>I'm part of a non-profit spiritual education group that is deciding to use >ebase to manage its mailing list. How does one share the database created >on ebase with other members at remote locations? Is there a password that >allows remote users to access our organization's data? We are planning to >get Filemaker Pro so we can customize our database.
If you do not have FileMaker now, it won't be possible to share the database. It's not possible to share the files with the runtime application shipped with the ebase file set. >Although I am very >familiar with Filemaker from my regular job, I don't quite understand the >role ebase will play in our organization. We want to be able to update >the records from 3 separate locations--three different volunteers will be >entering/changing data, each from her home computer. Is one of us the >"host", or is ebase the "host" for our data? Once you all have FileMaker, one of you becomes host, the others clients. The host launches ebase, and at that point it is theoretically possible for the clients to open the hosted files at their location. Here are the hurdles that make me say "theoretically... - with home-scale internet connections, dialup and most DSL, the IP address of the host computer is assigned on the fly by your internet service provider, which makes it tough (but not impossible) for the client machines to know where to look. - ebase is a very complex combination of FileMaker files, and works very slowly over a dialup connection. DSL is barely tolerable. Walt has offered other possibilities for remote access if you need only one connection at a time. Remote access software such as PCAnyWhere, and I'll add VNC and Timbuktu, enable a client to take over a host machine. It's a lot faster since you are not passing data back and forth, only keyboard commands and information to paint the screen. >How do we protect our >group's data on the ebase server? That's a pretty complex subject, and it would be best to recruit someone locally, a consultant or knowledgeable volunteer, to help you sort through the built-in system security and firewall software. -- -- Dave Shaw H4 Consulting tel: 206-954-7526 fax: 206-625-1338 ------------------ Reminder to each recipient: To change your list account preferences, go to http://email.sparklist.com/scripts/lyris.pl?enter=support and enter the email address you used to subscribe to the ebase support list:: [email protected] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ebase - Relationship Management for Nonprofits, http://www.ebase.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------
