Automating backups w/ networked FM 5.5

[wayer]

I've used Filemaker 5.5 to build a contact manager for a small business. The database is hosted offsite, and I'd like to be able to automate the backup process. If I'm at the server the process is trivial. I wrote a script called "Backup the DB on the Server", which uses the "Save a Copy As" command to backup the DB to the hard drive, and an external device sequentially.

 

Getting the backup process to automatially or remotely has been a problem.

 

I've explored a number of possible solutions:

 

1) Execute the backup script from a client

- when the script is run from a client machine, the "Save a Copy As" command is completely ignored!

 

(I would really like the users to be able to backup the database on demand (i.e. before they do something "risky"), so if anyone knows how allow clients to run a script (i.e. backup the db) as if it were on the server I'd love to hear how it's done.

 

2) Have the backup script run at a timed interval:

- FileMaker doesn't appear to have any timed script capability (save for the server version).

- Is there any workaround for running a script on the server at some predictable interval?

 

3) Backup the file with a timed process in the OS:

- You can't backup a running database.

- What's the what's the DOS / NT command to get Filemaker to quit "gracefully"?

 

I understand that the Filemaker server version has all this stuff built in, but unfortunately this project is on a tight budget, and upgrading to the server version (for an audience of 3 users) isn't in the cards.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

William

[Robert Schaub]

1) Execute the backup script from a client

- when the script is run from a client machine, the