FileMaker Pro, FileMaker Server 19.1.2, FileMaker Server 19.1.2 Linux

FileMaker Server 19.1.2 – Now Supports Linux!

Don Clark ⋅ December 3, 2020

Claris FileMaker Server 19.1.2 is the first server release of FileMakers new Agile development program.

Claris announced the adoption of the Agile Project Management program over a year ago, and FileMaker Server 19.1.2 is their second release using this process (the first release preceded this one by a few weeks and announced FileMaker Pro release 19.1.2).

Why would you want to know this?

Simply this: Updates – meaning new features – will be released on a quarterly basis from now on. FileMaker engineers and coders work with selected early testing partners, partners that provide feedback and real world usage. As the release time nears, the final release version is readied. FileMaker 19 was the last annual update, and all new releases will be incremental to that version. At least for now.

FileMaker Server 19.1.2 has been released!

And what a release! Here are just a few of the notable features:

FileMaker Server now supports CentOS Linux 7.8. Yes, Linux!
The OData API is now available in FileMaker Server for Linux.
FileMaker Server now supports OpenSSL 1.1.1g.
FileMaker Server is compatible with Apache Tomcat 8.5.55.
The FileMaker Server installer now preserves most user data and configuration for a smoother and faster upgrade experience. See Upgrading to FileMaker Server 19.1.2.
Open Authentication (OAuth) integration with Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) is now available for members of external authentication groups on FileMaker Server for Linux. See “External authentication for Linux” in the Knowledge Base.

For full information, click over to the Claris FileMaker Server 19.1.2 Release Notes.

There’s more, including performance, stability, and reliability improvements

Stability and reliability without page-level locking

FileMaker did away with page level locking (PLL) in 19.1.2. FileMaker PLL could cause stability and reliability issues, and PLL was linked to startup restoration for setup. In version 19, startup restoration, and therefore PLL, was disabled by default but could be enabled. Version 19.1.2 disables startup restoration, and the fmsadmin command and FileMaker Admin API no longer allow you to choose PLL on startup.

In place of PLL, FileMaker 19.1.2 now uses a sharing lock for low-level access to the database structure, including such features as parallel indexed finds, sorting on the host, and other optimizations. Performance is now better than PLL, rendering it obsolete.

Stability and reliability improvements

You can schedule a built-in script to purge the temporary database file, increasing hard disk space and making room for cache memory
You can schedule a built-in script to verify all database files. You can email results to yourself on an error occurring
You can flush the database cache and close databases using the USR1 signal – an admin function for Mac and Linux (not available on Windows)
19.1.2 fixes stability issues with progressive backups and full backups

Performance improvements

A new sharing lock for low-level access to the database structure allows faster reads, but still locks records for write access
Parallel indexed find operations – 19.1.2 can now perform find operations on indexed fields in parallel
Memory-based key comparison during indexing – memory based key comparison indexing speeds up multi-key field searches
Making installation easier – Updating FileMaker Server 19.1.2 from version 18 or 19, the installer now preserves preserve most user data and configuration for a smoother and faster experience- that is a very nice addition!
Improving security with an ECC SSL certificate – Elliptic Curve Cryptography SSL Certificates. Learn more at:
- Elliptic Curve Cryptography vs RSA Certificates: What’s the Difference? (Sectigo)
- Understanding ECC in 5 Minutes (The SSL Store)

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