I am setting up a FileMaker Server & I am facing issues along the way. I am not sure about the best security settings to apply and how to optimize performance. Have any of you set this up recently? Also, I have been considering taking some Advanced Excel Training to improve my overall workflow. Do you think it would be beneficial for working with FileMaker as well?
There is a lot to setting up a FileMaker server. Claris provides information on the topic here and here. Claris also offers free online courses for server at the Claris Academy.
Security and hardware optimization is a large subject. Getting help from a knowledgeable person or making use of a hosting provider could be money well spent. Both handle optimization. The latter also handles off-site backups, proactively monitors the server and improves the hardware and software stack as needed. I myself am biased towards hosting as it's a part of my business (fmcloud.fm).
That being said, a hosting provider is a bad idea if your goal is to learn as the service does pretty much everything for you.
On the Excel front… I opine it will benefit you little in regards to FileMaker Pro. I usually steer my customers away from Excel workflows. Excel files become sources of data to import, an exchange file format or a form of report.
