Setting up an IBM i database in a cluster
To communicate with a database, servers running IBM® i can use either of two JDBC drivers: the IBM Toolbox for Java JDBC driver or the IBM Developer Kit for Java JDBC driver (also referred to as the native JDBC driver). Which JDBC driver you should use depends on how you are setting up your clustered environment.
The JDBC driver is specified by the db2_iseries.DbDriver property
in the wkplc_dbtype.properties file, located
in thewp_profile_root/ConfigEngine/properties directory.
You can specify the value by editing the file manually or by selecting
the appropriate value using the configuration wizard.
- Native JDBC driver: com.ibm.db2.jdbc.app.DB2Driver
- IBM Toolbox for Java JDBC driver: com.ibm.as400.access.AS400JDBCDriver
Scaling topology considerations
Vertical
and horizontal scaling topologies in an IBM i environment
require different JDBC driver configurations, according to how you
deploy your database.
Scaling topology | JDBC driver considerations |
---|---|
Vertical scaling | When setting up a vertical cluster,
you can install the database
locally on the same machine as your portal or remotely on a separate
machine. Use the appropriate JDBC driver, depending on where the database
is installed.
|
Horizontal scaling | When setting up a horizontal cluster, you must use the IBM Toolbox for Java JDBC driver. The typical configuration is to use a remote database for primary and secondary nodes in the cluster. If you choose, you can use a local database for the primary node and configure the secondary nodes to use that database, just as you would any other remote database. However, regardless of whether you choose to include a local database in your environment, you must use the IBM Toolbox for Java JDBC driver with your horizontal cluster. |
Using a local database in an IBM i horizontal cluster
Although
the instructions for setting up a horizontal cluster describe how
to use a remote database for both primary and secondary nodes, you
can choose to configure your IBM i horizontal cluster
to use a local database for the primary node instead. In this example,
a database and Web Server are locally installed on the system (System
1) where IBM® WebSphere® Portal and IBM WebSphere Application Server
are installed. System 1 is the primary node. System 2 is the secondary
node.
Note: Although it is possible
to use a local database on a secondary node instead of the primary
node, this configuration has not been tested and is not documented
here.
Important: Even though you are using a local
database for the primary node in this scenario, all database connections
are configured as if the database were remote. Specifically, you must
use the IBM Toolbox for Java JDBC driver (com.ibm.as400.access.AS400JDBCDriver)
when configuring the database for both primary and secondary nodes.
To
use a local database with your primary node, perform the database
configuration, with the following variations when updating properties
files in thewp_profile_root/ConfigEngine directory.
- wkplc_dbtype.properties
- Specify the JDBC driver in the db2_iseries.DbDriver property.
For example:
db2_iseries.DbDriver=com.ibm.as400.access.AS400JDBCDriver
- Specify the database location as remote in the db2_iseries.DbDriverType property.
For example:
db2_iseries.DbDriverType=4
- Specify the JDBC driver in the db2_iseries.DbDriver property.
For example:
- wkplc_comp.properties
- Specify the primary node's host name for the domain.DbName properties. For example: release.DbName=primary_host_name/wpsdb
- Specify the primary node's host name in the domain.DbUrl properties. For example: release.DbUrl=jdbc:as400:primary_host_name/wpsdb
Note: If using the
configuration wizard for database
transfer, update the values in the wizard panels rather than in the
properties files.
Complete all other configuration as described. When configuring secondary nodes in this scenario, perform your database configuration as you would for any remote database, using the primary node's host name for the database transfer.