Deploying WebSphere Commerce Search

WebSphere Commerce Search is deployed in the development environment in an embedded configuration by default. You can deploy WebSphere Commerce Search in the standard or advanced configurations, depending on your environment.

Deployment considerations

Consider the following table to decide the cost-benefits between which search configuration to deploy:
Deployment considerations
Search configuration Considerations
Embedded configuration:
WebSphere Commerce
Local
WebSphere Commerce Search
Local, embedded in the WebSphere Commerce JVM
  • This configuration applies only to WebSphere Commerce Developer. This is the only configuration that supports the Search authoring environment.
  • Hardware requirements are not as high relative to the other options. Therefore, it is recommended to install only one language in this configuration.
  • You cannot allocate separate system resources between WebSphere Commerce and WebSphere Commerce Search, as both applications are running in the same JVM.
Standard configuration:
WebSphere Commerce
Local
WebSphere Commerce Search
Local, in a separate JVM
  • Hardware considerations must be made for a high-performing single machine, as one machine is shared for both WebSphere Commerce and WebSphere Commerce Search.
  • Performance of your WebSphere Commerce Search instance might degrade when the system is overloaded with usage.
  • You can manage performance by allocating system resources to each JVM.
  • WebSphere Commerce and WebSphere Commerce Search can be locally bound together to improve overall response time.
Advanced configuration:
WebSphere Commerce
Local
WebSphere Commerce Search
Remote
  • Hardware considerations must be made for multiple machines, as one machine is allocated for WebSphere Commerce, and another machine for WebSphere Commerce Search.
  • Performance of your WebSphere Commerce Search instance is more manageable when the system is overloaded with usage, as processing is offloaded to a separate machine.
  • More flexible deployment configurations can be performed by using network clustering and load balancing, which can improve availability and prevent a single point of system failure.
The managed configuration is a variation of the advanced configuration, but contains streamlined configuration tasks. The following topologies are typical in the managed configuration, where all managed production Solr cluster members are federated and managed by a deployment manager:
  • 1 Managed production Solr cluster with only a number of Solr subordinate servers
  • 2 Managed production Solr cluster with a dedicated Solr master server, and a number of Solr subordinate servers
  • 3 Managed production Solr cluster with a dedicated Solr repeater server, and a number of Solr subordinate servers