IBM BPM, V8.0.1, All platforms > Install IBM BPM > Plan for IBM BPM > Plan the ND environment

Overview: Deployment environment topologies and patterns

IBM BPM includes patterns for the following topologies

The Single Cluster topology is typically used for testing or proof of concept. This is the default topology on z/OS and can be used in production environments.

Templates are available for each topology.


The purpose of deployment environment patterns

IBM-supplied topology patterns are based on tested configuration scenarios and contain a repeatable and automated method of creating a deployment environment.

If none of the IBM BPM topology patterns suit your needs, you can use the administrative console or wsadmin.sh to create a customized topology pattern.


Databases and deployment environments

Before you create and configure an ND environment, configure your database and create the required database tables. At a minimum, to use IBM BPM, you need to configure the following databases on your database management system:

For a stand-alone server configuration, use the Typical installation option to create these databases and database tables automatically.

For an ND environment, customized or standardized, configure the databases outside the installer.

If the IBM BPM configuration includes Business Process Choreographer, Business Space, or Common Base Event monitoring, create these databases and use supplied utilities or scripts to create the required database tables. You must do this configuration before you can create the ND environment.

See Plan the database configuration.


Functions of IBM-supplied deployment environment topology patterns

Any IBM BPM deployment contains a basic set of functions that together form a complete production environment.

To design a robust deployment environment, you must understand the functionality that each cluster can provide in an IBM-supplied topology pattern or custom deployment environment. You can allocate a specific type of function (for example, the support infrastructure function) to a particular cluster. Understanding the functions can help you choose the deployment environment topology pattern that best meets your needs.

For ND, clusters can collaborate to provide specific functionality to the environment. Depending on your requirements, you assign specific functions to each cluster within the deployment environment, to provide performance, failover, and capacity.

The clusters configured in a deployment environment provide the following functions.

The functions can exist in a single cluster, or can be spread across multiple clusters. Each standardized (IBM-supplied) topology pattern creates a different number of clusters to support the functions. The number of clusters in your deployment environment depends on the topology pattern that you are using.

Application deployment target

An application deployment target is the set of servers (cluster) to which install your applications (for example, human tasks, business processes, and mediations). Depending on which deployment environment topology pattern you choose, the application deployment target might also provide messaging infrastructure and supporting infrastructure functions. Select the appropriate product depending on the type of applications that you intend to deploy.

  • If the applications contain human task or business process artifacts, install Process Server.

  • If the applications contain mediation modules only, install WebSphere Enterprise Service Bus.

In a Single Cluster topology pattern, the application deployment target provides the entire functionality of the deployment environment.

Supporting infrastructure

The supporting infrastructure includes the Common Event Infrastructure (CEI) server and other infrastructure services used to support your environment and manage your system. These services include:

  • Business rules

  • Selectors
  • Human tasks
  • Business processes

You must use a custom profile with the same product functionality for this node as you did for the application deployment target cluster.

The business rules are not tied to the Supporting infrastructure cluster. In fact, business rules can exist and work everywhere in the cell. The business rules administrative function (performed from the Business Rules Manager) can be deployed on the supporting infrastructure cluster (in a three cluster configuration) or in the web application infrastructure cluster (in the four cluster configuration). The same principle applies to the human tasks and business processes. The human tasks and business processes run on the application deployment target cluster, because that is where the human task and business process containers are configured. However, you administer processes and tasks from the Business Process Choreographer Explorer, which can reside on the supporting infrastructure cluster (in a three cluster configuration) or on the web application infrastructure cluster (in a four cluster configuration).

Messaging engine infrastructure

The messaging infrastructure is the set of servers (cluster) where the messaging engines are located. The messaging infrastructure is used to provide asynchronous messaging support for your applications and for the internal messaging needs of the IBM BPM components. The messaging engines enable communication among the nodes in the deployment environment. Your cluster can consist of members on nodes created with WebSphere Application Server instead of IBM BPM if the cluster solely provides the messaging function.

Web application infrastructure

Consists of a cluster where the web-based components Business Process Choreographer Explorer, Business Rules Manager, Business Space, Process Portal, and REST API services are located.

For topologies in all environments, the fundamental pieces of IBM Process Server and WebSphere ESB are always similar. In all IBM Process Server and WebSphere ESB cells, the dmgr is the central point of administration for the cell.

The following diagram illustrates the points of interest in an IBM Process Server deployment environment configured using a Remote Messaging and Remote Support topology pattern. This topology pattern is identical to the Process Center deployment environment, except that the Process Center deployment environment has a Process Center Console in the application deployment target cluster. The Process Server ND environment does not include a Process Center Console.

This diagram includes:

Plan the ND environment


Related information:
Topologies of an ND environment