Upgrading Your aACE Server to FileMaker Server 19.1.2 or Later

Upgrading your aACE server to latest version of FileMaker Server 19 or later can be a great investment. In exchange for the time you schedule to update your system, you receive a number of performance upgrades (e.g. improvements in URL protocols that make barcode generation even more reliable).

The newer installers for FMS allow you to upgrade your system without needing to uninstall the previous version. This saves time during the installation itself. It also means you don't need to reconfigure all your FMS settings after the upgrade. 

Before upgrading to a new version of FMS, verify that your server meets the technical specifications of that version:

• Technical Specifications 19.4+
• Technical Specifications 19.0 - 19.3

Help Guides for Upgrading Your Server

The upgrade processes for more recent versions of FMS are streamlined, but follow the same general stages. Contact your aACE partner to obtain the needed installer file.

1. In FileMaker Server, navigate to Databases > All Databases dropdown arrow > Close All to take the databases offline.
   We recommend sending a message when you close the databases. Let any active users know the system will be offline for a time. The upgrade process usually takes less than 30 minutes.
2. Navigate to Configuration > General Settings and stop the database server. 
3. After the server is stopped, you must also stop the FMS service:
   • Mac — Open the Terminal application and enter the stop command:
     sudo launchctl stop com.filemaker.fms
   • PC —  Windows > search for "services" > Services > FileMaker Server > Stop the service
     The FileMaker server status page should change to an 'Unable to connect' error page.
4. Run the installer and follow the install and setup prompts.
   FileMaker identifies the current license certificate and continues the installation.
5. When the installation finishes, FileMaker automatically restarts the service and databases — Refresh the 'Unable to connect' page and log back in to FileMaker Server.
   The Dashboard shows the new server version.
6. For additional safety with your databases, we recommend that you manually stop the databases again and stop the server, then manually bring them back online.

For additional information:

• Overview of Configuring Your aACE Server