Requirements

• An instance of FileMaker Cloud Standard, FileMaker Cloud Essentials, or FileMaker Cloud for AWS.

• FileMaker ID. This is not needed if your custom apps are hosted on FileMaker Cloud for AWS, as this product does not have the FileMaker ID update.

• Amazon's Javascript SDK, FileMaker IDs are provided by Amazon's AWS Cognito and FileMaker recommends using Amazon's SDK.

  • To make this easier we've created an AWS Lambda function, Lambda being a way to run code without needing a backend, so you don't have to worry about having a dedicated Node server just to authenticate with. Download the sample file to get the AWS Lambda deployment package so you can set up your own Lambda.

If you feel overwhelmed by the technical terms and steps to set up the FileMaker Cloud Schedule Manager, contact us for assistance.

Using the API

The FileMaker Cloud Admin API uses a standard FileMaker REST API which allows you to gather info and interact with your server and the files on the server. Some of the things you can do with the API are listed below.

• Create, edit, delete server side schedules

• Get a list of schedules

• List all databases

• Open, Close, Pause, or Resume a database

• Disconnect clients

• Send a message to clients

More info on how to interact with API can be found in the FileMaker Cloud 18 Admin API Guide.

Authenticating

The latest update to the Schedule Manager is the ability to authenticate with FileMaker Cloud using your FileMaker ID. We have added a new section within Server Setup for server type. Selecting the option of FileMaker Cloud will require further setup to allow authentication. The required fields for FileMaker Cloud authentication are:

• AWS Lambda Base URL

• FileMaker ID Username

• FileMaker ID Password

After adding this information you will be able to test the setup to confirm that the id tokens are being generated properly.

Creating Schedules

Most of the functions in the API are already available from the FileMaker Cloud Admin Console, but at the moment the only way to create schedules is through the Admin API. This can be a frustrating process as there are many different flags and types that must be set by number and all the validation required to create them correctly. All of this is handled for you in the FileMaker Cloud Schedule Manager.

Security

Please ensure that you encrypt this file before use as it does store username and password information needed to access the admin console and FileMaker files. At the moment there is no good way to exclude this information, and the Admin API returns file credentials in the schedules' rest calls. Also make sure to add a full access account with a strong password and disable the default admin account.

Conclusion

The FileMaker Cloud Schedule Manager allows you to easily manage multiple Cloud server schedules from one user-friendly interface. If you want a private server with easier setup and management, excellent network speeds, automated security updates, and much more, then FileMaker Cloud is a great way to go. We're excited about the direction of FileMaker Cloud and believe that this is the future of hosting FileMaker applications.

Have questions about the new FileMaker Cloud or Cloud Essentials, or need help setting up the FileMaker Cloud Schedule Manager? Give us a call at 888-488-0191 or fill out a contact form here for more information.