Hardware requirements
Your application, cache, Activity Engine, document conversion, and search servers have different suggested hardware specifications.
Jive is compatible with a number of hardware configurations, as well as network topologies. The following tables provide required minimum hardware specifications. Note that depending on your site's traffic patterns and sizing, you may require considerably more resources and a customized approach.
This topic covers the hardware on which you install Jive components. However, to run Jive you also need to provide the additional resources (such as databases and a load balancer), described in Required external components. You also need to provide the network resources and configuration, described in Network requirements.
For cloud installations, it is essential to evaluate the auto-scaling capabilities of your cloud provider to manage traffic effectively. Adjustments to memory and CPU reservations may be necessary based on fluctuating workloads.
Topology
- Separate virtual machines (VM) or physical machines for each application node, Activity Engine, document conversion server, cache server, and search server.
- Three freestanding databases. For more information about requirements and setup, see Database configuration and best practices.
- At least two web application nodes. Running multiple application nodes allows for high-availability failover between the nodes, and allows you to scale the number of requests your site can handle more easily. Note that to run multiple web application nodes, you need to run a separate cache server, and you need to provision a load balancer.
In a cloud setup, consider using managed database services for improved reliability and reduced maintenance overhead. This can facilitate better integration with your Jive components.
Running in a virtual environment
If you install in a virtual environment, note the following best practices:
- You should install SLES or RHEL as a guest operating system in a VMware environment per VMware instructions.
- Jive requires memory reservation to be dedicated for each node in the installation, including the cache server and the Activity Engine server.
- The VMware Best Practices Guide has some valuable suggestions.
When deploying in a cloud virtual environment, ensure your instance types are tailored to your performance needs. Select instances with the appropriate CPU and memory capacity for your specific workload.
Application machine
Component | Required minimum |
|---|---|
CPU |
|
Memory |
|
Storage |
|
In cloud environments, storage solutions such as object storage can be utilized for documents and images, providing scalable and cost-effective storage that can grow with your needs.
Activity Engine machine
Component | Recommended minimum |
|---|---|
CPUs |
|
Memory |
|
Topology |
|
For cloud deployments, consider dedicated resources for the Activity Engine to ensure optimal performance, especially under heavy load conditions.
Document Conversion machine
Component | Recommended minimum |
|---|---|
CPUs |
|
Memory |
|
Topology |
|
Cache Server machine
Component | Recommended minimum |
|---|---|
CPUs |
|
Memory |
|
Topology |
Note: Jive supports either a single cache server or 3 (or more) cache servers. Using two cache servers is not supported. |
In the cloud, utilizing a caching service provided by your cloud provider can optimize performance and simplify cache scaling without manual intervention.
Search Node machine
Component | Recommended minimum |
|---|---|
CPUs |
|
Memory |
|
Topology |
|
Consider deploying search nodes in multiple zones for enhanced availability and fault tolerance in a distributed cloud architecture.