How can a user improve their BOS performance?
If you're a user experiencing poor performance in FileMaker on your client machine, here are some steps you can take at your end to potentially improve it:
Quick tips
• Always minimise the number of Job tabs that you have open at the same time while working in BOS. The more Job tabs you have open at once, the more slowly BOS will run.
• When using different software but you want to leave BOS open, make sure to leave BOS on the “Quick Search” screen so that it minimises interactions with the FileMaker server.
• If you are going on a break for more than 10 minutes, please shut down BOS, otherwise it will continue to use resources on the server and can slow down the service for others.
• When possible, always use “Quick Search” instead of “Detailed Search”, as the quick search is much more efficient and uses less resources to locate records on the server.
• If you click on a task, please be patient while waiting for a response. Clicking multiple times will just stack more tasks in the order of operation and slow down BOS even more.
• Running reports in BOS hogs the resources on the server. If you are exporting a report into excel that is not required immediately, please lodge a support ticket and we will automate the report out of hours and have it ready for you the next morning.
• If you notice any functions or buttons in BOS that are no longer used, please advise us so that we can hide or remove them. Every unused function in BOS consumes valuable system resources that could potentially be freed up to improve performance.
Clear the FileMaker cache
FileMaker stores temporary data in the cache, which can sometimes impact performance. Clearing the cache can help resolve issues related to cached data. To do this, go to "Preferences" in FileMaker and select the "General" tab. Click on the "Clear Cache" button.
Monitor your computer resources
Use the Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (Mac) to monitor the usage of CPU, memory, and disk resources. Check if any other processes are consuming a significant amount of system resources, and if possible, close or manage them to free up resources for FileMaker.
Note: Web browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge can use a substantial amount of memory, especially when multiple tabs or extensions are open simultaneously.
Keep your FileMaker software up to date
Make sure you are using the latest version of FileMaker. Updates often include performance improvements and bug fixes. Check for updates on the FileMaker website or within the application itself.
Restart FileMaker
Sometimes, simply restarting FileMaker can resolve temporary performance issues. Close the application completely and reopen it to see if there is any improvement.
Check network connectivity
If your FileMaker database is hosted on a server, ensure that your network connection is stable. Unstable or slow network connections can impact FileMaker's performance. Try connecting to a different network or contact Adept IT to troubleshoot network issues.
Restart your computer
A computer restart can help clear any temporary issues or processes that may be affecting FileMaker's performance. Close all applications, restart your computer, and then launch FileMaker again.
Still having issues?
If you've tried the steps above and FileMaker is still impacting your productivity, reach out to Adept IT by emailing tickets@adept-it.com.au for assistance. They should be able to provide additional guidance, troubleshoot network issues, or optimize your system for better performance.