For Studio Manager 18 users eager to upgrade to latest macOS 13 Ventura, the good news is that, at the time of this writing on 3/24/23, Claris International has yet to find any compatibility issues with FileMaker Pro 19.6.x.
To be safe, we recommend that you make a couple of backup copies of Studio Manager and upgrade to the most current version of FileMaker Pro before upgrading your Mac. We take a pretty cautious approach to system software upgrades. Start by making a backup of the hard drive (or SSD) that you want to upgrade. Then check to make sure the backup is good. We like a commercial app (to which we have no connection): SuperDuper! for making a bootable backup of the drive. That way, if there’s any issue with your upgrade to macOS Ventura, you’ve got an external drive, and backup, to restore you where you started.
Caveat
Claris is in the habit of removing the compatibility of an older MacOS version whenever FileMaker becomes compatible with a newer version of macOS. If the past is any indication, they will support the current macOS and two previous versions. The news has yet to appear on their FileMaker Technical Specifications webpage, but we’re going to make a guess that with the next upgrade of the FileMaker product line, that support for macOS 11 Catalina will be dropped. You have been forewarned (even though we admit that we’re guessing).
In order to test compatibility, we like having at least one Mac running each macOS version supported by Claris FileMaker. That way we’re able to test and document any differences in Studio Manager that you might experience, depending on what version of MacOS you use.
A change in network sharing
If you have been using peer-to-peer file sharing but not paying attention to Claris’ plans, you might be dismayed to learn that peer-to-peer has been deprecated in FileMaker 19. This does not mean the feature has been completely removed, just that it has been relegated to the recommendation that it only be used for testing purposes. If you have a 2, 3 or 4-person operation that has depended on peer-to-peer for years, we’ve got some suggestions.
You have options
Using a copy of Studio Manager on the host Mac, test it with your client Macs to see how it works for you. Perform some data entry, create new records, run reports, print, send email, etc. If you don’t notice any problems, then it’s probably OK to launch your real system and work as usual. Keep on backing up your file at least once a day. Then regularly check your backups to make sure you can restore if need be.
In our day-to-day operations, we’re a small shop too. Our solution was to purchase FileMaker Server. We run it on a “headless” Mac mini (no monitor, mouse or keyboard) and access it via screen sharing. It didn’t take long for us to ask ourselves “Why didn’t we do this sooner?” FileMaker Server is easy to set up and use and it makes backups on the fly several times a day without interrupting workflow or needing any user input.
If you contact FileMaker Support and ask for help with peer-to-peer, they may tell you that you need to purchase FileMaker Server or use FileMaker Cloud. The choice is yours since it depends on many more factors than just the size of your workgroup. For more information on this change, see the Claris Knowledge Base entry on Network Sharing.
Enjoy using the latest, greatest versions of the MacOS and FileMaker, together at last. Let us know if you notice any glitches or have any recommendations our other users would appreciate.
As always… thanks for being part of the Studio Manager family!
{ 0 comments… add one now }