Install the Document Service Server

The Document Service SOAP server can be installed on Windows servers, Mac servers, and Linux servers. Before you start the installation process, you need to define users and paths in the zx_config.php file.

Document Archive Folder

Create a folder for the document archive outside the site root of your web server. Edit the paths in the zx_config.php file to reflect this location.

SSL Certificate on the Server

To secure your server, you should obtain an SSL certificate. You will need a domain name, which could be a subdomain of your company's domain pointing to this site. SSL certificates can be obtained from various sources, including both free certificates that last for three months and inexpensive certificates at www.namecheap.com, for example.

Windows Servers

Windows Server with Installed FMS and PHP API

  1. Find the folder: C:\Program Files\FileMaker\FileMaker Server\HTTPServer\conf. This is the default FileMaker site installation location.

  2. Create a doc folder with the PHP files in it within this directory.

  3. Locate the PHP.ini file in this directory: C:\Program Files\FileMaker\FileMaker Server\Web Publishing\publishing-engine\php.

  4. Edit the PHP.ini file with the following changes:

    • Find the line containing post_max_size and change the default limit to something reflecting your maximum document size multiplied by 2. post_max_size = 64M

    • Find the line containing memory_limit and set it to 128M if it's not already greater than that. memory_limit = 128M

    • Uncomment the lines for the following extensions, or add them if they are not present: extension=php_curl.dll, extension=php_mbstring.dll, and extension=php_soap.dll. Other extensions may already be uncommented; leave those as they are. Like this: 

; Windows Extensions
; Note that ODBC support is built in, so no dll is needed for it.
; Note that many DLL files are located in the extensions/ (PHP 4) ext/ (PHP 5)
; extension folders as well as the separate PECL DLL download (PHP 5).
; Be sure to appropriately set the extension_dir directive.

extension=php_mbstring.dll
;extension=php_bz2.dll
extension=php_curl.dll
;extension=php_dba.dll
;extension=php_dbase.dll
;extension=php_exif.dll
;extension=php_fdf.dll
;extension=php_filepro.dll
;extension=php_gd2.dll
;extension=php_gettext.dll
;extension=php_ifx.dll
;extension=php_imap.dll
;extension=php_interbase.dll
;extension=php_ldap.dll
;extension=php_mcrypt.dll
;extension=php_mhash.dll
;extension=php_mime_magic.dll
;extension=php_ming.dll
;extension=php_mssql.dll
;extension=php_msql.dll
;extension=php_mysql.dll
;extension=php_oci8.dll
;extension=php_openssl.dll
;extension=php_oracle.dll
;extension=php_pgsql.dll
;extension=php_shmop.dll
;extension=php_snmp.dll
extension=php_soap.dll
;extension=php_sockets.dll
;extension=php_sqlite.dll
;extension=php_sybase_ct.dll
;extension=php_tidy.dll
;extension=php_xmlrpc.dll
;extension=php_xsl.dll

It is possible that you are not allowed to save the changes back. In case, save it to the desktop, and copy it in after. You will get a message about administrative rights needed, but thats OK - Just confirm and the file copies.

  1. Save the PHP.ini file.

  2. Restart IIS from the management console.

Windows Server without FMS

  1. Ensure that PHP is installed on your IIS server. If not, follow the installation instructions for PHP in IIS.

  2. Create a site if one doesn't already exist, and place your doc folder within it.

  3. Check that there is a default document for index.php. If it's missing, add it to the list of default documents.

    Default Document Setting

  4. In the Default Document setting, make sure you have index.php marked as shown below:

    Default Document Setting

  5. Locate the PHP.ini file. If it's hard to find, create a simple PHP file in the site's root directory with the following content:

    <?php
echo phpinfo();

    Access this file via your browser and look for the "loaded configuration file" path. This will show you where the PHP.ini file is located.

  6. Implement the same changes as described earlier in the PHP.ini file.

  7. Remove the PHP info file from your server when you're done. It exposes too much information about your server.

Backup Your doc Folder (in case of FMS reinstallation)

Make sure to backup your doc folder in a safe location in case you need to reinstall FileMaker Server (FMS). The config file may be altered during the FMS installation, so avoid copying a backup of the config file back. Instead, redo the config changes if necessary.

For Linux Servers

For a VPS installation, consider starting with a minimal server setup and follow one of the "Perfect Server" installation guides available online. For example, you can search for "Debian 9 Perfect Server" to find relevant guides.

After installing, use ISPconfig to create your site and place the doc directory there. The server should already be set up with everything you need. You may need to adjust the configuration to increase the max-post-size as described above.

For Mac Servers

Locate the directory for your HTTP files on your Mac server and place the doc directory there. If you encounter any errors when accessing the URL, address any missing items. While there are no active Mac installations for the document service at the moment, you shouldn't encounter any major issues. Any experiences with Mac installations are appreciated for future documentation updates.

PHP Versions

You can use PHP versions 8.x, 7.x or 5.x; All work for this setup.