IBM BPM, V8.0.1, All platforms > Install IBM BPM > Plan for IBM BPM > Plan the ND environment
Considerations for selecting a topology
Selecting an appropriate topology for your deployment environment depends upon several factors.
When you select a topology pattern, consider the following factors:
- Available hardware resources
- Application invocation patterns
- Types of business processes that you plan to implement (interruptible versus non-interruptible)
- How heavily you intend to use the Common Event Infrastructure (CEI)
- Individual scalability requirements
- Administrative effort involved
The Remote Messaging, Remote Support, and Web four-cluster topology pattern is the preferred topology for IBM BPM Standard and IBM BPM Advanced, but the choice ultimately depends upon your individual requirements. The four cluster topology is also the default for the configureNode command, except for z/OS . If you select a three or four cluster topology, configure a routing server for Business Space.
The IBM-supplied topologies can be applied to both Process Server and Process Center topologies. Therefore, your Process Center and Process Server ND environments can be organized in a similar way. The procedures for creating environments for Process Server and Process Center based on IBM-supplied topologies are also similar. The only difference related to IBM-supplied patterns is the recommended patterns for a production environment, and the components configured on the clusters for those patterns.
For information on the components, features, and functionality available in each of the IBM BPM configurations, see IBM BPM V8.0.1 configuration capabilities
Condensed topology pattern selection criteria
Consider the information listed in the following table, which is a quick guide to selecting your production topology. This table provides a condensed list of the advantages and disadvantages of each of the topology patterns.
For information about which BPM products support the supplied topology patterns, see Topology patterns and supported BPM product features.
Considerations for selecting a topology for your deployment environment Consideration Topology Pattern Single cluster Remote Messaging Remote Messaging and Remote Support Remote Messaging, Remote Support, and Web Number of clusters to maintain One cluster for all components
Two clusters:
One cluster for applications and for the support infrastructure
One cluster for messaging
Three clusters:
One cluster for applications
One cluster for the support infrastructure
One cluster for messaging
Four clusters:
One cluster for applications
One cluster for web interfaces
One cluster for support infrastructure
One cluster for messaging
Hardware requirements Can be implemented on limited hardware
More hardware required for distributed environments
More hardware required for distributed environments
Most hardware intensive
Asynchronous interactions Use should be minimal
Use must be balanced against resource availability
Ideal environment for asynchronous interactions
Ideal environment for asynchronous interactions
Long-running processes, state machines, and human tasks Use should be minimal
Use must be balanced against resource availability
Ideal environment for interruptible processes, state machines, and human tasks
Ideal environment for interruptible processes, state machines, and human tasks
Heavy CEI activity Not recommended (Light CEI use should be balanced against resource usage.)
Not recommended (Light CEI use should be balanced against resource usage.)
Ideal environment for heavy CEI use
Ideal environment for heavy CEI use
Administrative burden Relatively small
Requires additional effort
Requires additional administrative effort
Requires most administrative effort
Scalability All components scaled at the same rate
Messaging cluster scalability limited (no benefit beyond three servers)
All other components scaled at the same rate
Easy to scale
All functions separated
Messaging cluster scalability still limited (no benefit beyond three servers)
Easiest to scale
All functions separated
Messaging cluster scalability still limited (benefit comes when other BPM products are introduced)
Routing server Optional for load balancing and high availability
Optional for load balancing and high availability
Required for Process Portal – and can also be used for load balancing and high availability
Required for Process Portal – and can also be used for load balancing and high availability
The routing server can be IBM HTTP Server, WebSphere Application Server proxy server, or any other web server, reverse proxy server, or network layer IP sprayer.
Related concepts:
Topology patterns and supported product features
Load balancing and failover with IBM HTTP Server
Topologies of an ND environment
Related information:
Configure Process Portal