IBM BPM, V8.0.1, All platforms > Install IBM BPM > Plan for IBM BPM > Plan the database configuration
Databases and your IBM BPM topology
A database configuration is part of the overall IBM BPM topology. For configuration activities, you must understand the differences between Process Center and Process Server databases as they relate to topology and runtime processing.
Although Process Center shares the same database schema, there are specific differences in the instance data that is stored. You must have a separate instance of the shared schema for each instance of Process Center and Process Server.
If you use the Typical profile creation option, the database design tool automatically generates SQL scripts for a default database configuration.
If you create the stand-alone development profile ( qwps) during installation, the required databases are configured automatically.
You do not need to design the database requirements.
If you create database tables manually, use the database design tool to create the SQL scripts, because the tool ensures that the generated SQL scripts are unique.
Restriction: For Oracle, a database instance is not created as part of the SQL file execution; create an instance manually, using the Oracle product documentation.
You can incorporate configuration information for the database into the profile creation process by one of the following methods:
- Referencing a database design file
- Setting database configuration parameters with pmt.sh or manageprofiles.sh
Regardless of how you choose to implement your database configuration, you must generate the SQL scripts as part of the profile creation process. You cannot reuse SQL scripts between Process Servers or clusters of Process Servers.
Before they configure the databases, the solution architect and database administrator must collaborate on the database topology to understand the best way to store database tables.
For example, will the tables be stored in the same database as the common database? Or will the tables be stored in a separate database as a stand-alone profile? Separate databases might be helpful because they simplify the database configuration. You might also use separate databases to tune and manage the component databases separately from the common database in a stand-alone server environment.
Process Center database and Process Server database
IBM BPM Express and IBM BPM Standard include database configuration patterns, so you can create a database design for each runtime environment. You can use either pattern to create a database configuration for Process Server and Performance Data Warehouse Server components.
IBM BPM Advanced includes the same database configuration patterns, plus an additional pattern called bpm.advanced.standalone.dbDesign.
You can use the bpm.advanced.standalone.dbDesign pattern as the database schema for the Process Server and Performance Data Warehouse server components in a common database. Use this pattern when you are creating a stand-alone profile that combines the Process Server and Performance Data Warehouse runtime environments. If you use this pattern for a common database, a custom schema value is not specified.
You can also use the procsry and pctrsry database designs with the Deployment Environment wizard. For network deployment environments within the standard or advanced configurations, these patterns are part of the setup for the Process Server or Process Center on a deployment host.