Managing the Grid

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Managing the Grid

This chapter includes the following topics: Managing the Grid Overview Configuring the Grid Configuring the Integration Service Configuring Resources

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Managing the Grid Overview

A grid is an alias assigned to a group of nodes that run sessions and workflows. When you run a workflow on a grid, you improve scalability and performance by distributing Session and Command tasks to service processes running on nodes in the grid. When you run a session on a grid, you improve scalability and performance by distributing session threads to multiple DTM processes running on nodes in the grid. To run a workflow or session on a grid, you assign resources to nodes, create and configure the grid, and configure the Integration Service to run on a grid. Figure 10-1 shows an Integration Service configured to run on a grid: Figure 10-1. Configuring an Integration Service to Run on a Grid

To manage a grid, complete the following tasks: Create a grid and assign nodes to the grid. You create a grid and assign nodes to the grid. For more information, see Configuring the Grid.

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Configure the Integration Service to run on a grid. You configure the Integration Service to run on a grid, and you configure the service processes for the nodes in the grid. For more information, see Configuring the Integration Service. Assign resources to nodes. You assign resources to a node to allow the Integration Service to match the resources required to run a task or session thread with the resources available on a node. For more information, see Configuring Resources. After you configure the grid and Integration Service, you configure a workflow to run on the Integration Service assigned to a grid. For information about running workflows and sessions on a grid, see "Running Workflows and Sessions on a Grid" in the Workflow Administration Guide.

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Configuring the Grid

To configure a grid, create the grid and assign nodes to the grid. You can assign a node to more than one grid. To create a grid, you must have full privileges and permission on the domain or folder where you want to create the grid. To assign a node to a grid, you must have full privileges and permission on the grid and the node. To create a grid: 1. In the PowerCenter Administration Console, select Create > Grid. The Create Grid window appears.

2. 3.

Enter a name for the grid. Select nodes to assign to the grid. Ensure that each node in the grid uses the same operating system.

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Configuring the Integration Service

To configure the Integration Service, you assign the grid to the Integration Service and configure the service process for each node in the grid.

Configuring the Integration Service to Run on a Grid

You configure the Integration Service by assigning the grid to the Integration Service. To assign the grid to an Integration Service: 1. 2. In the PowerCenter Administration Console, select the Integration Service Properties tab. Edit the grid/node assignments, and select Grid.

3.

Select the grid you want to assign to the Integration Service.

Configuring the Service Processes

When you run a session or a workflow on a grid, a service process runs on each node in the grid. Each service process running on a node must be compatible or configured the same. It must also have access to the directories and input files used by the Integration Service. To ensure consistent results, complete the following tasks: Verify the shared storage location. Verify the shared storage location is accessible to each node in the grid. For more information about configuring a shared storage location for the Integration Service processes, see Creating and Configuring the Integration Service. Configure the service process. Configure the service process for each node in the grid, and point the $PMRootDir to the shared location. To configure the service processes: 1. 2. Select the Integration Service in the Navigator. Click the Processes tab. The tab displays the service process for each node assigned to the grid:

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3. 4.

Configure $PMRootDir to point to the shared location. Configure the following service process settings for each node in the grid: Code pages. For accurate data movement and transformation, verify that the code pages are compatible for each service process. Use the same code page for each node where possible. Process variables. Configure the process variables the same for each service process. When you run a workflow on a grid, the process variables must be the same for reject files, source and target files, parameter files, and workflow logs. When you run a session on a grid, the process variables must be the same for data and index cache files, session logs, and lookup files. Directories for Java components. Point to the same Java directory to ensure that java components are available to objects that access Java, such as Custom transformations that use Java coding.

For more information about code page compatibility, see Code Page Compatibility. For information about configuring service processes, see Creating and Configuring the Integration Service.

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Configuring Resources
PowerCenter resources are the database connections, files, directories, node names, and operating system types required by a task. You can configure the Integration Service to check resources. When you do this, the Load Balancer matches the resources available to nodes in the grid with the resources required by the workflow. It dispatches tasks in the workflow to nodes where the required resources are available. For more information about configuring the Integration Service to check resource requirements, see Advanced Properties. If the Integration Service is not configured to run on a grid, the Load Balancer ignores resource requirements. For example, if a session uses a parameter file, it must run on a node that has access to the file. You create a resource

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for the parameter file and make it available to one or more nodes. When you configure the session, you assign the parameter file resource as a required resource. The Load Balancer dispatches the Session task to a node that has the parameter file resource. If no node has the parameter file resource available, the session fails. Resources for a node can be predefined or user-defined. PowerCenter creates predefined resources during installation. Predefined resources include the connections available on a node, node name, and operating system type. When you create a node, all connection resources are available by default. Disable the connection resources that are not available on the node. For example, if the node does not have Oracle client libraries, disable the Oracle Application connections. If the Load Balancer dispatches a task to a node where the required resources are not available, the task fails. You cannot disable or remove node name or operating system type resources. User-defined resources include file/directory and custom resources. Use file/directory resources for parameter files or file server directories. Use custom resources for any other resources available to the node, such as database client version. Table 10-1 lists the types of resources you use in PowerCenter: Table 10-1. Resource Types Type Predefined/UserDefined Predefined Description

Connection

Any resource installed with PowerCenter, such as a plug-in or a connection object. A connection object may be a relational, application, FTP, external loader, or queue connection. When you create a node, all connection resources are available by default. Disable the connection resources that are not available to the node. Any Session task that reads from or writes to a relational database requires one or more connection resources. The Workflow Manager assigns connection resources to the session by default. A resource for the name of the node. A Session, Command, or predefined Event-Wait task requires a node name resource if it must run on a specific node. A resource for the type of operating system on the node. A Session or Command task requires an operating system type resource if it must run a specific operating system. Any resource for all other resources available to the node, such as a specific database client version. For example, a Session task requires a custom resource if it accesses a Custom transformation shared library or if it requires a specific database client version. Any resource for files or directories, such as a parameter file or a file server directory. For example, a Session task requires a file resource if it accesses a session parameter file.

Node Name

Predefined

Operating System Type

Predefined

Custom

User-defined

File/Directory

User-defined

You configure resources required by Session, Command, and predefined Event-Wait tasks in the task properties. For more information about configuring task resources, see in the "Running Sessions and Workflows on a Grid" in the Workflow Administration Guide. You define resources available to a node on the Resources tab of the node in the Administration Console. Figure 10-2 shows where you define node resources:

Figure 10-2. Node Resources

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Note: When you define a resource for a node, you must verify that the resource is available to the node. If the resource is not available and the Integration Service runs a task that requires the resource, the task fails.

Viewing Resources in a Domain

You can view the resources available to all nodes in a domain on the Resources tab of the domain. The Administration Console uses a column for each node. It displays a check mark when a resource is available for a node and an "x" when the resource is unavailable. Scroll down to view all resources for each node.

Assigning Connection Resources

You can assign the connection resources available to a node in the Administration Console. To assign connection resources:

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1. 2. 3.

In the Administration Console Navigator, click a node. Click the Resources tab. Click Edit in the Main window.

4. 5. 6.

Click More to view all connection resources. The Administration Console shows the relational, FTP, queue, application, and external loader connections you can assign to a node. In the Main window, select the connections that are available to the node, and clear the connections that are not available to the node. Click OK to save the changes.

Defining Custom and File/Directory Resources

You can define custom and file/directory resources available to a node in the Administration Console. When you define a custom or file/directory resource, you assign a resource name. The resource name is a logical name that you create to identify the resource. You assign the resource to a task or mapping object instance using this name. To coordinate resource usage, you may want to use a naming convention for file/directory and custom resources. For more information about naming these resources, see Resource Naming Conventions. To define a custom or file/directory resource: 1. 2. 3. 4. In the Administration Console Navigator, click a node. Click the Resources tab. In the Main window, click Add for either the Custom or File/Directory resources. Enter a name for the resource in the Create Custom Resource or Create File/Directory Resource window. The name cannot have spaces, include carriage returns or tabs, exceed 79 characters, or contain the following characters: \ / * ? < > " | $ 5. Click OK.

To remove a custom or file/directory resource, click the Remove button for the resource you want to remove.

Resource Naming Conventions

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Using resources with PowerCenter requires coordination and communication between the domain administrator and the workflow developer. The domain administrator defines resources available to nodes. The workflow developer assigns resources required by Session, Command, and predefined Event-Wait tasks. To coordinate resource usage, you can use a naming convention for file/directory and custom resources. Use the following naming convention: resourcetype_description For example, multiple nodes in a grid contain a session parameter file called sales1.txt. Create a file resource for it named sessionparamfile_sales1 on each node that contains the file. A workflow developer creates a session that uses the parameter file and assigns the sessionparamfile_sales1 file resource to the session. When the Integration Service runs the workflow on the grid, the Load Balancer distributes the session assigned the sessionparamfile_sales1 resource to nodes that have the resource defined. For more information about how the Load Balancer distributes tasks using resource availability and requirements, see Load Balancer.

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