Deployment options
Typically Connections Docs is deployed in one of two deployment topologies. Simple deployments are used in a proof-of-concept environment to get up and running quickly, whereas medium-to-large deployments are used in test and production environments to achieve optimum scaling, load balancing, and failover.
- Connections Docs requires an environment with a Websphere Deployment Manager.
- Connections Docs supports horizontal scaling but does not support vertical scaling.
- A network file store is used to hold draft files and switch temporary files between Connections Docs and the Conversion server and between the File Viewer and the Conversion server.
- Both a proxy server and a proxy server cluster are supported. The proxy server enables session affinity in Connections Docs when Connections Docs is installed in multiple nodes. When users are co-editing the same document, the proxy server routes requests for the document to the same server.
Simple deployments
The simple deployment option is typically the quickest way to get Connections Docs deployed. This option is typically used in demo or proof-of-concept scenarios where there is not a need to be concerned with scaling, load balancing, and failover capabilities. Because minimal hardware is usually desirable in this type of deployment, many of the components are placed on the same server. With regard to using clusters, although Connections Docs can be installed in a non-clustered environment, it is best, even in a simple deployment, to deploy all of the Connections Docs components into WebSphere® clusters with a single server in the same cell as IBM® Connections.
Medium-to-large deployments
The medium-to-large deployment is the type covered in this guide. This option is best for test and production environments in order to achieve optimum scaling, load balancing, and failover. It can easily be used in smaller environments as well.
The following diagram shows a typical medium-to-large deployment. IBM Connections, Connections Docs, and the other Connections Docs-related components are shown with networking lines that are labelled based on the types of communication.
As in the simple deployment, in the medium-to-large deployment IBM Connections and all Connections Docs components are installed in the same cell as WebSphere Application Server. Connections Docs, the Document Format Conversion service, File Viewer, and the proxy server are each installed in separate clusters, making the deployment scalable and reliable.