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Installation Planning Guide

TM

Software Release 9.5.2October 2015

TIBCO Nimbus

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TIBCO Nimbus Installation Planning Guide

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3Contents


Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 2 Planning ......................................................................................................................... 8Installing TIBCO Nimbus on a 64-bit operating system

......................................................................................................................... 8Directory Sharing

......................................................................................................................... 9Disk Space Requirements

......................................................................................................................... 9Storing Data

Chapter 3 Product Overview ......................................................................................................................... 12File Server

......................................................................................................................... 14Author Client

................................................................................................ 14Software Requirements

................................................................................................ 14General Considerations

................................................................................................ 15Windows Server 2003 R2 Considerations

................................................................................................ 16Windows Server 2008/R2 and 2012/R2 Considerations

................................................................................................ 17Windows Vista Considerations

......................................................................................................................... 18Web Server



................................................................................................ 20Windows Server 2003 R2 Considerations

................................................................................................ 21Windows Server 2008 Considerations

......................................................................................................................... 22Action Server / Business Server



......................................................................................................................... 22Batch Server


......................................................................................................................... 23Performance Monitor Plug-in


Chapter 4 Integration ......................................................................................................................... 25Integrating with SAP BW and SAP NetWeaver

......................................................................................................................... 25Integrating with Cognos Metrics Manager

Installation Planning Guide4


......................................................................................................................... 25Integrating with Salesforce.com

......................................................................................................................... 25Integrating with Oracle

......................................................................................................................... 25Integrating with Generic Portals

......................................................................................................................... 26Integrating with SAP Solution Manager

......................................................................................................................... 26Integrating with BPM-Xchange

......................................................................................................................... 26Integrating with OpenText Document Management

......................................................................................................................... 26Integrating with tibbr

Chapter 5 Deployment ......................................................................................................................... 28Simple Deployment

......................................................................................................................... 29Complex Deployment

Chapter 6 TIBCO Nimbus Support ......................................................................................................................... 32Support Contact Details

Chapter 7 Appendix ......................................................................................................................... 34Hardware Requirements

................................................................................................ 34Author Client Hardware Requirements

................................................................................................ 35Web Server Hardware Requirements

Introduction

Chapter 1

Installation Planning GuideTIBCO Nimbus

6 Installation Planning Guide


Introduction

This guide provides an overview of the technical architecture of the TIBCO Nimbus suite and how thearchitecture can be scaled to support multi-national corporations. It also describes the hardwarerequirements for deploying and hosting the TIBCO Nimbus suite. The figures given are purely indicative andeach organization will have their own characteristics that determine the actual requirements. In addition, therequirements for a particular organization will change over time, driven by a changing usage profile. Thismeans that there will be an ongoing capacity planning activity required to ensure that TIBCO Nimbusperforms to the requirements of an organization.

Planning

Chapter 2




Planning

Installing TIBCO Nimbus on a 64 bit Operating SystemTIBCO Nimbus is 32-bit, however the suite can run in a 64-bit operating system under 32-bit compatibilitymode.

Directory SharingA default installation will install the directory structure shown below, although any structure can be used.

<Destination Directory Path>

TIBCO Nimbus

Action Server

Batch Server

BI Server

Cache

Client

Logs

PerfMon

Process Repository

Process RepositoryATTACH

Process Repositorycred

Temp

Web Server

The location and sharing rights of each of the directories needs to be considered. By default, the ProcessRepository needs to be shared and if users are going to access the Client executable over the network thenthe Client install folder must also be shared. The Action Server, Business Intelligence Server and Web Serverdo not need to be shared as user access across a network is not required.

9Installation Planning Guide


Disk Space RequirementsThe data volume requirements are not discussed in detail. In practice, TIBCO Nimbus does not use a largeamount of disk space, however associated documents (files, documents, media files, etc) require the largestamount of disk space, which are clearly site-specific. The Web Server image cache, which is also site-specific, is used to store .emf and .gif files for fast serving of images in the Web Server. The image cachecould easily grow to over 1GB in time, therefore a capacity of 10GB of disk space is recommended.

Storing DataTIBCO Nimbus stores all data and process content generated by authors in the Process Repository folder inthe Windows file system. All tables and other files are organized in different sub-folders within the ProcessRepository folder. Note that the Process Repository folder can be secured by preventing unauthorized accessoutside of the software. Please refer to the Administration Guide (under the Security section) for moreinformation.

The TIBCO Nimbus software uses the ElevateDB embedded database engine for the table, index and otherdatabase-related files. The system data, process content and other files are optimized for the TIBCO Nimbussoftware to help maximize performance based on the type of data that is stored and the access profile.

Each process map is stored in a separate folder inside the Maps folder in the Process Repository folder. Eachmap is uniquely identified via a 32 hexadecimal GUID code, for example C1661023902543058AF18DD1E9476326. A map's GUID is used as the name of the folder for where the mapis stored. This allows authors to easily rename the map without requiring changes to the folder structure inthe Process Repository. A number of ElevateDB table files and other data files are stored in each processmap folder. For example, the Diagrams files are the database files used for storing all diagrams within aprocess map.

To prevent exceeding character limits within the Windows file system, process map folders are strippedwithin sub-folders based on the first two characters of a map's GUID code. For example, if the map GUID isC1661023902543058AF18DD1E9476326 then it will be stored inside a sub-folder called 'C1' inside the Mapsfolder. The GUID for a process map can be viewed in the 'Physical Path' field in the 'Where Am I' dialog(accessible from the Map menu in the TIBCO Nimbus Author Client application.

History

In v9.0.0, v9.0.1 and v9.1.0, the same folder structure was used, however the DBISAM embedded databaseengine was used for all the database table files. In TIBCO Nimbus v9.2.0, the embedded database enginewas upgraded to ElevateDB, which fully supports Unicode and therefore allows for all multi-byte charactersto be used throughout the generated process content. The TIBCO Nimbus 9.1 to 9.2 migration utilityautomatically migrates all DBISAM database table files up to the ElevateDB database table format.

In v8.1.5 and earlier releases of the software the embedded DBISAM database engine component was usedand the process maps were stored in separate folders, however the folder names were based on the actualnames of process maps. This prevented process maps from being easily renamed because the folder namewould also need to be renamed, which required all files to be closed and not in use by any other instance ofthe TIBCO Nimbus software, including the TIBCO Nimbus Web Server application. This was too limiting inlarge deployments of the TIBCO Nimbus software. The TIBCO Nimbus 8.1 to 9.0 migration utilityautomatically restructures all process map folders in the Process Repository from being based on the actualname of the process map to be based on the GUID of the process map.



Advisory

It is extremely important that no changes are made to the Process Repository files outside of the TIBCONimbus software. Any changes to the files may cause data corruption and potentially result in data loss andinstabilities in the TIBCO Nimbus software. The Admin Utility, supplied with the TIBCO Nimbus software,allows database tables and other files to be examined, repaired and potentially modified in some cases. Ifyou are planning on modifying any database tables and other files in this manner, please contact TIBCONimbus Support to provide assistance in all cases when using the TIBCO Nimbus Admin Utility.

Product Overview

Chapter 3




Product Overview

TIBCO Nimbus is an Enterprise Business Process Improvement software solution that allows you to capture,manage and deploy your operational processes and supporting information to all your people wherever theyare, across the web or on a mobile device, delivered either on premise or in the cloud. TIBCO Nimbus isunique in its ability to involve the whole workforce in business process excellence so that you can moreeasily improve performance, efficiency and compliance.

3.1 File Server

The File Server consists of several managed repositories.

Process Repository is an internal folder structure containing a number of flat files and DBISAM databasetables and index files. It holds process diagrams and all process-related information, such as resources,metadata, access rights, workflow actions, etc.

Document Registry holds all files related to processes, such as forms, templates, application links, policydocuments, etc.

Business Intelligence Repository holds all scorecards, metrics, trend data, and links to external datasources, such as Cognos, SAP BW, etc.

Information Framework Repository holds compliance, risk, technical and other external data frameworks



and their links to processes within the process repository, such as SAP business blueprint hierarchy,ISO9000/9001, ISO1400, CMMi, etc.



3.2 Author Client

The Author Client is a software application used to capture, analyze, report and extract process content. It isdesigned to operate across the network using shared drives, UNC paths or via Citrix Terminal Services for aglobal deployment over the internet.

Note: If you plan to access a file server that is installed on Windows Server 2003 R2 (SP2), please be awarethat file handles may disappear when the Author Client is installed on Windows Server 2008 R2.

Software RequirementsPlease refer to the Release Notes for information on software requirements.

General ConsiderationsThere are a number of points to consider with respect to installing the Author Client.

Sharing the Process Repository

If you are going to share the Process Repository then you must share a higher level folder and not the actualProcess Repository folder, otherwise users may not be able to access folders on the same level as theProcess Repository, such as Process RepositoryATTACH and Process Repositorycred.

There are three approaches to managing the sharing (assuming all of the software is installed on onemachine - if the software is installed on multiple machines then the planning is driven by what capability isrequired on each machine):

1. All directories shared, but sharing the parent folder using the Default Directory Structure. This isthe easiest approach, however it does allow the server-based software installation to be accessed byunauthorized users.

2. Client and Process Repository as separate shares but still using Default Directory Structure. Thisapproach requires two separate shares but allows the default directory structure to be preserved andeither requires two mapped drives or UNC path names to be used.

3. Client and Process Repository installed into one folder structure which is shared and the othercomponents into another folder that is not shared. This approach requires a different directorystructure but only a single share.

All three approaches are valid but will of course depend on the requirements of the site.

LDAP

If LDAP is planned for but is not going to be immediately implemented, it is very important that the useraccounts are set up to be the same as their network logon account names, otherwise when LDAP is used itwill treat the user's accounts as new and remove their existing accounts, thereby removing all of the currentaccess to TIBCO Nimbus information and any authorization lists, review lists, etc. If using LDAP it isrecommended to implement SLDAP.

Anti-Virus Software

Anti-virus software that checks files as they are written and read from the file system will have a dramaticimpact on the performance of the system. If an anti-virus system is installed it is essential that .npcat,.npdat, .npidx, .nplck, .nploc, .npdta, .npblb and .npjnd file extensions are excluded from virus checking.



Upgrading Versions

When upgrading a minor version release, for example upgrading from 8.1.0 to 8.1.1, you must copy theProcess Repository, Process RepositoryATTACH and Scorecard Repository folders to the new location prior tothe installation process. When upgrading major releases you must first migrate the Process Repository beforeinstalling the TIBCO Nimbus suite.

Please refer to the Administration Guide for more information.

Windows Server 2003 R2 ConsiderationsFolder Security

By default, in Windows Server 2003 R2 the security rights given to a folder for Users is 'Read'. This is achange from Windows 2000 Server. Any TIBCO Nimbus Client application connecting to the ProcessRepository other than from the account it was installed by will fail. The security rights on the ProcessRepository need to be changed to include 'Delete' and 'Write'.

Windows Integrated Authentication (WIA) - Single Sign On (SSO)

The changes to support WIA are relevant to all server platforms but are detailed here as they need to beimplemented to support WIA and will affect Server 2003 implementations.

For Windows Server 2003 R2, the Application Pool identity must have a Server Principle Name (SPNs areunique identifiers for services running on servers) defined for SSO to function successfully. This can beachieved in two ways:

Ensure the Application Pool identity is set to the default of the Network Service account.

If the Application Pool is set to run under the TIBCO Nimbus service account then establish an SPNusing the setspn.exe tool. Microsoft's Knowledge Base holds all the information you will need to usethis tool.

Opportunistic Locking ("OpLocks")

Possible data corruption issues may arise if opportunistic locking is enabled in deployments where theProcess Repository is placed on one server and then accessed by another server or workstation. TIBCONimbus highly recommends disabling opportunistic locking on the file server.

To disable Opportunistic Locking:

The CD image contains registry files to enable/disable Opportunistic Locking on a server (found in SystemUpdates and Utils/Oplocks and SMB2).

DisableFileServerOplocks.reg will disable opportunistic locking

Alternatively, the Windows Server 2008/2008 R2 System Registry can be manually edited:

To disable Opportunistic Locking, change or add the following REG_DWORD value:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters\EnableOplocks

Set the value to 0.

Note: You must restart the computer for the above registry change to take effect.

To enable Opportunistic Locking:



EnableFileServerOplocks.reg will enable opportunistic locking.

Alternatively, manually set the registry value above to 1.

Performance Implications

Opportunistic locking can provide significant performance improvements but only when a single PC or serveraccesses remote files. However, once a process on the file server or on another PC/server starts accessingthe same file, this gain is lost. As the Process Repository will either be accessed either entirely from the localserver or more usually several servers, opportunistic locking is not in use and therefore disabling it should nothave any significant impact on performance.

Windows Server 2008/R2 and 2012/R2 ConsiderationsSMB2/SMB3 and Opportunistic Locking ("OpLocks")

A potential data corruption issue has been identified when the Process Repository is placed on a MicrosoftWindows Server 2008/R2 or Windows Server 2012/R2 (or on a Microsoft Windows Vista/Windows 7workstation) and then accessed by another Windows Server 2008/R2, 2012/R2 or a Vista/Windows 7workstation that is SMB2 enabled. To avoid any possible corruption to the data in this deployment set-up,Nimbus highly recommends disabling both the Server Message Block (SMB2/3) file sharing protocol andOpportunistic Locking on the file server.

Note: Opportunistic locking can only be disabled when SMB2/3 has been disabled. After disabling SMB2/3,SMB1 will be used, even when clients that are SMB2/3 capable open files on the file server.

To disable SMB2/3 and Opportunistic Locking:

The CD image contains registry import files that will disable SMB2/3 and Opportunistic Locking on a server(found in System Updates and Utils/Oplocks and SMB2).

Force SMB1.reg will disable SMB2/3 and use SMB1.

DisableFileServerOplocks.reg will disable opportunistic locking.

Alternatively, the Windows Server 2008/2008 R2 System Registry can be manually edited:

To disable SMB2/3, change or add the following REG_DWORD value:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters\SMB2

Set the value to 0.

To disable Opportunistic Locking, change or add the following REG_DWORD value:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters\EnableOplocks

Set the value to 0.

Note: You must restart the computer for the above registry changes to take effect.

To enable SMB2/3 and Opportunistic Locking:

AllowSMB2.reg will enable SMB2/3.

EnableFileServerOplocks.reg will enable opportunistic locking.



Alternatively, you can manually set the registry values above to 1.

Performance Implications

Disabling SMB2/3 will only have a very minor impact on performance and hence this will not usually benoticeable. Opportunistic locking can provide significant performance improvements but only when a singlePC or server accesses remote files. However, once a process on the file server or on another PC/server startsaccessing the same file, this gain is lost. As the Process Repository will either be accessed either entirelyfrom the local server or more usually several servers, opportunistic locking is not in use and thereforedisabling it should not have any significant impact on performance.

Securing a Process Repository

For Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Client installations, the User Account Control (UAC) option must beenabled in order to secure a Process Repository. This is enabled by default.

Windows 7 ConsiderationsThe following issues may arise when installing on Windows 7.

Common file and registry virtualization issues in Windows Vista or in Windows 7 (Microsoft Support KB927387)

File and registry virtualization allows users who have non-administrative access to the registry and to the filesystem to write to certain protected areas. Virtualization creates a 'per user' copy and then redirectssuccessive data operations.

If the virtualization feature of Windows 7 is used and TIBCO Nimbus is installed into the Program Files folder,any writing to the Program Files folder will be virtualized to a 'per user' folder, unless the account that theprogram is running under has administrative rights and elevated if UAC is enabled. This may cause issueswith some users accessing files in their private virtualized folders and others accessing files in the ProgramFiles folder.

See Microsoft Support issue KB 927387 for more information.

Running the client after installation can have side effects on Windows 7 if rights elevation occurred

If running the TIBCO Nimbus client installation on Windows 7 as a non-administrator, the user will beprompted to proceed with the installation and their rights will be temporarily elevated to an administrator'saccount. When the installation has finished and the user selects to run the client upon exiting theinstallation, the client will run under the administrator's account and not the user's account. This will result inany user-specific registry keys and specific files not being accessible when the user next runs the client.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927387



3.3 Web Server

The Web Server interacts with IIS via an ISAPI extension to present information to end users via a webbrowser. Utilizing HTML and JavaScript, the Web Server is designed for scalability, ease of use and minimal ITadministration overhead. The Web Sever can also be installed as a SharePoint solution.


General ConsiderationsService Account

Whilst a simple single box install can use the default accounts, as soon as multiple machines are used orLDAP integration is required it is necessary to use a domain account.

A TIBCO Nimbus service account should be created as a domain account and used to run all of the services.This account does not need Administration rights. It should be created with the password set to 'neverexpire', and can be set as a policy not to allow login. However, if this account is used to run the OfficeIntegration Service then, whilst establishing Excel, this account will need to be used to log in to the box. Oncethis has been done the policy can be applied.

The Service Account also requires access to the following folders:

...\TIBCO Nimbus\Process Repository\

...\TIBCO Nimbus\Process Repository\Temp

...\TIBCO Nimbus\Web Server\Reload

Any document folders that are linked to on other servers.

Platform considerations

There are a number of aspects that should be considered with respect to the server that is hosting the WebServer.

Font SupportAny fonts that are going to be used must be installed on the server.

Language SettingsThe language of the server needs to be the same as the core language that is used in the Web Server.Contact TIBCO Nimbus Support for more information.



Color DepthThe color depth and graphics settings must support the generation of the images used by TIBCO Nimbus. It isrecommended that the color depth is set to 32-bit.

Installing the Web Server on a different machine to the Process Repository

Although it is assumed that the Web Server and File Server roles are combined on the same server in simpledeployments, this is not always the case for more complex deployments. Where multiple servers are requiredin the web tier (e.g. for capacity or redundancy reasons) the Web Server(s) should be separated from the FileServer. In this case certain additional considerations apply.

(Recommended) If a domain exists, both machines must be in the same domain, or if they are indifferent domains they must have an established trust relationship.

If a domain does not exist, both machines should be in the same workgroup. To make this work,identical accounts with identical passwords must be assigned to both machines.

The Anonymous Access and Authentication user must be changed from the site default to a domainaccount that has access rights to the Process Repository.

Installing multiple instances of the Web Server running from the same Program Folder

Issues may arise if multiple instances of the TIBCO Nimbus Web Server are running from the same programfolder. For example, when using multiple virtual directories for the same ISAPI dll, or when using a singleinstallation for both the Classic and remoted Web Server interfaces. Issues include the ISAPI and Web Serverlog files only being accessed by one process at a time, and the restart.js and appinfo.js scripts not workingfor both processes. These issues can be resolved by having several installations of the Web Server (indifferent program folders) sharing the same Process Repository.

Installing the Web Server in a SharePoint Farm

TIBCO Nimbus can be run within a SharePoint farm under the following conditions:

Remoting is required. The web.config changes (required for remoting) must be applied on everySharePoint Front-end Web Server. See the Administration Guide for more information.

The NimbusControl.wsp only needs to be deployed on the machine in which the SharePoint CentralAdministration site is installed, i.e., it is not necessary to manually deploy the file on every machinewithin the farm.

Changes to IIS Configuration

The Web Server installation requires two changes to the IIS configuration. It is important to be aware of thesechanges since these may affect other applications running in the same IIS environment.

WebDAVWebDAV is automatically disabled as part of the installation process. This is required for certain versions ofMicrosoft Office in order to interact with IIS. If WebDAV is required by other applications and there is aversion conflict with Microsoft Office, for example a SharePoint Portal Server or Exchange Server, then theTIBCO Nimbus Web Server will need to be installed on another machine that is running IIS.

Front Page Server extensionsIf the Front Page Server extensions are enabled then they should be manually disabled. If the serverextensions are required on the site then you can create a new site specific for the TIBCO Nimbus installation.To remove server extensions, right-click the TIBCO Nimbus virtual directory (under the Web site that it was



installed into) and choose All Tasks >> Remove Server Extensions.

Excel on the Server

In order for the measures and scorecards to be displayed through the web browser interface, a copy of Excelneeds to be available on the same machine to the Office Integration Server. This can be on the samemachine as the Web Server or on a different machine. Excel 2002 onwards is required to support scorecardcapabilities; earlier versions of Excel will result in an error message being displayed in the Scorecard window.The service needs to be run as a known user and this account must have launched Excel on the machine oncebefore the service is used.

Ports

TIBCO Nimbus uses standard ports, including:

HTTP, ports 80, 8080, etc.

HTTPS, port 443 should be used.

Storyboard Playback in Internet Explorer

In some environments, the default settings in Internet Explorer may prevent the storyboards from beingplayed in the web. If you encounter this issue you will need to ensure that the Nimbus Web Server is in asecurity zone which has Active Scripting enabled. In most cases you can simply add the Nimbus Web ServerURL to the Trusted Sites or Local intranet zones which usually have active scripting enabled. Otherwise, clickCustom Level for the zone that the web server is in and ensure Active scripting is enabled under Scripting.

Windows Server 2003 R2 ConsiderationsIf TIBCO Nimbus is to be hosted on a Windows Server 2003 R2 platform, there are a number of specific issuesthat need to be considered. Whilst Windows Server 2003 R2 is superficially similar to Windows 2000 Server,there are differences that can cause problems when installing and configuring the software. Before installingon Windows Server 2003 R2, a good knowledge of the operating system, especially with regards to IIS 6.0, isrequired. The remainder of this section is designed to provide an overview of the areas where the changesare most likely to impact.

The changes affect a number of areas, including:

Folder Access Rights, which are different by default

The IIS structure, which is radically different

The Default IIS accounts, which are different and therefore require DCOM configuration

Windows Integrated Authentication - (Single Sign On - SSO) Issues

Folder Security

By default, in Windows Server 2003 R2 the security rights given to a folder for Users is 'Read'. This is achange from Windows 2000 Server. Any TIBCO Nimbus Client application connecting to the ProcessRepository other than from the account it was installed by will fail. The security rights on the ProcessRepository need to be changed to include 'Delete' and 'Write'.

IIS and ISAPI Extensions

By default, IIS and ISAPI extensions are not installed by default. These must be installed before installing theWeb Server.



Application Pools

With Windows Server 2003 R2 the overall structure and the way IIS6.0 manages its virtual directories issignificantly different. With IIS 6.0 there is now the concept of application pools. The concept of differentisolation modes (low, medium and high) has disappeared. Each process pool in IIS 6.0 can host multiplevirtual directories and each application pool has its own set of properties.

When TIBCO Nimbus is installed it looks for an application pool called 'TIBCO Nimbus Pool'. If this does notexist then one is created. The TIBCO Nimbus virtual directory is created in the same way but is assigned tothe new application pool.

DCOM Configuration

In Windows Server 2003 R2, DCOM must be configured to allow Network Service, or a replacement account,to have default access and launch rights. See Installing the Web Server in the Administration Guide formore information.

Windows Integrated Authentication (WIA) - Single Sign On (SSO)

The changes to support WIA are relevant to all server platforms but are detailed here as they need to beimplemented to support WIA and will affect Server 2003 implementations.

For Windows Server 2003 R2 the Application Pool identity must have a Server Principle Name (SPNs areunique identifiers for services running on servers) defined for SSO to function successfully. This can beachieved in two ways:

Ensure the Application Pool identity is set to the default of the Network Service account.

If the Application Pool is set to run under the TIBCO Nimbus service account then establish an SPNusing the setspn.exe tool. Microsoft's Knowledge Base holds all the information you will need to usethis tool.

Windows Server 2003 R2 64-bit

The Web application can only run in 32-bit, therefore IIS6 must be configured to run in 32-bit compatibilitymode. Open a command prompt and navigate to the %systemdrive\Inetpub\AdminScripts directory, then runthe following command:

cscript.exe adsutil.vbs set W3SVC/AppPools/Enable32BitAppOnWin64 "true"

Windows Server 2008 ConsiderationsA number of configuration changes are required if TIBCO Nimbus is to be hosted on a Windows Server 2008platform.

IIS Setup

In Windows Server 2008, IIS is not installed by default and therefore needs to be installed. You must alsoinstall the IIS Management Console and ISAPI Extensions roles. This can be achieved through Server Manager.



3.4 Action Server / Business Server

The Action Server runs as five separate Windows-based services, providing a basic SMTP-based Email server,LDAP synchronization, a lock service for backing up a process repository, Microsoft Office integration and adeletion service. The Business Intelligence Server provides the ability to send SMS text messages and E-Mailnotifications when defined measures are breached.


General ConsiderationsUNC Paths

For the Server components it is strongly recommended to use a UNC path to the Process Repository if theProcess Repository is not on the same box as the Server component. This ensures that drive mappings do nothave to be used, since drive mappings can cause a number of issues.

Installing the Action Server on a different machine to the Process Repository

If the Action Server is installed on a different box to the Process Repository then the services must beconfigured to run as a domain account that has access to the Process Repository folder. Failure to do this willresult in the services failing to execute.

What Ports does TIBCO Nimbus use?

TIBCO Nimbus uses standard ports, including:

For SMTP traffic, port 25.

For Excel communication, i.e. the Office Integration Server, port 51001.

3.5 Batch Server

The Batch Server allows the management and monitoring of map promotions to be undertaken on a server.This allows users to continue working in the Author Client whilst map promotions are taking place. Dataintegrity is also protected as users are prevented from quitting the application before promotion operationshave completed. Map promotions can be scheduled to run at specified times.

It is recommended that the Batch Server is installed on a separate server to the Author Client and WebServer, since it will be running potentially large heavyweight draft promotion operations, which could impactserver performance when running. However, this depends on the number of users needing to access thesystem and the volume of data and number of draft promotion operations expected. The Batch Server couldbe installed on the same server as the Action Server and ideally on the same server as the process Repositoryso that is has fast access to the TIBCO Nimbus data (or as close to the process repository as possible foroptimum performance).

Note: The Batch Server must have full read/write permissions to the Process Repository.




3.6 Performance Monitor Plug-in

The Windows Server Performance Monitor Plug-in provides system administrators with the ability to monitorthe internal behaviour of the Web Server and allows all of the normal capabilities of Performance Monitor tobe used.


Integration

Chapter 4




Integration

TIBCO Nimbus can integrate with a number of third-party applications. More information and instructions onintegrating with these products can be found in the Administration Guide.

SAP BW and SAP NetWeaver BITIBCO Nimbus can be integrated with SAP BW and SAP NetWeaver BI. This integration provides the ability forSAP links to be created in diagrams, allowing users to launch SAP transactions in either the SAP GUI or SAPweb-based environment from within TIBCO Nimbus. It also allows SAP-based metric data and scorecards tobe retrieved from a SAP system via SQL queries, which can be displayed on relevant diagrams. Links to SAPreports from metric links can also be made accessible to users. Data retrieval from SAP BW and SAPNetWeaver BI can be automatically scheduled using the TIBCO Nimbus SAP BW Update utility.

Cognos Metrics ManagerMetric data can be retrieved from Cognos Metrics Manager and made available to users via metric links ondiagrams. Data retrieval from Cognos Metrics Manager can be automatically scheduled using the TIBCONimbus Cognos Update utility.

Salesforce.comSalesforce.com scorecards can be registered in TIBCO Nimbus and made available to users.

OracleOracle Dashboards can be registered as scorecards in TIBCO Nimbus and made available to users.

Generic PortalsTIBCO Nimbus provides a number of specific Web Parts, allowing processes, documents, measures,storyboards, scorecards, notes, to-dos, workflows, favorites, recently viewed, my searches, my roles, maps,transactions, reports and actions to be incorporated into generic portals.



SAP Solution ManagerData can be transferred between SAP Solution Manager and TIBCO Nimbus via statement set functionality.Data is transferred between SAP Solution Manager and TIBCO Nimbus via an XML file. This allows statementsets to be created and updated in TIBCO Nimbus. After attaching the relevant SAP-based statements toactivities, the statement set data can then be imported back into SAP Solution Manager. Associated diagramlinks can be added to the Project Documentation tab, the General Documentation tab, or both tabs in SAPSolution Manager. Where organizational unit information is present in the XML output from SAP SolutionManager, an additional statement set can be created that includes user names and this will be linked to theSAP Solution Manager-type statement set nodes during import.

Statement sets derived from SAP Solution Manager can be updated with information on SAP transaction usageby users. This information is captured from a third-party SAP profiling service and used to supplement anexisting SAP Solution Manager statement set. Profiling involves analyzing the SAP system audit trail data andgenerating reports based on customers' needs. Once a data file is generated it can be imported into TIBCONimbus as a statement set.

A number of SAP-based reports are available in TIBCO Nimbus which highlight the SAP systems andtransactions that are based on business processes and which are not. You can also identify which areas ofthe business processes are not covered by any installed SAP systems and transactions.

BPM-XchangeData from third-party applications exported to BPM-Xchange (via XML) can be imported into TIBCO Nimbus asstatement set data. Associated properties will be imported as data table fields and connections will beimported as statement links.

OpenText Document ManagementA web service is available via the TIBCO Nimbus Web Server that allows documents stored in OpenTextDocument Management to be formally acknowledged through the TIBCO Nimbus Document Registry. Thisfeature is supported in OpenText Document Management v9.7.1 onwards.

tibbrTIBCO Nimbus can be integrated with the social networking tool tibbr (available from TIBCO). Integratingtibbr with TIBCO Nimbus allows authors to create tibbr subjects based on storyboard titles and keywords.Web users will have access to their tibbr Wall on their Home page and users can search for tibbr discussions.

http://www.tibco.com

Deployment

Chapter 5




Deployment

5.1 Simple Deployment

Physically, the TIBCO Nimbus components can be installed on a single server, or distributed across anetwork. When deploying the TIBCO Nimbus suite the following guidelines should be considered to ensurethat performance is maintained:

The Process Repository should be hosted on the same box as the Web Server, or there should be a highperformance network connection between boxes.

The image cache should remain enabled (this is enabled by default). This will allow the Web Server todeliver optimum performance as the generation of diagrams is a CPU-intensive operation.

The desktop clients should have good network access to the Process Repository. If a LAN is heavilyloaded it will result in some operations taking a long time to complete, and this can lead to dataintegrity issues. In this case TIBCO Nimbus recommends that a server-based solution using TerminalServices technology, such as Citrix, is used (see below).

The Web Server should be hosted on a dedicated box, since during peak loading times it's likely tobecome a strain on system resources and will either be restricted by other applications or restrict theoperation of other applications.

The Action Server can be run on any Server, since it does not require significant resources. However, ina simple deployment it is recommended to install the Action Server on the same box as the Web Server.



5.2 Complex Deployment

The TIBCO Nimbus suite is a solution designed to support organizations of significant size, as well as smallerorganizations. The application is designed to be scaled by using the range of technologies provided as part ofthe Microsoft operating system environment. The diagram below represents the architecture designed tosupport a very large deployment of global organizations. It is based on two technologies, Network LoadBalancing, which enables large quantities of computing power to be deployed, and Terminal Services, whichallows remote access to the Author Client application.

VirtualizationTIBCO Nimbus supports virtualization of TIBCO Nimbus. Virtualization essentially allows one physicalcomputer to do the job of multiple computers by sharing resources of a single computer across multipleenvironments. TIBCO Nimbus can be hosted on a virtual server, providing access to both local and remoteusers, thereby freeing an organization from physical and geographical limitations. TIBCO Nimbus supportsthe use of Microsoft Hyper-V, VMware vSphere and VMware vMotion.



WAN DeploymentFor Author Client access across a Wide Area Network, a Terminal Services or other virtual desktop solutionshould be used, as described below.

Terminal Services

Installing the TIBCO Nimbus Desktop Client in a Citrix or Windows Terminal Services environment isrecommended due to the large amount of I/O operations to the Process Repository. This prevents possibledata integrity issues arising when users prematurely terminate the Client executable on their PCs in themiddle of an operation, such as during a promotion operation. This applies in a WAN environment but it isalso important in a LAN environment where premature termination of the Client executable on a user's PC ismore likely.

Terminal services allows the Desktop Client to be run on a server box, with the Desktop Client connecting tothe server and acting as a thin terminal, thereby providing an excellent solution to deploying the DesktopClient to users globally.

Windows Terminal (Remote Desktop) Services

With the Advanced Terminal Server Client (Remote Desktop Web Access) it is possible for users to connect tothe terminal server box through a browser installation. However, Citrix is the preferred solution due to lessbandwidth utilization.

Citrix Metaframe

Citrix Metaframe is a technology that extends the Terminal Server capabilities. It utilizes a different protocolcalled ICA, which is more efficient than the RDP protocol used by straight terminal services. In addition, itprovides support for a range of additional capabilities for providing server-enabled desktop applications.Citrix Metaframe is the preferred approach, recommended by TIBCO Nimbus, when Desktop Client access isrequired across a WAN, or there are performance issues arising through a LAN environment. For the greatestuser experience, it is recommended to run Citrix in Full Desktop Mode.

The following versions of Citrix Metaframe are available in the market:

Citrix Metaframe 1.8

Citrix Metaframe XP

Citrix Presentation Server 4.5

Citrix XenApp 5.0

TIBCO Nimbus will function with all four, however there is a known issue with Citrix Metaframe 1.8 inSeamless Published Application mode in that dialog windows can disappear, resulting in the applicationappearing to hang. In Published Desktop mode this problem does not appear, therefore this is therecommended mode. Please note that Citrix Metaframe 1.8 is not supported by TIBCO Nimbus Support.

Please refer to the Citrix home page for more information on Citrix technology.

http://www.citrix.com

TIBCO Nimbus Support

Chapter 6




TIBCO Nimbus Support

6.1 Support Contact Details

Our specialized team are on hand to provide assistance with the TIBCO Nimbus product. TIBCO SupportCentral (TSC) is an online resource where you can log cases directly, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Youcan also view updates on current cases and search the TIBCO Nimbus Knowledge Base.

To access the relevant service, please use the links in the table below.

Requirement Contact Details

To register for a TIBCO Support Central account. Request an account for TIBCO Support Central

To log in to TIBCO Support Central. support.tibco.com

If your support issue is urgent and you have notyet registered for an account please email.

[email protected]

For phone numbers and further information onservice level agreements.

TIBCO Support Services

Feedback

TIBCO Nimbus welcomes any feedback on our supporting documentation as it helps us to improve thedocumentation in future releases. Please email [email protected].

https://support.tibco.com/um/newuser.jsp?rs=lp

https://support.tibco.com

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.tibco.co.uk/services/support

mailto:[email protected]

Appendix

Chapter 7




Appendix

7.1 Hardware Requirements

Author Client Hardware RequirementsThe hardware requirements for the TIBCO Nimbus Desktop Client are as follows:

Hardware Minimum Recommended Requirements

Processor Pentium III compatible, 1GHz or higher

Memory (RAM) Minimum memory requirement for the operatingsystem plus an additional 1.5GB

Disk Space 120MB

Graphics 1024 x 768 with 32 bit color depth

LAN Requirements

In order to support TIBCO Nimbus authors and users exclusively using the Client over a LAN, the requirementis a server with a suitable amount of disk space and a stable, low-latency connection to all users. An unstableor excessively high network latency connection should not be used as it can cause significant issues,including poor performance and data corruption. The bandwidth requirements are not high except at start-up(if the executable is stored centrally and must be loaded across the network). If a problem arises withaccessing the executable over the network, i.e. a significant reduction in speed, the executable may bestored locally for each user.

WAN Requirements

The TIBCO Nimbus Client is not supported for use across a WAN infrastructure. For Client use across a WAN,a Terminal Services or other virtual desktop solution (e.g. Citrix) should be used.

Please Note: iSCSI is not supported over TCP/IP.



Web Server Hardware RequirementsClassic Web Server

The Classic Web Server is a normal Web Server installation, i.e. not a SharePoint integration.

Hardware Minimum Recommended Requirements

Processor Pentium III compatible, 1GHz or higher

Memory (RAM) Minimum memory requirement for the operatingsystem plus an additional 1.5GB

Disk Space 120MB

Graphics 1024x768 with 32 bit color depth

Note: In Windows Server 2003 64-bit mode, IIS must be configured to run in 32-bit compatibility mode (seeWindows Server 2003 Considerations for more information). In a Windows Server 2008/2008 R2 x64environment, the TIBCO Nimbus application pool must be running in 32-bit compatibility mode.

SharePoint Integration

TIBCO Nimbus can be integrated into SharePoint, allowing users to access TIBCO Nimbus data in aSharePoint environment. There are no additional hardware requirements other than the requirements ofeither Windows SharePoint Services 3, SharePoint 2007, SharePoint 2010 and SharePoint 2013. Please refer toMicrosoft's website for information on hardware requirements.

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