FileMaker Pro is one of the most popular database applications in the home and business market. Its popularity is not surprising, considering how easy FileMaker is to use, and how easy it is to share FileMaker databases with others.

If you need to share a database with more than five people, or you need better network performance than the built-in peer-to-peer network that FileMaker Pro provides, then it may be time to step up to FileMaker Server.

FileMaker Server 8 can support up to 250 simultaneous connections to up to 125 database files. Unlike FileMaker Pro's peer-to-peer networking system, FileMaker Server uses a more robust and faster client/server architecture, which provides better security as well as the ability to disconnect idle users and free up the connection slots for other users. The ability to drop idle connections makes the 250-user limit much less restrictive than it might seem at first.

You can administrate FileMaker Server locally or remotely. The Server Admin application provides an easy method of configuring and monitoring FileMaker Server. Using a single window, you can monitor databases in use, the clients connected to them, and scheduled events, such as backups. You can also view detailed statistics of server performance.

Configuring security settings requires access to both FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Server, which can be a bit tedious. Getting the security correct can be daunting for individuals who are not used to dealing with security issues. The user documentation provides a good overview of the security options and how they work; it also offers different methods of deploying databases using various security measures.

Clients can connect to databases from their desktops using FileMaker Pro and its Open Remote menu item. Access privileges are enforced based on the security settings in FileMaker Server.

FileMaker Server 8 Advanced adds web hosting capabilities, which lets clients connect to a FileMaker database from anywhere, using their favorite Internet browser. Although its $2499 price tag may be a bit of a jaw dropper, its ease of use makes FileMaker Server 8 Advanced a good choice if you want to put databases on a small business web site.

The MSRP of this database software is $999; $299 upgrade from FileMaker Server 7; $399 upgrade from FileMaker 5.5.

Pros: Easy setup, configuration, and monitoring of database server; rich security features
Cons: Security setup requires using FileMaker Pro as well as FileMaker Server