Log in to create and rate content, and to follow, bookmark, and share content with other members. Not a member? Join Now!

AnsweredAssumed Answered

Replacing File on Server DELETES REMOTE CONTAINER DIRECTORIES

Question asked by disabled_dbail22@comcast.net on Jul 16, 2014
Latest reply on Aug 1, 2014 by disabled_dbail22@comcast.net

Like • Show 0 Likes0
Comment • 15

Summary

Product

FileMaker Server

Version

13.03

Operating system version

Mac or PC

Description of the issue

If you have a hosted file that uses remotely stored containers do not do this!

To make changes to the file I created a backup of the file in question and then closed that file.

I made changes to the file none of which affected the remote containers or their directories.

I used the console to remove the hosted file and then used Filemaker to upload the file with the changes.

It appears that the act of removing the file from the server deletes the directory and ALL of the container files and the new file will recreate the directories the first time data is added to them.

This would seem to force users to make ALL changes on the hosted file. THIS IS SO DANGEROUS IT IS BEYOND RiDICULOUS

Expected result

Directories remain along with data

Actual result

Directories are deleted

Workaround

Looking for how to do this. This is so dangerous it is probably worth staying with Supercontainer......

No one else has this question

Outcomes

15 Replies

disabled_ntaylor Jul 17, 2014 8:09 AM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
     dbail:



     Thank you for the post.



     "You can remove one or more selected databases with Closed status or delete empty subfolders. The selected databases are moved to the folder Removed_by_FMS/Removed. The Removed_by_FMS/Removed folder is created inside either the default Databases folder or the additional database folder depending on which folder the selected databases are in."



     The remote container directories were not deleted, but moved to:



     Databases\Removed_By_FMS\Removed\RC_Data_FMS\FILENAME



     "If you remove a hosted file, upload a file with the same filename, and remove the second file, then FileMaker Server overwrites the first removed file with the second removed file."



     For more information, please review page 108 of the FileMaker Server 13 Help Guide.



     TSFalcon

     FileMaker, Inc.
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
philmodjunk Jul 17, 2014 9:40 AM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
And can we then move the remote container directories back? Simply by drag and drop via the OS interface or do we use some feature of the admin console to do this? (Not currently using FMS 13 so apologies if the answer for this is obvious...)
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
disabled_dbail22@comcast.net Jul 17, 2014 9:52 AM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
Filemaker will not allow replacement of an existing file by uploading to the server even if the file is closed. You have to delete it first. No warning is given from the server console. No way of restoring is available through the console and if you are paying a hosting service you will not have direct access to the filemaker files. How backward is this. The responsibility of deleting the unwanted directories should be the requirement instead of the responsibility for restoring files you were not warned would occur.

Any default action by a program should default to the least destructive alternative and that action should ALWAYS come with a warning....
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
disabled_ntaylor Jul 17, 2014 11:25 AM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
     @dbail:



     Thank you for the reply.



     "You have to delete it first."



     Please review the page in the help linked earlier. The files are not deleted. The files are moved. The external container data is also moved to maintain the link to the external files.



Storing container field data externally



     "No way of restoring is available through the console and if you are paying a hosting service you will not have direct access to the filemaker files. How backward is this."



     Please review the following knowledge base article for a way to download the file through the Admin Console:



Copying a FileMaker Database Hosted on FileMaker Server

How do I make a copy of a FileMaker Database that's located on a FileMaker Server?



     If you have a free TechNet account, then here is an additional white paper:



Container Fields in FMP12



     @PhilModJunk:



     Thank you for the reply.



     "And can we then move the remote container directories back?"



     You could as long as all the proper permissions and links to the external files do no change; however, that would be unnecessarily complicating the process because if I have a local database with external files inserted into a container field, then I do not need to move files over manually. I can simply use the Upload Database assistant. It transfers the external container field objects to the correct folders on the server for hosting automatically.



     TSFalcon

     FileMaker, Inc.
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
Markus Schneider Jul 17, 2014 12:24 PM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
     quote

     Please review the following knowledge base article for a way to download the file through the Admin Console:



     Copying a FileMaker Database Hosted on FileMaker Server

     How do I make a copy of a FileMaker Database that's located on a FileMaker Server?

     end quote



     that link has a date... Oct. 2011

     still correct??
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
disabled_ntaylor Jul 17, 2014 1:47 PM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
     markus schneider:



     Thank you for the reply.



     The article linked shows FileMaker Server 13 under the "Products" section on the left side.



     The new FileMaker Server 13 Admin Console has the option to "Download Database" when a file is closed from the folder menu in the top right. (See screenshot below).



     TSFalcon

     FileMaker, Inc.
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
philmodjunk Jul 17, 2014 4:42 PM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer

          that would be unnecessarily complicating the process

     I'm not sure that it does if you are replacing an older copy of the database file with a new one and have removed the older copy of the database file from the server--which as you have indicated, moves the container fields to the Removed directory along with the database file. You wouldn't want to use the upload tool to move the removed copy of the database file back to the server, just the container directories to get them back where they need to be for the new copy of the file that you, presumably, have just uploaded.
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
disabled_dbail22@comcast.net Jul 17, 2014 5:52 PM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
There is no way around this. If you want to make changes and test before you upload the file you must remove the hosted file. If you have a problem with the hosted file and need to upload a backup, you still need to delete the hosted file first. In any case you are hosed. The files are removed without warning, choice, or notice.
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
disabled_dbail22@comcast.net Jul 17, 2014 6:02 PM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
     TSFalcon said:

     You could as long as all the proper permissions and links to the external files do no change; however, that would be unnecessarily complicating the process because if I have a local database with external files inserted into a container field, then I do not need to move files over manually. I can simply use the Upload Database assistant. It transfers the external container field objects to the correct folders on the server for hosting automatically.



     TSFalcon

     FileMaker, Inc.



     The Upload Database Assistant on any of my computes shows NO access to directories containing container files. I see no such option anywhere on the console. The only place I see this possibility is if you change the location of a specific container to a pre-established location. Selecting this option in this way makes no change at all. The Removal folder is never listed anywhere.
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
Markus Schneider Jul 18, 2014 12:22 AM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
     I strongly recommend to update a document's date... there _are_ older doc's around, found by search engines. One's never sure, if a document is valid or not (even, when there is a sidebar.. when browsing search results, a site might have a sidebar or not - but a date labeled 'last updated' is always clear..)

     @dbail: Can You upload the DB file using the client's sharing functionality - when You select the file and in that's directory lies the container-data? The manual says that FM will upload the file and all of it's external container data - but nothing more...

     While one can copy those items manually, I also recommend to use FM's upload functionality (we have permission issues every now and then, when customer are copying files manually (on OSX)). That's why we desperatly need the upload function on the server (as it was under FMS12 and older - there isn't a client on the server machine everywhere)
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
disabled_dbail22@comcast.net Jul 18, 2014 9:28 AM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
     I am not sure what you are asking here. There is one of twelve Filemaker files that contains a container field where image are scanned into. There are nearly 70,000 records which equals 70,000 image files stored in a remote directory instead of being stored within the container. There are no options using either the server or client to upload or replace moved or deleted directories.

     I can of course upload the Filemaker file to the server. BUT (big but) in order to do that you have to close the file and then delete the existing file before you can upload it's replacement.

     Deleting the file in order to replace it is the bug. As soon as you delete it the linked container files are gone. Noted here as moved but essentially deleted since there is no way using the client or the console to retrieve or move the files back. And no notice. There is a short section in the server manual about deleting a file but absolutely none about replacing a file and maintaining the directories and files.
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
Markus Schneider Jul 18, 2014 11:31 AM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
     No - You do not delete the file... in order to replace a file on FMServer, that file has to be closed - and removed from the FMServer. Was this way since FMS10 at least.

     Then, You can upload the file again.

     FileMaker Server moves the files to the 'removed by FileMaker Server' - directory.

     That's all fine until now.. but I'm unsure, if the container data will be uploaded again when You choose 'upload' from a FM client - that's why I asked. The manual says that while uploading database-files, container data should be uploaded as well..
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
disabled_dbail22@comcast.net Jul 18, 2014 5:12 PM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
That is incorrect! The only way to upload a new file is to REMOVE the file which actually DELETES the file from any control using the console or client regardless of where it might be moved. You can upload the file again but the remote container files are no longer there. The container files are NOT uploaded when you upload from a FM client. Try it! There is no ambiguity here. The files are not shown as available in either the server or the client.
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
Markus Schneider Jul 18, 2014 11:45 PM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
     the procedure for replacing files has been this way since FMS10 (FMS9 was the first version with an admin-console, I don't recall if it allready had all of the functionality).

     The 'removing' part is pretty OK for me. You close the files, remove them (via admin tool) - and FMS _moves_ them to the 'removed' folder. One can then copy a file, work on it locally - and upload it again to FMS.

     FMS has no longer any control over removed files - One has to 'reload' them first. That's why I am asking for bringing back the 'upload'-function to FMS (with FMS13, this has to be done via FM client)

     The part that I'm missing (not from dbail - from FileMaker..) is the re-upload of the container-data. Where do I have to place the container-data? Yes, I can try&error - but I'd like to have this in the manuals (at least, I couldn't find it)

     (-:
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
disabled_dbail22@comcast.net Aug 1, 2014 9:28 AM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
I still consider this a terrible bug that is being completely ignored. No warning of this behavior. The result of moving the files and complete directory to a hidden location is completely backward to good programming. The default action should always be to leave the files in place. Let those that need the files deleted take responsibility for doing so. We even have warnings if we try to delete a single record!! If this is WAD then the programmers need to take a closer look at their reasoning. It is a horrible process.
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions