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Learning more about clustering WebSphere Process Server (WPS) V6.2

Troubleshooting


Problem

Learning more about clustering WebSphere Process Server can help you in the troubleshooting process. This document provides educational information to help you learn more about this topic.

Resolving The Problem

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Clusters are sets of managed servers that provide high availability and workload balancing for applications. A cluster can be distributed over multiple physical systems and platforms. Clustered servers provide better capacity and availability to your applications than a single-server environment:
  • Workload balancing by running an application on multiple servers that are managed by a cluster. The cluster balances the workload across all servers in the cluster.

  • Extensibility and flexibility are guaranteed by adding more processing power (hardware) to the cluster and configuring new cluster members dynamically.

  • High availability through failover and recovery support. Outages on one server are compensated by other members in the cluster, which handle the workload and proceed without interruption in service.

  • Maintenance is simplified because you can stop specific cluster members. You do not have to stop the application.

Starting with WebSphere Process Server V6.1, you can benefit from deployment environments: A configuration that defines your clustered environment topology (including WebSphere Process Server components) and manages related server processes together. Using a deployment environment enhances the cluster capabilities:
  • Ease of management by using common views, which allow the system administrator to manage the clustered and deployed Service Component Architecture (SCA) modules, processes, and server instances.

  • Reusability as you can export and import a tested and reliable deployment environment to be deployed in a production environment environment with the same configuration.

  • Simplicity and rapid deployment are supported by a wide range of wizards that guide you through the process of implementing the IBM deployment patterns. The system administrator can concentrate on the architectural aspects rather than configuration details, which are minimized during the setup phase. Approved deployment environments can be customized, and the most important topology patterns are predefined:

  • Single Cluster (bronze topology)

  • Remote Messaging (silver topology)

  • Remote Messaging and Remote Support (golden topology)




Getting started

Review the following information resources for a basic understanding of clustering or for additional guidelines:
  • Refer to the WebSphere Process Server product documentation to understand the components of a WebSphere Process Server cluster and deployment environment. The product documentation includes information about architectural aspects such as cells, nodes, and cluster configurations, as well as prerequisites for databases that are used in a clustered environment:


  • The IBM Education Assistant provides interactive resources to learn the basics of a clustered WebSphere Process Server environment and the advantages of a deployment environment-based configuration:
    Clustering concepts
    Clustering administration and configuration


  • developerWorks is one of the most popular educational exchange platforms, with hundreds of product-related articles. Powered and supported by IBM employees, the WebSphere Zone is one of the most frequently visited portals; there, you can find recent clustering-related articles:

    developerWorks WebSphere Zone

  • IBM Redbooks provide knowledge and best practices regarding WebSphere Process Server. There, you can find documentation written by subject matter experts as well as installation and configuration guides:

    IBM Redbooks



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Planning your deployment topology

Before starting to deploy and configure your first WebSphere Process Server cluster, you plan the topology using architectural, functional, and nonfunctional requirements. The following resources document the most important aspects of planning:
  • The following IBM Redbooks document provides an introduction to the components of a WebSphere Process Server clustered environment. Several topologies are explained and their applicability for a production environment is discussed. Advantages and disadvantages of various deployment patterns are documented. The document not only guides you through the basic topologies (Single Cluster, Remote Messaging, Remote Messaging and Remote Support) but also through the setup of advanced topologies (loosely coupled, size and location tolerant clusters):

    Production Topologies for WebSphere Process Server and WebSphere ESB V6

  • To get a better understanding of how to select an appropriate cluster topology, read the following article. It focuses on the role of the back-end database and the use of multiple messaging engines. The article also applies to WebSphere Process Server V6.1:

    Clustering WebSphere Process Server V6.0.2, Part 1: Understanding the topology


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Setting up a clustered environment

With a basic understanding of cluster topologies, you can start setting up a clustered environment. This section discusses recommended tutorials and guidelines, with focus on deployment environment setups:
Business integration with WebSphere Portal

Use the following resources to guide you through the setup and configuration of a process portal environment with WebSphere Portal V6.0 and WebSphere Process Server V6.1:

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Product Synonym

WPS

Document Information

Modified date:
15 June 2018

UID

swg21313675

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