OAuth

Apple ID Sign-In

The highlight of this release! Users can now use their Apple ID to sign in to databases using OAuth. To use this, there are three prerequisites: an Apple Developer account, a valid SSL certificate, and SMTP configured on FileMaker Server to send email notifications. An Authkey must also be configured to properly set up Apple ID Sign-in. Documentation to get started can be found here.  

Additional OAuth Changes

FileMaker Server 19.6 also brings two other changes in OAuth. First, Databases that aren't configured for OAuth will no longer show OAuth sign-in, even if FileMaker Server configurations contain OAuth settings. The second change is that newly created files will now have the "Show sign-in fields when OAuth is enabled" option enabled by default.

Admin Console and Admin API

FileMaker Server 19.6 brought many new additions to the Admin Console and Admin API, including the ability to limit Admin Console access to specified IP Addresses, access to the Admin Console even when the Database Server is stopped or down, and a new Admin command.

CloneOnly

A new Admin Console parameter has been introduced in the newest update, "--cloneonly". This parameter is used with the fmsadmin backup command to create an empty clone rather than a complete backup of the specified file. As an example, the console command using this parameter would look like this:

fmsadmin backup MyFile.fmp12 -d "filemac:/C:/MyClones/" --cloneonly

If the destination parameter "-d" is not specified, the clone will be generated in the folder "FileMaker Server/Data/ClonesOnly/".

This feature is also usable when creating backup schedules. When creating a schedule, the Additional Settings menu now has the option to "Clone Only". When checked, the database will be cloned to the specified folder or the default folder specified above.

Admin Roles

Also introduced in this new release, Admin Roles allow you to administer a subset of databases using a distinct username and password with a chosen set of privileges. These privileges currently include:

• Perform actions on databases

• Perform actions on schedules - Backup databases, Verify databases, Run scripts

• View Logs

Note that currently, Admin roles are limited to Admin Console sign-in and not the CLI or Admin API.

Locking Console Access

In FileMaker Server 19.6, it is now possible to limit access to the Admin Console via the Console or the Admin API.  In the Admin Console, this option can be found under "Administration > Restrict Access". An important thing to note is that IP 127.0.0.1 (localhost) is always allowed and doesn't have to be specified by the user. In the Admin API, users can both get the list of IPs currently allowed or update listed IPs, via the following commands:

Get Restrict Access:

GET https://hostAddress/fmi/admin/api/v2/server/restrictaccess

This needs only the header "Authorization: Bearer {accessToken}"

Update Restrict Access:

PATCH https://hostAddress/fmi/admin/api/v2/server/restrictaccess

Needed headers include "Authorization: Bearer {accessToken}" and "Content-Type: 'application/json'", and needed parameters are "restrictIDEnabled: {boolean}" and "restrictIPList: {comma separated list of IPs}".

Additional Admin Console and API Updates

In addition to the highlights above, this release brought a few more new features and updates to administer your databases:

• The Admin Console is now accessible even when the database server is stopped or down

• The Admin API can now get and set database filtering options

• Admin API login can now be authenticated with a JSON Web Token that can be revoked at any time from FileMaker Server

Data API

You will also see a few Data API in this release, including:

• Data API Database Names endpoint guest control - The Database Names endpoint now requires authentication when the following items are both enabled: The Filter Database in Client Application option and the DenyGuestAndAutoLogin flag that can be set via the CLI.

• The "Get a Single Record by ID", "Get Records", and "Find Records" endpoints now include an optional "dateFormats" parameter which controls the format of date and timestamp returned: 0 for US, 1 for file locale, or 2 for ISO8601.

Additional Features and Changes

Aside from the above, the FileMaker Server 19.6 release is bringing with it many more changes, including:

• The ability to create a CSR with a secondary machine: The Admin Console on secondary machines will now include a button labeled "Create CSR"

• The FileMaker Data Migration Tool is now bundled with the FileMaker Server installation package - the file "FMDataMigration" is located in the same folder as other executable files

• WebDirect updates, including improvements to the list view and better record-lock handling

• The Admin Console now includes an option to "Download All Logs" on the Logs page

• The Admin Console and Admin API now allow for the configuration of a second additional database folder, a second container data folder, and whether to backup the files in a second container data folder

Wrapping Up

The new Claris FileMaker Server 19.6 release brings a lot of new improvements to the table. The new OAuth options, the ability to create empty clones via the Admin Console, and the various improvements to existing features look to greatly improve your experience in managing your databases and FileMaker solutions. If you are looking to upgrade your FileMaker server or have any questions regarding the release, please contact us for more info to get the most out of Claris FileMaker.