Deployment options for scale

Typically IBM Docs is deployed in one of two deployment topologies. Medium-to-large deployments are used in test and production environments to achieve optimum scaling, load balancing, and failover, whereas imple deployments are used in a proof-of-concept environment to get up and running quickly.

Note:
  • IBM Docs requires an environment with a Websphere Deployment Manager.
  • IBM 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 IBM 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 IBM Docs when IBM 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.

Medium-to-large deployments

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.
Important: The medium-to-large deployment is the type covered throughout this guide.

The following diagram shows a typical medium-to-large deployment. IBM® Connections, IBM Docs, and the other IBM Docs-related components are shown with networking lines that are labelled based on the types of communication.


IBM Docs Medium-to-large deployment

Note that Connections and all IBM Docs components are installed in the same cell as WebSphere® Application Server. IBM Docs, the Document Format Conversion service, File Viewer, and the proxy server are each installed in separate clusters, making the deployment scalable and reliable.

Simple deployments

The simple deployment option is typically the quickest way to get IBM 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 IBM Docs can be installed in a non-clustered environment, it is best, even in a simple deployment, to deploy all of the IBM Docs components into WebSphere clusters with a single server in the same cell as IBM Connections.