Setting Up Multiuser Files
You can either share files on your computer or access files on other computers. If your computer serves the database file, it's called the "host." If you are accessing other files, your computer is a "guest."When you set files to be shared, FileMaker blocks both host and guest from certain actions so the integrity of the database is preserved and contradictory changes can't be made. For example, while a user of a shared database is editing a record, that record is locked. Other users can view the data but they can't edit it until the first user finishes the edit or switches to another record. Everyone can create and edit layouts and scripts if they have the proper access privileges, but only one user can do so at any time.There are other actions that neither host nor guest can perform on a shared file while someone else is using it:Change the sharing status or access privilegesSave copies of the database
In addition, the host can't close a shared file until all other users have closed it.
To host a file
1 .Open the database that you want to share, then choose FileMaker Pro > Sharing > FileMaker Network.2 .In the FileMaker Network Settings dialog box, click the Network Sharing: On radio button (Figure 16.1). Click OK.
Figure 16.1. Share database files by setting Network Sharing to On.
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