Choosing the type of installation

Choose the typical installation option to install IBM® Business Process Manager interactively in environments for development, quality assurance, and single-cluster staging and production. Choose the custom installation option to install silently, if you will be installing on an existing WebSphere® Application Server, or if your business requires complex deployment environment and database topologies.

For IBM Business Process Manager Express, using the product launchpad, the typical installation installs the software and configures a stand-alone profile. You do not need to create a profile later using the Profile Management Tool or manageprofiles command.

For all other IBM Business Process Manager editions, using the product launchpad, the typical installation installs the software, and configures the deployment manager and managed-node profiles, and configures a single cluster deployment environment that consists of a single node and single server.

The custom installation can also be performed interactively, or by choosing a silent installation. Choose an interactive installation if you want to see the prompts as you make your decisions. Choose the silent installation if you want to be able to script the installation in the future, or if you want to use the same response file on multiple systems.

After using the custom installation, you can use the BPMConfig command to generate database scripts, configure a deployment manager and one or more managed-node profiles, and create a pattern-based network deployment environment.

Instead of using the BPMConfig command, you can use the Profile Management Tool or manageprofiles command-line utility to configure one or more deployment manager and managed node profiles. After profile creation, you can use the deployment environment wizard to generate a pattern-based network deployment configuration.

Tip: The Interactive Installation and Configuration Guide is a tool in this information center that you can use to generate a set of installation and configuration topics customized to your precise installation needs. You can save the generated output, print it, and take it with you when you install on another computer. Each time you need to install with other options, return to the form and generate a new guide, or use it to see what the installation and configuration process looks when you choose different options.

Typical installation

The typical installation option is the simplest and quickest method for installing and configuring the software. It is also the ideal method for getting full Business Process Manager features and functionality (for Express, Standard, or Advanced configurations) on a single machine.

With a typical installation, you can maintain a personal copy of IBM Business Process Manager on your system. You can use it to develop integration services or business processes locally, or you can contribute artifacts using the export and import functions in the product. A typical installation is also recommended for proof of concept work and for learning about the features and functions of the product.

This installation option sets most settings by default, but allows you to specify the installation path and database type.

A typical installation of IBM BPM Advanced or IBM BPM Standard creates a single-cluster deployment environment that consists of a single node and single server. For IBM BPM Express, it creates a stand-alone profile.
A typical installation can install DB2 Express if an existing database is not specified. DB2 Express is available only for Windows and Linux systems, and the user must have administrative privileges (Administrator or root) and must not have another DB2 product installed.
A typical installation automatically populates the database.
For IBM BPM Express on the Windows operating system, a typical Process Center installation automatically installs IBM Process Designer.
A typical installation creates shortcuts for the Process Center Administrative Console, Playback Server Administrative Console, Process Designer (on Windows), and WebSphere administrative console. It also creates a shortcut for the Quick Start console, and will start the Quick Start console at the end of a successful typical installation.
A typical installation is always run as Administrator, so the installed software and configured deployment environment must also be managed by an Administrator ID, or a non-Administrator ID with its permissions elevated using Run As Administrator.

Custom installation

Choose custom installation for the following reasons:

You want to install on an existing installation of WebSphere Application Server.
Your deployment environment requires multiple cluster nodes.
Your business requires complex deployment environment and database topologies.
You prefer a silent installation.
You are installing in Installation Manager group mode as a user in the installation group.
You are installing an online Process Server that connects to a Process Center where a customized context root has been set.
You want a nonadministrative user ID to be able to perform server operations such as stopping and starting the deployment environment, modifying profiles, and using the Quick Start console.