Installing & Configuring FileMaker Server (FMS 18)

Uninstalling FMS 17

If you are installing FileMaker 18 on the same machine that hosted your FileMaker 17 databases, complete these steps. Otherwise, proceed to installing FMS 18.

  1. In the FMS 17 Admin Console, navigate to the Schedules, then review and document any custom server schedules in enough detail that you can recreate them precisely in FMS 18 (i.e. including every specification from "Schedule Type" to "Schedule Enabled”). "Custom" server schedules include any that you have configured and enabled, other than:
    • Automation Cycles A-D
    • Automation HALT
      Note: If you are 100% certain that these two standard automation schedules are already configured exactly as required, you may use the Save or Load Schedules action to download the Settings file for importing later.
  2. Shut down FMS via the Admin Console:
    1. Navigate to the Databases tab.
    2. At the top of the list of Databases, click on the Database Options chevron and select Close All.
    3. Wait for the Status indicators for all hosted files to change from blue to red, then to gray.
    4. Navigate to Configuration > General Settings, then at the Server Information section, click the blue Stop Database Server link.
    5. Wait for the Admin Console page to display the refreshed Database Server Status screen.
  3. Backup and archive your existing FileMaker databases:
    1. Navigate to the server's Data folder:
      • Mac — Macintosh HD/Library/FileMaker Server/Data/
      • PC — C:/Program Files/FileMaker/FileMaker Server/Data/
    2. Archive the entire Databases folder.
  4. Uninstall FMS 17 using the FileMaker Server 17 uninstaller (Mac) or the Program Uninstaller (PC). (For details, see FileMaker’s guide on Uninstalling FMS 17.)

Installing FMS 18

Once you have a 'clean' server, you are ready to begin the actual installation. (For additional details, review the FileMaker support documentation.)

Before starting the installation process, place your “LicenseCert.fmcert” file into the server’s default Downloads folder. This file will be used to enter your installation credentials.

  1. Start the installation, then at the Deployment Options screen select FileMaker Server master.
  2. On the User Account screen, specify the correct account:
    • Mac — Select the radial button for fmserver.
    • PC — Select the radial button for Local System.
      Note: If your implementation requires a different account, please note why and send that information to aACE Software.
  3. On the Customer Information screen, enter the exact Organization Name corresponding to your FMS 18 license key.
  4. On the Admin Console Account screen, enter the Admin Console credentials as follows (unless you have made different arrangements with aACE Software or your FileMaker developer). 
    1. User Name: "Administrator"
    2. Password: Use this password generation site to create a password using these settings:
      • Memorable Password
      • Length: 3
      • Capitalize: Checkbox cleared
      • Full Words: Checkbox cleared
    3. PIN: Any 4-digit number
      Note: We recommend basing the PIN on the installation date (e.g. April 2019 as “0419”).
    4. To facilitate support, document these credentials and send them to aACE Software or your FileMaker developer before proceeding.

Additional Tasks for PC

  • Port Errors — In some cases, you may receive an error indicating that ports 50003 and 50004 are in use. If you receive this error, please deactivate IPv6 and try again.
  • Bonjour — If you are prompted to install the device location service Bonjour, click Yes. 

FileMaker Server Folder

Note the location of the FileMaker Server folder created during the installation. It will be referenced multiple times throughout the remainder of this process.

  • Mac — Macintosh HD/Library/FileMaker Server/
  • PC — C:/Program Files/FileMaker/FileMaker Server/

Configuring FMS 18

After the installation, you will be prompted to launch the FMS 18 Admin Console. (Note: If the Admin Console does not open, you can launch it manually by navigating to: http://localhost:16001/)

  1. At the Admin Console login page, create a browser bookmark in the Favorites list with the name “FMS Admin Console”.
  2. Log into the Admin Console using the credentials you set up during the installation (see above).
  3. The console prompts you to install an SSL certificate.
    • If you are upgrading from FMS 17 and have a previously installed SSL certificate, you can re-install those certificate files at this point.
    • If you don't have SSL certificate files on hand, select Use the FileMaker default certificate. (You will set up SSL in a later step.)
  4. In the Admin Console, configure these settings: 
    • Navigate to Configuration > General Settings and change the Server Name. We recommend using "aACE Server" or the fully-qualified domain name to the server computer.
    • Navigate to Connectors > Web Publishing and enable Master Machine.
      • Upon enabling Master Machine, you may be prompted to install a Java Runtime Environment. 
      • Click the radio button for Use OpenJDK, then click OK.
      • Follow the in-dialog instructions for downloading and installing OpenJDK.
        Mac Note: The .tar.gz file must be imported as-is. Before downloading the .tar.gz file, update your Safari preferences to prevent the browser from attempting to unarchive the .tar.gz file. Navigate to Safari > Preferences > General, then clear the flag for Open "safe" files after downloading.
    • Navigate to Connectors > FileMaker Data API and enable FileMaker Data API.
      • To complete this connection, open the command line interface and enter this command:
        fmsadmin set cwpconfig enablexml=true
      • When prompted, enter the Admin Console credentials.
    • Navigate to Connectors > Plug-Ins > Server Plug-ins section:
      • Enable FileMaker Script Engine Plug-ins
      • Enable Install Plug-in File Script Step
    • Remove the default Sample database from the Admin Console:
      1. Navigate to Databases.
      2. At the database named FMServer_Sample, click the drop-down arrow next to the file name and select Close
      3. When the indicator turns gray, click the drop-down arrow again and select Remove, then click OK.
    • Remove the Sample database folder from the server:
      1. At the Admin Console, navigate to Configuration > General Settings > Server Information section and click the link to Stop Database Server.
      2. In Finder/Explorer, navigate to FileMaker Server/Data/Databases.
      3. Manually delete the Sample folder.
      4. At the Admin Console, click Start Database Server.

Disabling Spotlight Indexing (Mac Only)

Mac servers have a scheduled file indexing feature enabled by default. This feature checks files at regular intervals for use in Apple's Spotlight search feature. This has proven to have a negative impact on performance on some servers, especially those hosting larger aACE systems or supporting more simultaneous aACE users. We recommend that you disable Spotlight indexing on your server to prevent these potential drops in performance. 

  • Launch the Terminal application.
  • Enter the following commands one after the other:
    • sudo launchctl unload -w
    • /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.metadata.mds.plist