Your FileNet P8 Process system can consist of a single Process Engine server with one or more isolated regions in the workflow database, or you can configure a system with multiple Process Engine servers and multiple isolated regions.
To specify the isolated region for the Workplace applications (Process Designer, Process Administrator, Process Configuration Console), you define a connection point in Enterprise Manager which specifies a Process Engine server and an isolated region in a Process database. See Create a connection point for additional information. In Workplace Site Preferences, you select a connection point for the site.
Note that the Workplace applications use only one connection point—one Process host system and one isolated region. A Process host system can be either a single Process Engine server, as shown in the Single illustration below, or it can be a load balancer controlling multiple Process Engines, as shown in the Farm illustration. Note that a farmed system can consist of Process Engine servers with work distributed by a load balancer, or multiple standalone Process Engine servers all using a single isolated region.
To separate workflows and workflow data, you can use a second Application Engine (Workplace) to access a different isolated region in the same workflow database.
NOTE The illustrations below describe how Process Configuration Console can display a variety of configurations. These configurations are not intended as models of best practice for a production system.
The illustration Single shows one connection point, MyRegion, defined in Enterprise Manager specifying PE1 as the Process Engine host and IR_1 (isolated region 1) in the Process Engine database. In the Site Preferences for AE1, MyRegion is the selected connection point. A user running Process Configuration Console from Application Engine AE1 sees Process Engine (VWService) PE1 with one isolated region MyRegion. |
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The illustration Farm shows a system designed for a large volume of work with farmed Process Engine servers. There is two connection points:
Both connection points specify isolated region IR_1 in the Process Engine database. In the Site Preferences for AE1, MyRegion is the selected connection point. In the Site Preferences for AE2, MyRegionDev is the selected connection point. A user running Process Configuration Console on either AE1 or AE2 sees both connection points, MyRegion and MyRegionDev. For MyRegion, the load balancer is shown in place of Process Engine—PE1 and PE2 servers are not represented. For MyRegionDev, PE3 is the Process Engine. Note that all three Process Engine servers are considered to be in a Process Engine farm since they all use the same Process Engine database. A Process Engine server does not need to be connected to a load balancer to be part of a farm, as shown by PE3.
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The illustration Farm + standalone shows a system designed to share the Content Engine, with multiple isolated regions to keep processing separated—two isolated regions in one Process Engine database, and one isolated region in another Process Engine database. Three connection points are defined on Content Engine:
In the Site Preferences for AE1, MyRegion is the selected connection point. Process Configuration Console also displays the other two connection points because they are listed in Content Engine. Similarly, in the Site Preferences for AE2, MyRegion2 is the selected connection point. Process Configuration Console displays MyRegion2 first, but also displays the other two connection points. At runtime, the load balancer distributes work from Application Engines AE1 and AE2 to the three Process Engine servers in the farm. All work from AE1 uses isolated region IR_1. All work from AE2 uses isolated region IR_2. In the Site Preferences for AEDev, MyRegionDev is the selected connection point. All work from AEDev uses isolated region IR_99 in a separate Process Engine database. Note that the AEDev system is not connected in any way with the AE1 and AE2 systems except that they share the Content Engine server. |
As shown in Farm + standalone above, you can use separate isolated regions in one Process Engine database to subdivide the work area. For example, in a system where claims processing occurs, users who handle doctor's claims might work in one isolated region while those who process hospital claims work in another. Since each isolated region has its own user queues, work queues, and event logs, multiple isolated regions allow separate monitoring of each work area.
There is no limit to the number of isolated regions you can define in a Process Engine database. However, memory considerations impose a limit on the number of isolated regions running concurrently because data specific to an isolated region is loaded into physical memory on the server when that isolated region runs (that is, when a logged-on user initiates workflow activity in the region).
While the recommended maximum number of isolated regions running is five, if you have memory allocated to processes other than to Process Service or if you do not have the physical memory necessary on the server, out-of-memory errors can result even if you have fewer than five isolated regions running. The amount of memory needed per isolated region is dependent on many factors, including work item BLOb size and workflow complexity.
TIP Use the regions command in the vwtool utility to view a list of all the isolated regions loaded in memory, or all the isolated regions defined in the VWService.