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Installation of MBS Plugin on FileMaker Server for Windows

Recently a client asked for detailed instruction on how to install the plugin, so here you go:

Installation

As noted in our Installation manual, you just copy the right plugin file, the one for the correct platform (always 64-bit for server), to the right folder. For Windows, this is the folder for ServerScripting as used for Scheduled Scripts and Perform Script on Server:

C:\Program Files\FileMaker\FileMaker Server\Database Server\Extensions

And for Web Direct, this is the following folder:

C:\Program Files\FileMaker\FileMaker Server\Web Publishing\publishing-engine\cwpc\Plugins

Please note that this folder is named Plugins while above the folder is named Extensions. cwpc folder also has an Extensions folder, but plugins there are not loaded.

Activation

If you go to Admin Console, you can enable plugins for Server Scripting (Scheduled Scripts and Perform Script on Server) and/or Web Direct. Once plugin is enabled for Server Scripting, you can see MBS Plugin below and enable it. Once enabled, the plugin should load.



For Web Direct the plugins are not listed.

Test

Now you can try the plugin, e.g. make a script which returns the plugin version with MBS("Version"). This returns for example "8.4.0.09". The script returns the version string back to the caller. Then if you call it via Perform Script on Server, you get the version back. For comparing the version with another one, please use MBS("VersionAutoUpdate"), which returns always an eight digit number like 08040009.

Script: Query MBS Version on server

Perform Script on Server [ Specified: From list ; “Return MBS Version on Server” ; Parameter: ; Wait for completion: On ]
Show Custom Dialog [ "MBS Plugin version on server" ; Get(ScriptResult) ]

Script: Return MBS Version on Server

Set Variable [ $r ; Value: MBS("Version") ]
Exit Script [ Text Result: $r ]

Install Plug-In File Script Step

We recommend to automate installation of plugins for bigger solutions. You may need an extra table to manage your plugins, where you keep plugin files for Mac, Windows and Linux in containers, different versions of them and you can scan at the start of the solution whether an update is needed.

The plugins table may need things like name (MBS), version as number (08040009), version to display (8.4.0.09), the platform (Mac/Win/Linux), 32 vs. 64 bit flag, the expression to evaluate to query version (e.g. "MBS(\"Version\")"), the container with the file and whether this version is enabled for production, testing or development. In your start file you can then make the query to look on the relevant records, e.g. 64-bit Windows for production and use Install Plug-In File Script Step to install them.

Please review Install Plugin Update if needed.fmp12 example file on how to write the required scripts, included in Examples/Utility functions folder.

DebugView

You can run DebugView.exe on Windows to see if the plugins gets loaded. You must run it as Administrator and enable Capture Global Win32 option in the menubar. Then you see messages like:

[4504] MBS Plugin version 8.4.0.09 (Win 64-bit) loaded for ServerScripting, SDK version 17.

and

[364] MBS Plugin version 8.4.0.09 (Win 64-bit) loaded for Web Direct, SDK version 17.

If you the messages, the plugin is loaded. If no messages are visible, you may have some trouble.

Troubleshooting

Common mistake is mixing up the files or folders. You may have the wrong file in the wrong folder. Please make sure you use the Windows version for Windows and as all FileMaker Server are 64-bit only, please do not use the 32-bit version.

Older FileMaker Server versions (e.g. 14) don't see changes to the extensions folder right away. You need to actually restart the computer to get the file to be recognized. This was fixed in newer FileMaker Server version. Just restarting the server process does not help.

If you have some Anti Virus or Malware protection app, it may flag our plugin and block it loading. You may need to white list the plugin file.

On Windows you can rename the plugin to have .DLL file extension (not .dll.fmx64!). Then the properties panel in Explorer will show you the version of the plugin in details section and our copyright string. Claris FileMaker Plugin
22 09 18 - 23:07