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The Cloud Technical Overview

Here we give an overview of the technology used to allow FileMaker to run on Windows PCs, Mac OS X, iPhones, iPads, Android phones and tablets using cloud computing. If you wish to see examples of these working, then please visit our video demos page. If you have an existing FileMaker database and it is running without any third party add-ons, it can be cloud based without modification. However, there are provisos, click here for more information.

Our solutions include a full copy of FileMaker Pro or Pro Advanced to your computer device, which can be used for both data entry or database development. This is also true for the iOS and Android mobile devices.

We provide 2 types of servers: those shared between a number of customers aimed at keeping costs down; or servers dedicated to single organisations if the number of users or circumstances require this. Each account set up on a server is fully customised to a particular user, to keep the log on process as simple as possible.

Where possible, we plan to minimise the risk of single points of failure. Therefore, our virtual server provision is based around keeping the user ratio per server as low as possible. As we gain more users, we add more virtual servers, rather than increasing server sizes. Our target is to run no more than 30 to 50 users per shared server, and to size servers according to the workload being put on them.

The technology put together to provide this service is as follows:

FileMaker Pro and Pro Advanced are used to design and run the databases >>

FileMaker Server or FileMaker Server Advanced host the databases >>

Citrix XenApp delivers FileMaker via your web browser to your computer device >>

Sophos Anti Virus protects the servers >>

Windows 2008, 2012 and 2016 Servers host the above >>

Hyve Cloud Servers run the above >>

*FileMaker's standard security has to be invoked on all of the databases we host. It is a condition of loading the databases on to one of our servers that we have access to this to ensure all files are secure.