Client Story
Cloud Migration Provides the Associated Firefighters of Illinois with Reliable Access to Critical Data
Associated Firefighters of Illinois
Associated Firefighters of Illinois (AFFI) represents approximately 18,000 firefighters across 240 locals throughout Illinois. Their Springfield office manages a FileMaker database that tracks member data, collective bargaining agreements, legislative activity, and municipal finance information. Vice Presidents use it daily across the state to support local firefighter unions, requiring union data analysts to keep the database current. When a union is sitting at the bargaining table and needs statewide wage data on the spot, they need their FileMaker database to deliver.
The Challenge of Physical Servers
For years, the database ran on a physical server in the Springfield office, posing a real risk for the union.
Unreliable Power to Servers
Physical servers are only as reliable as their power source, which can’t always be guaranteed. For example, a car accident damaged a nearby power pole and shut the AFFI office down for almost a full day. The union had no backup power or generator, a cost-prohibitive solution for an organization of its size. Therefore, any power outage, hardware failure, or internet disruption took the team offline, as well as the District Vice Presidents who depended on the system’s data.
Struggling Server Performance
The union also struggled with server performance. The physical server in the Springfield office handled everything, including email and document storage. When the server was busy and overloaded, FileMaker scripts slowed down. This information delay affected high-pressure moments, such as when a union rep needed a statewide average wage figure immediately during a negotiation.
The Solution: Migration to Soliant.cloud
Moving the server to the cloud was an easy decision. AFFI worked with Soliant Consulting’s team of FileMaker and AWS experts to migrate their FileMaker environment to Soliant.cloud, an AWS-based setup built specifically for the FileMaker platform.
The database moved to an infrastructure designed for uptime and performance, with no single point of failure tied to a building in Springfield. The migration also introduced snapshot-based backup and restore, which AFFI’s team can use to quickly correct data errors, restoring files without much friction.
The Results: Reliable, Fast Data Access
AFFI no longer worries about an unexpected outage taking down its mission-critical database. The District Vice Presidents can access what they need, when they need it, regardless of what’s happening at the Springfield office.
FileMaker script performance and, therefore, data delivery also improved. With the database no longer competing for resources on a shared physical server, queries run faster. When at the bargaining table, union reps get the answers they need immediately.
AFFI also gained flexibility in resource allocation. As their needs change, they can scale their compute power up or down, which keeps costs aligned with actual usage.
Their internal team now handles day-to-day FileMaker work, with support from an outside technical lead as needed.
About Soliant.cloud
Soliant.cloud delivers cloud-based FileMaker hosting on AWS, managed by a team of AWS- and Claris FileMaker-certified experts. They handle full infrastructure setup, real-time monitoring, and automatic updates. When applications need changes, clients have direct access to FileMaker-certified developers who already know the environment. Soliant.cloud offers end-to-end management from people who understand both the platform and the infrastructure it runs on.
As an AWS Advanced Tier Partner, Soliant.cloud holds recognition across multiple AWS programs, including the AWS Solution Provider Program, AWS Well-Architected Partner Program, and AWS CloudFormation Delivery Program, reflecting our team’s deep expertise and commitment to AWS best practices.
Learn more at soliant.cloud.