A front-end configuration to an IBM WebSphere Application Server cluster

If you deploy a WebSphere® Application Server cluster within your IBM® InfoSphere® Information Server implementation, the resulting configuration would typically have a front-end configuration for the cluster unless the cluster has only one member. When you install InfoSphere Information Server, you can install against a front-end configuration or a cluster member. If you install against a cluster member, you would typically configure the front-end configuration for the cluster after installation.

The front-end configuration can consist of any of the following components located upstream of the cluster:

• A front-end web server
• A load balancer
• A load balancer upstream of the web servers (IP sprayer topology)

To maximize security, deploy firewalls at various key points within the topology that you select. To improve delivery response, you can also deploy caching proxy servers upstream of the web servers and load balancers.