Deployment configuration for Rational ClearQuest MultiSite installations

You have two options in deploying Report Server for ClearQuest functionality with Rational ClearQuest Multisite sites.
About this task

ClearQuest MultiSite replication of Report Server for ClearQuest information stored in the embedded Derby database is not supported. Multiple instances of the Report Server for ClearQuest can be deployed, but each is independent and data stored in individual instances is not propagated to other instances. For example, report folders created using one Report Server are not visible to other Report Servers.

In a ClearQuest Multisite deployment, there are multiple Rational ClearQuest database servers that are usually deployed into different physical locations, and are connected to each other over relatively slow networks. End users connect to the database server that is closest to them, using a fast local network, in order to get the best response times for Rational ClearQuest client operations. For environments like this, keep the following general guidelines in mind when planning how to best deploy the Report Server for ClearQuest:
  • Be sure that the Report Server has fast network access to the Rational ClearQuest database server. If the network connection is slow, performance is impacted for operations that require data to be transferred between the database server and the Report Server, such as report generation.
  • End users should connect to the Report Server using a fast network connection. If the network connection is slow, then performance is impacted for operations that require data to be transferred between the Report Server and the user's browser, such as navigating the report hierarchy.

Keep the number of Report Servers that you deploy to a minimum. Each Report Server must be managed separately, and so your cost of administration increases as the number of Report Servers increase.

For best performance, reports deployed to a Report Server for ClearQuest should avoid using data sources that are geographically dispersed.

Individual reports should be constructed in a manner that properly leverages the Report Server for ClearQuest configuration. It is possible (but not recommended) to deploy a report in a location that accesses a CM Server in distant geographic location. For that case, it would be more effective to deploy the same report on a Report Server that is physically located in the distant location. When invoked from your location, all report processing would occur in distant location, and only the resulting report output would be returned to your local site.

With these guidelines in mind, there are two deployment patterns to consider when using the Report Server in a Rational ClearQuest MultiSite deployment:
  • A single Report Server, co-located with a Rational ClearQuest database server. In this pattern, all users connect to the same Report Server. This pattern optimizes performance by using a fast connection between the Report Server and the Rational ClearQuest database server. It also allows users to share reports, and avoids the administrative overhead involved in managing multiple Report Servers. The main disadvantage of this approach is that it requires all users to have a reasonably fast network connection to the Report Server. In cases where this is not true (such as where users are widely dispersed geographically), then you should consider deploying additional report servers to improve performance.
  • Multiple Report Servers, each co-located with a different Rational ClearQuest replica. In this pattern, the user community is segmented with each segment assigned to a different Report Server. The segments are selected such that each user segment has fast network access to a Report Server. This optimizes overall performance, but adds to the overhead of administration. Additionally, reports cannot be shared among user segments, since each Report Server contains its own reports and folders.

If you install multiple instances of the Report Server, each instance should be connected to only one Rational ClearQuest replica as shown in the following illustration:

This figure shows that you can connect one Report Server for ClearQuest to gather information for reports from one ClearQuest replica.

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