Enterprise Centralized Configuration Server as a shared service
This topic provides the following information:
Concept of ECCS as a shared service
Enterprise Centralized Configuration Server (ECCS) as a shared service is a multi node, server group installation of AR System server, used by all the BMC Remedy Mid Tier clusters present in the data center. All mid tier clusters use the same ECCS for centralized configuration management.
In an environment where you have more than one multitenant mid tier clusters, you can use a single ECCS to store the global configuration data for all the mid tiers. The global configuration data can be accessed by all the mid tiers from the mid tier clusters.
The ECCS is an AR System server, without any applications installed on it, and does not interact with the end users.
Best practice
- For better performance, set up one ECCS per data center.
- For high availability, use a server group configuration for ECCS.
- You can use either a separate mid tier for managing the ECCS, or use a mid tier from the cluster. BMC recommends that you use a separate mid tier for managing the ECCS.
- Centralized configuration management — Ability to manage global configuration data for mid tiers in multiple clusters from a central location.
- Consistency — Ensures consistency in configuration of all mid tiers in a cluster, by updating configuration settings from a single location, which are automatically picked up by all mid tiers in the cluster.
Tip
Required installation — BMC Remedy AR System server
To deploy ECCS as a shared service, you must install BMC Remedy AR System server as the ECCS and configure first server to be a server group member. You should then install Remedy Mid Tier 9.0 on a separate computer for administering the ECCS, and then configure the load balancer.
Before you proceed with the installation, review the topics in the Deploying BMC Remedy shared services section.
Benefits of ECCS as a shared service
The scenarios listed in this section demonstrate the benefits of using the ECCS as a shared service. The configuration for the purpose of the sample scenarios is three mid tier clusters, multiple tenants for each mid tier cluster, and a single centralized configuration server for all three clusters. Each mid tier cluster has its own tenant users or system administrators performing actions using the mid tier cluster.
Consider the following components in you environment:
| Component | Names |
|---|---|
| BMC Remedy Mid Tier clusters | Cluster A, Cluster B, Cluster C |
| BMC Remedy Mid Tiers (MT) in Cluster B | MT 3 and MT 4 |
| Load balancer | Not applicable |
| Tenants of Cluster B | Tenant 4, Tenant 5, Tenant 6 |
| System Administrator in the environment | System Admin |
Note
The scenarios listed below are hypothetical, and may not represent actual configurations in your environment.
Centralized configuration management for global settings of mid tiers and tenant specific settings
This section describes a scenario demonstrated in an environment without ECCS, and shows how you can achieve consistency in global configuration setting of mid tiers in a cluster by using the ECCS as a shared service.
| Scenario | Updating global settings of mid tiers |
|---|---|
| Issue | In an environment without ECCS as shared service, even though the global settings are common for all mid tiers, the system administrator has to apply the settings to each mid tier individually, whether or not the mid tiers are clustered. |
| Solution | To apply global settings centrally to all mid tiers in your environment, mid tier as shared service, and an ECCS as a shared service. |
| Description | In a mid tier cluster, if the system administrator updates the global settings, the ECCS ensures consistency by communicating changes to the global properties across all the mid tiers in a cluster. The system administrator does not have to change the global settings for each mid tier individually. The same system administrator manages all the mid tier clusters in the entire environment. |
| Benefit | You achieve consistency in configuration, and global settings can be applied to all mid tiers in less time. |
The following graphic demonstrates the scenario:
The following table explains the steps depicted in the graphic for this scenario:
| Updating global settings of mid tiers | |
|---|---|
| Step | Description |
| G1 | System Admin sends a request Global setting to update the cache settings of the mid tier MT 3. |
| 2 | The load balancer routes the request to MT 3, which completes the request and changes the cache settings. |
| G3 | MT 3 notifies the ECCS of the change. |
| G4 | The ECCS automatically communicates the changes to the global properties, to the other mid tier in the cluster, MT4. System Admin does not need to apply the same settings to MT 4 separately. |
Guideline for deploying ECCS as a shared service
If there are multiple mid tier clusters in the same data center, assign a unique cluster ID for each mid tier cluster. Specify this cluster ID in the centralized configuration settings of individual mid tier in the cluster.
Related topics
Remedy Mid Tier as a shared service
Guidelines for tenants in shared service
Guidelines for deploying a load balancer in a shared services architecture
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