Understanding a geographically dispersed FileNet P8 domain

When a single FileNet® P8 domain is accessed by multiple deployments that are hosted in several regions by using an active/active model that can be called a geographically dispersed FileNet P8 domain. With a geographically dispersed FileNet P8 domain, services, and resources are connected through a network (local area network, LAN, or wide area network, WAN).

A site is a geographical location where resources are connected through a LAN. You would define a cluster as a site in the FileNet P8 domain by using a name of your choice. Each site is identified by a unique name and has associated resources such as object store, index areas, advanced storage areas, and virtual servers.

Within a site, a deployment is represented in the FileNet P8 domain as a virtual server that takes its name from the metadata.name of the custom resource that is used to create the deployment:

• Each deployment against a single FileNet P8 domain must be deployed within a namespace having the same name as deployments in other clusters sharing the same FileNet P8 domain.

• Each custom resource that is deployed against a single FileNet P8, regardless of the site the virtual server is associated with, must be assigned a unique metadata.name.

The following tables show the tasks that you need to do before and after deployment against the geographically dispersed FileNet P8 domain.

Table 1. Pre-deployment tasks for additional deployments against the FileNet P8 domain

Task	Description	Reference
Create a namespace with the same name as deployments in other clusters that share the same FileNet P8 domain	Ensure that deployments in each cluster utilize the same namespace name.	Preparing a namespace for the operator
Add the shared_configuration.sc_skip_ldap_config parameter to all the CRs and set it to false: shared_configuration: sc_skip_ldap_config: false	Controls whether the operator configures the Content Platform Engine to use an LDAP directory configuration or a SCIM directory configuration to authorize users and groups. Set the value to false to enable the Content Platform Engine instances access to all other geographically dispersed instances through the exchange of LTPA tokens.	Shared configuration
Export and import Content Platform Engine clientID/clientSecret values for IAM	Export and import additional 'secret' values from the first deployment to the second.	Exporting and importing Content Platform Engine clientID or clientSecret values for IAM
Export and prepare LTPA keys for import.	First deployment would auto-generate the LTPA keys and other deployments would export/import those.	Exporting and importing LTPA keys
Export and prepare SSL certificates for import.	Creating and sharing a root CA certificate to enable all certificates that are created by using that root CA certificate to be trusted. Or the individual certificates might be exported and imported.	Exporting and importing certificates for SSL communication
Export and prepare Common UI (zen) certificates for import into the trust store of subsequent deployments.	Export certificates from the OpenShift® Container Platform cluster that hosts the first deployment and import them into the trust stores of other deployments servicing the geographically dispersed FileNet P8 domain.	Exporting the Zen CA Importing the certificate of an external service
Ensure unique metadata.name of the CR for other deployments.	CR metadata.name is automatically entered in the FileNet P8 domain as the Virtual Server.	Understanding the IBM® FileNet P8 domain structure in a container environment
Ensure that CR for each deployment references the same Directory Service server (LDAP) in the ldap_configuration section.	Complete the ldap_configuration sections in all the CRs using matching LDAP configurations.	LDAP configuration
Ensure that CR for each deployment references the same GCD and object store databases in the datasource_configuration section.	Matching data source configurations	Datasource parameters

Table 2. Post-deployment tasks for additional deployments against the FileNet P8 domain

Task	Description	Reference
Configure request forwarding.	Manual configuration by using ACCE.	Request forwarding
Configure Content Platform Engine server communication.	Manual configuration by using ACCE.	Content Platform Engine server communication
Navigator configuration for repository	Configured automatically if operator feature to initialize the system chosen.	Content Platform Engine URL to Content Platform Engine services in same deployment as the Navigator
Configure advanced storage areas with cross-site replication.	Manual configuration by using ACCE.	Replication