Subtitles of the Movie

In this movie, we'll talk about FileMaker Server's role in security. In part two we'll continue that same discussion. Security is focused on preserving three major items: the confidentiality, integrity and availability of digital assets and sometimes of physical assets as well. FileMaker Server works to insure all three elements and the preservation of confidentiality, integrity and availability of digital assets is a major reason for using FileMaker Server. FileMaker Server adds materially to the ability of administrators and owners of databases to preserve these three items. Let's look at each in turn. Confidentiality is protected by requiring a challenge for access to the server itself through the filtering process such that only those accounts that have access to one or more of the databases can access the server. This is displayed and triggered by selecting in the admin tool the list only databases each user is authorized to access. In a subsequent movie, we'll examine this in much greater detail. When this option is in force, a person must enter an account name and password to view the databases even before that person is asked for credentials to access the database. Confidentiality is also preserved by challenging for access to the databases themselves whether authentication is managed within the files or by FileMaker Server and this option is selected in the Admin Console as well by specifying how FileMaker Server should authenticate clients. Confidentiality is also preserved by enabling the encryption of data in transit using industry-standard algorithms, and again in the Admin Console . This option is selected by checking the secure connection to FileMaker Server option. Data availability is preserved by the use of backups, by the safe hosting environment, by the server environment itself. Let's look at each of these. Data availability and backups: frequent backups are essential to preserving data so that they are available when they need to be, that they are available in the event of some untoward event. A managed backup program that preserves iterations of time is what we're looking for, not merely a successive overwrite of the same backup. And in conjunction with some third-party products, this process enables the recover from errors or disasters to set the system back to where it was when the accident occurred. Now, there are correct ways to have FileMaker backups, particularly in conjunction with FileMaker Server. There are incorrect ways as well and in a subsequent movie we'll examine these in greater detail. The incorrect ways can damage the files and should be avoided. Now, what is the purpose of backups? This is a frequently misunderstood question. The purpose of a backup is not to back up the file. Let me repeat that. The purpose of a backup is not to backup the file. The purpose of a backup is to be able to restore files from a backup. If you don't test your backups to make sure that they restore, you just as well might not have them. Data availability is also preserved by the safe hosting environment. A properly configured and maintained server is many, many orders of magnitude safer as a platform for hosting FileMaker Pro files than is a workstation and we'll explore this in detail in a subsequent movie as well. Reliability and 24-7 functionality are key elements of the server. The drives, the RAM, the network cards, the power supplies are all important parts of the FileMaker Server environment and care must be taken in the configuration and choice of each. These matters will be covered extensively in subsequent movies. If the environment fails, the data are lost, hence it is extremely important to maintain a proper server environment. A proper server environment consists of server-class hardware, including drives, memory, NIC cards, a redundant power supply and a physical environment in which the server is actually housed and that that environment be secured as well. So let's review what we've learned in this movie. We've learned that the confidentiality, integrity and availability of digital assets isn't the important element in FileMaker Server's role in preserving the security of FileMaker databases. We've learned that FileMaker Server helps promote confidentiality by server access challenges, by authentication and by encryption of data in transit. We've learned that FileMaker server helps promote availability of data by having an automated and managed backup system, a safe hosting platform and a secured physical environment. We've learned that FileMaker Server can promote integrity and in part two of this movie, we'll examine that in greater detail. a safe hosting platform and a secured physical environment. We've learned that FileMaker Server can promote integrity and in part two of this movie, we'll examine that in greater detail.