FileMaker and the qd documents software
The qd documentsTM application is a robust, networkable database for managing discovery information, including documents, transcripts, images, and electronic files.
The application is built on top of the powerful FileMaker® Pro database engine, a cross-platform database tool for both single users and workgroups. The FileMaker engine gives qd documents both its database capabilities and its networking/sharing functionality.
Note: When you purchase a copy of the qd documents software you also get a bundled copy of the Filemaker Pro database software. The bundled Filemaker Pro software is a full, complete license, which means that you can use it to develop your own database applications, too.
Sharing
You can share your qd documents databases with other users on your local network. Sharing your databases means that whenever a user updates the database -- adding a document, for example, or assigning a document to a witness book -- that update is immediately available to all other users.
There are two options for sharing. In the first option, one user acts as "host" and other users ("guests") share the databases on the host's computer. In the second option, users share databases that reside on a dedicated "server" computer that doesn't belong to any single user.
User-to-user sharing
The first option -- "user-to-user" sharing -- is a good option for you if you're sharing your database on a very limited basis, with just your secretary or paralegal, for example, or perhaps with one or two other lawyers. Performance of a user-to-user network is dependent on the power of the host computer, the load of other work being done on that computer, the quality of the network, and other factors.
According to FileMaker's technical specifications, up to ten users (the "host" and nine "guests") can be supported on a user-to-user network. However, we recommend that you limit sharing to just two to four users. Your experience will tell you the limits of your installation.
Note: User-to-user sharing requires that each user have a license for the qd documents software.
Server-based sharing
The second option -- sever-based sharing -- is the right solution when you've got more than a handful of users. With this option, you dedicate a computer as a qd documents server. You install FileMaker Server software and qd documents Server software on that computer. Now all your users can connect to the same database copy.
Note that it's also possible to maintain multiple qd documents files on a server. So you can -- for example -- have one file for all your products liability cases and another for all your employment law cases.
A FileMaker Server can support more than 200 users. Of course, the performance of your system and the number of users it can support will depend on the configuration of your server hardware and your network, the nature of your databases, and the type of work being performed by the users.
Note: Server-based sharing requires that each user have a license for the qd documents software and that the server have a license for the qd documents Server software.
Other capabilities
Database size
The FileMaker Pro software supports databases of up to 8 Terabytes (8,000 Gigabytes or 8 million Megabytes). The maximum size of a text field is 8 billion characters.
Images in qd documents databases are stored outside the database and do not count toward the database size limit.
Note that we do not recommend the qd documents software for databases of multiple terabytes. We have aimed the software at small and mid-size cases, and we have therefore not tested databases of more than 100,000 documents.
Using the bundled Filemaker Pro software
The qd documents application is delivered with a bundled, full copy of the Filemaker Pro database software. You can use that software to develop your own database applications.
Filemaker Pro is a unique database application. On the one hand, a beginner can use it right out of the box to develop working databases -- it's as easy to use as a spreadsheet. On the other hand, it's a powerful commercial software development tool, used by Fortune 100 companies to develop business-critical applications.
You can start with the beginner capabilities and develop simple databases for your own use -- an expense tracking database, for example, or a client information database. But then you can keep peeling back layers of power, going as deep and as far as you have the time, the interest, and the aptitude.
It's an extraordinarily powerful tool for single users and small and mid-sized law firms that don't have an inhouse development staff.
On this web site, we'll offer some tutorials to help you develop your skills and leverage your investment in the Filemaker Pro database software. See the FileMaker section of our web site for more information.
More about FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Server
We suggest you visit the FileMaker web site for more information about FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Server.
