FileMaker Database Hosting Considerations

When putting your FileMaker database over the Internet, below are some things to consider.

Security

• Aside from making sure all your databases are protected with non-default databases, you can secure access by making sure your OS X Firewall is enabled in the Security Preferences of your machine.
• If your machine is running OS X Server, you can turn on VPN services so data between the client and host are encrypted.
• Within FileMaker Pro, you can limit which users can access the database remotely by their Privilege Set. If you're using FileMaker Server, you can also enable SSL to further secure access to the host.

Connectivity

• The upload speed of your Internet connection will affect how fast you access your shared databases. Normally the download speed will be different from the download speed so check your service provider for details.
• Note the fine print: most providers will say (for example) that the speed of the connection is "up to" 2MBPS but with a committed rate of 16Kbps; this means that if your speed is within anywhere between the range mentioned above, you can't complain that it's too slow.
• Other programs or services that use the Internet may impact the speed of your database. Examples include: having a web or ftp server running with high traffic; uploading large or many files such as videos, photos, and others; cloud services that continuously backup all your devices to an offsite location.

Database Design

• The simpler and more lean your database is, the faster it will be to access remotely. One example would be to minimize unstored calculation fields.
• Layouts can be sped up as well by using native FileMaker drawing tools for your layout. Pictures in layouts, such as backgrounds and buttons, can be resized with a graphics program such as Photoshop to ensure that they are no larger than 72dpi and are displayed at the native size.
• Scripts can be designed to minimize the amount of data being passed around between the host and client. For example, instead of a script looping through all the 1000 records each time it is run, it can be set to filter the results first so it just works with 100 records.