thinking this could be an issue between FMPro and the OS?

We have now three different machines with this error resulting. The original computer, which is a MacBook, Intel based computer, running OS 10.4.11 (Tiger). A "test" computer, which is another MacBook, Intel, but running 10.5.8 (Leopard), with the same client version of 8.0v2. Then our DB manager's Mac (don't know specific model) is running 10.6.x. (Snow Leopard).

Can someone offer any other thoughts, ideas, or suggestions as to where the problem might lie within FMPro, or what we may try next?
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TSGal Feb 18, 2010 11:56 AM
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macmanserv:

Since reinstalling FileMaker Pro fails, go to one of the machines where it is working properly and right/control-click the application FileMaker Pro. Select "Show Package Contents". Open the Contents folder. Open the Mac OS folder, and copy the server.pem file to a public drive or flash drive. On one of the machines that is not working, replace the server.pem file with the one from the other machine.

The server.pem file is used to look across the network, and if one is corrupt, it may affect accessing the files.

Once replaced, launch FileMaker Pro, open Remote, and see if you are able to open the file.

TSGal
FileMaker, Inc.
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macmanserv Feb 21, 2010 9:39 PM
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You rock TSGal! That did it. Thank you.

However, while this is good to know how to correct this, I'm more concerned about why we have to do this. I had a fresh install on another machine that was also fixed by doing your prescribed procedure. This is not something I ever had to do in the past. We never had to "seed" this file on installs previously, and as recently as several months ago when I did a new install on the very machine we ran into this issue with. Can you shed any light on why this may now be an issue as it is? Seems like something has changed to have brought this to the surface. They are currently at version 8 and are planning to either move to version 10 or at the very least version 9, so is it possible this issue will "go away" with the upgrade?

Thanks again for coming to the rescue.
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TSGal Feb 22, 2010 9:41 AM
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macmanserv:

Glad to know this works.

Unfortunately, I don't know why the server.pem file fails to install properly on those machines. This is definitely not OS specific, as I have seen this occur on both Mac and Windows. I have seen this occur once with FileMaker Pro 10, and it seemed to be caused if FileMaker Pro 10 was installed to a shared network folder (although I could not reproduce the problem).

If you run into this same problem with FileMaker Pro 10, please let me know.

TSGal
FileMaker, Inc.
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macmanserv Feb 22, 2010 1:44 PM
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TSGal:

Well I'm very happy we're working again, but I get nervous when the vendor doesn't know the why's for an issue? Yikes! I hate those more than anything, and I will now keep a backup copy of that file and treat it like gold. I do backups on their machines, so even if everyone had encountered the same issue at the same time, I could have retrieved this file from one of the backups. Just wonder what folks who run into this that don't have backups would do?

I can't help but think that the crash on the hosting facility side was definitely the event that brought this out into the open. Was odd though, as the one machine that did have the problem was not being used with the DB at all at that time, as the user was on vacation for a week, and upon getting back into things is when the error started on her machine. Do you know the interaction between the server/network/client for this file? Is it the network or actual server connections that interact with that file? Just curious, and maybe some of this could help you folks figure it out someday. Figure it can't hurt to give you as much info as we can about it.

I will definitely get back to you if this does continue with later updated versions as we move them forward. I think our developer might be wanting to wait until version 11 comes out before moving them forward. Is there another method of contacting you if that happens, or should I just put up another post if and when that happens and reach out to you that way? Let me know, and thanks again for the fix.

Michael Eagleson
MacMan Services
www.macmanservices.net
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macmanserv Feb 22, 2010 11:35 AM
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TSGal:

One more thing I'd like to add that I forgot to mention in previous postings, which might also be useful information.

Before I'd gotten your post about the "fix", our developer had wanted me to try out the 8.0v3 update. I installed it onto one of the non-working machines, and while it didn't resolve it I had an interesting change in how it was behaving. After installing the update, I noted that now when I would click on the favorite, instead of immediately being presented with the above mentioned error, the DB we were trying to connect to would very briefly flash up in the "Available Files" side of the window. Was never long enough to click on it, as it would disappear quickly, but even when I was able be very fast about it, and grabbed it before it disappeared again, it would then yield the original error message. Just thought it might be worth adding to the info bank.

Thanks again,
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TSGal Feb 22, 2010 12:07 PM
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macmanserv:

Thanks for the additional information.

The server.pem file is used to see files over the network. Somehow that got damaged or not installed properly. Since we cannot replicate this issue in house, it is hard to track down the possible reasons.

FileMaker Server merely serves the files. FileMaker Pro clients can then access these hosted files, so it is a combination of the server connection and the client access across the network.

You can always contact me privately by clicking the envelope icon in the upper right hand corner of this page, just below the blue bar. I've also tagged this thread so if anyone replies, an email is sent to me.

TSGal
FileMaker, Inc.
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One computer can no longer access FMPro DB

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