CloudContainer is a replacement for the standard FileMaker container fields. It provides three primary benefits over standard FileMaker containers.
- Storage of files in the cloud – CloudContainer stores files in any S3-compatible storage rather than on a hard drive of your FileMaker Server. This gives you unlimited storage space without having to worry about the capacity of the hard drive. If you’re using a local FileMaker Server deployment in an office this can also make documents available for quick downloads to users outside your LAN without the bandwidth limitations of an office connection.
- Rich, interactive containers – CloudContainer provides additional ways to view and edit container data not available in regular container fields. For example, you can view complete PowerPoint presentations or edit images directly inside your FileMaker database. Securely share files directly from FileMaker – Use signed, expiring URLs to send someone a link to a single CloudContainer in your database. They won’t have access to any other CloudContainers and the link will expire at the time you specify. You can send a download-only link or give them the ability to upload files to the CloudContainer you send to them.
- Rich, interactive containers – CloudContainer provides additional ways to view and edit container data not available in regular container fields. For example, you can view complete PowerPoint presentations or edit images directly inside your FileMaker database. Securely share files directly from FileMaker – Use signed, expiring URLs to send someone a link to a single CloudContainer in your database. They won’t have access to any other CloudContainers and the link will expire at the time you specify. You can send a download-only link or give them the ability to upload files to the CloudContainer you send to them.
CloudContainer stores files in your own S3-compatible storage, so you maintain full control over your container data at all times. This also gives you the flexibility to set storage rules to your own preferences, with things like versioning, lifecycles, and deletion prevention rules. As part of the setup process you will configure your CloudContainer account to connect to an S3-compatible storage bucket in the storage provider of your choice, such as Amazon S3, BackBlaze B2, or Wasabi.
This documentation will guide you through setting up an account with CloudContainer, configuring a storage provider, configuring a custom function in FileMaker, adding CloudContainer to a layout and advanced features offered by using CloudContainer.
A demo file is available to be used as a testing ground. This file can help make sure you have everything set up correctly after going through the documentation in this guide. Download the demo file below.