User manual

Publishing databases on the Web 14-5
The host computer should have a static (permanent) IP address.
However, if you connect to the Internet using a modem connection
to an Internet service provider (ISP), your IP address could be
dynamically allocated (it is different each time you connect). A
dynamic IP address makes it more difficult for users to locate your
databases.
1 To publish your database within a company or workgroup, the host
computer should have a full-time connection to an intranet using
TCP/IP.
Important It is strongly recommended that you publish your database
on a computer with a full-time Internet or intranet connection. You
can publish databases without a full-time connection, but they are
only available to users when your computer is connected to the
Internet or an intranet.
If you are not sure of the type of access available to you, consult your
Internet service provider or network administrator. For more
information, choose Help menu > FileMaker on the Web.
Protecting published databases
When you publish a database, you can limit who can access your
database and the tasks that users can perform:
1 If you specify FileMaker Pro access privileges for your database,
those same access privileges are in effect when you publish your
database on the Web. When web users open the database in their
browser, they enter the same password they use to open the file in
FileMaker Pro. See “How users work with databases on the Web” on
page 14-3, and “Defining passwords” on page 9-1.
1 You can allow or prevent remote administration. See “Enabling
remote administration for web publishing” on page 14-8.
1 You can specify the IP addresses that can request data from the
Web Companion. See “Selecting a security method for web
publishing” on page 14-9.
1 You can specify a layout to limit the fields that web users can
access. (Web users can access all records in the open database.) See
“Choosing layouts for web publishing” on page 14-12.
1 You can select web styles that only allow users to search your
database or enter new records. See “Choosing a web style” on
page 14-11.
Tip When creating a password for a published database or remote
administration, use only the characters A through Z, numerals, or a
combination of the two. Do not include spaces in your password.
(Some characters may be interpreted incorrectly over the Web.) See
“Defining passwords” on page 9-1.
FileMaker Pro access privileges are convenient, easy to use, and the
best choice for most database security needs. However, you can use
the Web Security Database for additional security features. Keep
these points in mind:
1 When you select field restrictions for Instant Web Publishing, be
sure to clear ExactSearch, ExactUpdate, and ExactDelete in the Web
Security Database.
1 For more information about the Web Security Database, see
WebSecurity.pdf, located in the Web Security folder (inside the
FileMaker Pro 5 folder).
Security considerations for published databases
Keep these security issues in mind when publishing databases:
1 Warning Users who open a database with the Export records access
privilege, including FileMaker Pro guests, can publish the database
(by enabling FileMaker Pro Web Companion on their computers).
Use caution when granting access privileges to guests. See “Defining
passwords” on page 9-1.
1 Due to the way web servers work, all files in the Web folder can
be deleted by knowledgeable web users. Don't put sensitive
documents or databases inside the Web folder. (The Web folder is
located in the FileMaker Pro 5 folder.)