Introduction to Configuration Tasks
Both developers and system administrators configure productions at various times. This page provides some background and an overview of the configuration tasks.
Background for System Administrators
A production is a specialized package of software and documentation that integrates multiple, potentially disparate software systems. A production includes elements that communicate with these external systems, as well as elements that perform processing that is internal to the production.
A production consists of a number of business hosts that communicate with each other (and with external systems). There are three distinct types of business host:
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A business service receives input from outside the production.
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A business process is responsible for communication and logic that is entirely within the production.
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A business operation usually sends output from the production. Business operations can also be used for communication and logic within a given production.
Within a production, all communication is carried out by means of request and response messages between the business hosts.
InterSystems IRIS® data platform permits only one production to be running in a given namespace at any given time.
A running production continues to run even when you close the Management Portal.
For additional background, see Core Concepts.
Introduction to Settings
A major part of configuration is the task of modifying settings. This section provides an introduction.
Settings are configurable values that control the behavior of a production. You can modify these while a production is running and the changes take effect immediately. Settings can affect a production in many ways. For example, a setting can specify:
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The TCP port on which a business service should listen
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How frequently to check for new input.
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The external data source name (DSN) to use.
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The TLS configuration to use when connecting to an external entity.
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How long to stay connected.
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And so on.
You can specify settings separately for the production and for each business host.
Some settings, such as Actor Pool Size, Pool Size and Reply Code Actions, should be decided as part of the production design and usually should not be changed later. Other settings are dependent on the environment, such as TCP/IP addresses or file paths. It is appropriate to modify these settings if the environment changes.
Possible Configuration Tasks
While you are creating a production, you will need to perform the following tasks:
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Creating the production as a starting place.
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Adding business hosts to the production.
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Configuring settings of the production and of its business hosts.
You might also perform some or all of the following tasks:
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Defining reusable items for use in settings: business partners, credentials, and schedule specifications.
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Defining other options: data lookup tables, system defaults, and source control settings.
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Creating dashboards to display business metrics.
If you are a system administrator, see Creating and Configuring a Production, Configuring Business Hosts, and Defining Reusable Items for Use in Settings.
