How to make friends iOS application and FileMaker Pro?

Question

iOS

Hello!
There is my application for iOS (Enterprise Developer Program) that collects some statistics, which from time to time needs to be uploaded to the server.
There is a server on OS X Lion Server, which is running Filemaker Pro Advanced 12 (the latest) DBMS. There is a database of statistics.
Until recently, it was like this:
1) iOS generates statistics in the form of XML (property list), and sends it via FTP to a shared folder on the desktop (not the server).
2) Self-written AppleScript parses reports from this folder and fills the database based on them, adding new records through the GUI.
Realizing that the current solution is a dirty perversioninsecure, slow, inflexible and devoid of authentication, which I would very much like to do (it would be nice to know who threw the report into the database), for help from habralyudey, advise how best to do it?
Specific questions:
1) How to transfer information from iOS? WebDav, HTTP, AFP, SFTP or just FTP, maybe something else?
2) What means does FileMaker have for communicating with the outside world?
3) As far as I understand, FileMaker is a rather closed system, but you can connect an external database to it. Whether there is a sense in the second DBMS? If so, which one?

Answer 1

FileMaker has a mobile version of FileMaker Go. Works on iPhone and iPad. The file format is the same, most of the functions and commands are supported. Can open from the device and from the FM server. There are solutions for synchronization (for some money). The first option is to rewrite your application in FileMaker, put it on Go phones, transfer the FileMaker file, set up synchronization.
Go still knows how to execute a script with given parameters and variables by URL (protocolfmp://) - similar URLs, as far as I understand, are widely used on iOS. The script, respectively, can add a new entry. Maybe you can put Go, write a simple FM application for it purely for statistics, your application will send data to it through these URLs, Go will accept them. I don’t know, however, how it works - most likely, not in the background.
Another option - if you have Mac OS X Server, maybe FileMaker Server is also there? They have four products for the desktop - FileMaker Pro, FileMaker Pro Advanced, FileMaker Server, FileMaker Server Advanced. If it's a server (either of the two), then it has an HTTP(S) interface that accepts GET and POST, which can be used to fetch records, add, delete, edit, run scripts, or all of these in combination. I don’t remember if you can set up basic authentication, but you can set up your own FM authentication (that is, make a special account for your application and restrict its operation to a strictly defined sandbox).
If not a server, then there are FM plugins that run their own web server and can receive data, run scripts, and so on. Although, in my opinion, there is a clause in the FM license that you cannot allow several users to access one database in this way (there is a server for this) - if you don’t have this, then it’s also an option.
You can also, as you write, connect MS SQL, Oracle, or MySQL directly to FM - they will be available as well as internal FM tables. Accordingly, if you add data to MySQL, FM will immediately receive them. (Not quite right there, he has his own cache there, but almost right there.)
In addition, FM can work with any ODBC source via ODBC, importing data from there and, if necessary, executing arbitrary SQL commands (INSERT, DELETE, etc.). This requires more movement (you'll need a script), but it's easy enough.
FM also has its own ODBC driver (that is, giving access to FM via ODBC), but it is not particularly outstanding.

Answer 2

Without knowing how you use all this, it's hard to say for sure.
I would have a separate database and a simple PHP script that will accept statistics. But you, probably, need it in the file maker, and I am only slightly familiar with it, I don’t know about its connection with the outside world.
Of course, it’s not a matter of adding a gui record, first of all, you need to look at what you can connect the file maker with (if you need it), and authentication can be attached to anything.

Answer 3

I came across a question:
FileMaker Server can be forced to run a script using an http request, while passing the necessary parameters to the script.
Here is an article with a general description of the method: fmteam.ru/vypolnenie-skriptov-na-servere-v-filemak...
FileMaker Server can also execute php code, see articles with the php tag on the site