FileMaker Server Remote Backup and Standby Server deliver automatic data protection and business continuity, built in.
Every business that hosts its own data faces two distinct risks: losing data and losing access. Serious businesses don't leave either one to chance. They back up offsite. They plan for outages. And they make sure that when something goes wrong — hardware failure, ransomware, a flood, a fire — operations keep moving.
FileMaker Server 2026 makes both straightforward with two purpose-built add-ons. Remote Backup automatically copies your FileMaker files to secure, Apple-managed cloud storage every 20 minutes, so your data survives anything that happens to your local server. Standby Server keeps a secondary server ready so that if your primary goes offline, your team can keep working with minimal disruption.
Together, they deliver the 3-2-1 rule of data protection: local backups, offsite copies, and standby infrastructure. No scripts, third-party tools, or technical overhead required. If you want the full framework, this overview covers the 3-2-1 rule in more detail. If you're evaluating whether these services are the right fit for your business, read on.
Here's a closer look at each.
Remote Backup: offsite, automatic, encrypted data protection.
Remote Backup runs quietly in the background. No scripts, no external drives, no manual steps required.
Your backups are end-to-end encrypted when FileMaker Encryption at Rest (EAR) is enabled for the file, and data is stored completely separate from your server. That means your data stays protected even when your local environment isn't, such as scenarios like:
- Primary server hardware failure.
- A ransomware attack that encrypts local files.
- A fire, flood, or other physical disaster at your location.
For many problem solvers, Remote Backup replaces something familiar: the custom script. That approach made sense when there wasn't a better option. But scripts break silently. Credentials expire. Paths change after an update. The person who built the whole thing moves on, and nobody routinely checks whether it's still running.
Remote Backup is purpose-built for FileMaker data integrity and visible right in the Admin Console. You always know your backups are running. No more guessing. No maintenance burden. No single point of knowledge that walks out the door. Setup takes just a few minutes from your FileMaker Admin Console.
Standby Server: minimize downtime and keep FileMaker running during an outage.
Remote backups cover one critical scenario. But even with secure offsite data protection in place, an unexpected server outage can still stop your team cold. That's what Standby Server is designed to prevent.
If your primary goes down for any reason, you can switch over to the secondary standby server in minutes, with minimal disruption to your team.
Before FileMaker 2026, configuring a standby server meant technical expertise, ongoing maintenance, and resources that many small and mid-sized businesses simply didn't have.
That's no longer the case. You enable Standby Server directly from your FileMaker Admin Console.
Two services. Complete FileMaker Server business continuity.
Remote Backup and Standby Server address two distinct and equally important continuity scenarios.
Remote Backup
Standby Server
What it does
Recovers your data after an incident
Prevents extended downtime during an incident
Protects against
Data loss, corruption, ransomware
Server outages, service interruption
Key benefit
Your data survives anything local
Your business keeps operating no matter what
Remote Backup
Standby Server
What it does
Recovers your data after an incident
Prevents extended downtime during an incident
Protects against
Data loss, corruption, ransomware
Server outages, service interruption
Key benefit
Your data survives anything local
Your business keeps operating no matter what
Neither requires ongoing technical maintenance. Neither demands a specialist on speed dial to fix something. Together, they bring enterprise-grade resilience to a FileMaker Server 2026 installation, including yours.
Built on Apple's secure foundation.
Remote Backup and Standby Server aren't third-party integrations or generic cloud tools bolted onto a FileMaker workflow. They're native and designed specifically for FileMaker Server 2026 installation.
There's no credential rot, no script drift, and no external hardware to maintain. Security isn't an add-on — it's built in from the start.
This is what it looks like when a business-critical solution has the protection it deserves.
Ready to protect your FileMaker solution with Remote Backup and Standby Server?
Both services are available as add-ons with FileMaker Server 2026.