Deployment of Metadata/Middle Tier on One Machine and Compute Server on Another Machine

[tlorel]

Hi,

We currently have an upcoming installation and configuration with below architecture:

Server1: Metadata and Middle Tier

Server2: Compute Server

Would like to seek expert advice if below strategy is the best step to make it work successfully:

On the Planning App/Plan File Creation Site we select 3 servers

1. Metadata Server

2. SAS Application Server (Compute Server)

3. Middle Tier Server

What we are thinking is that when we do installation and configuration the sequence would be as follows:

1. Metadata/Middle Tier (Install and Config the Metadata Server)

2. SAS Application Server (Install and Config the Compute Server)

3. Metadata/Middle Tier (Install and Config the Middle Tier Server)

Would like to check if above is possible and if any advice we can get from your experiences to implement the above architecture? Also recommendations on folder structure (e.g. Separate SASHome/Configuration Folder for Metadata and Middle Tier is required) is much appreciated.

Thanks and Best Regards,

[jag_SAS]

 lorenzk,

Having the metadata server and middle tier configured on on machine/host is fine. However, if are deploying anything but a single machine/tier topology, i.e. all products configured into one configuration directory, then you will need to ensure the middle tier components are placed in their own configuration directory. This directory is distinct from the metadata tier. Here is a configuration directory example:

Meta/Middle Host (metadata tier): /opt/sas/config/meta/Lev1

Compute Host 1: /opt/sas/config/Lev1  

Compute Host 2: /opt/sas/config/Lev1

Meta/Middle Host (middle tier): /opt/sas/config/midtier/Lev1

Note: Compute Host 1 and 2 configuration directories must be distinct, not shared across the two machines. 

The reason you need to do this is that when you update/apply maintenance you are supposed to update in this order: Metadata, Compute(s), Middle tier(s). If metadata and middle are in the same configuration then your updates would be: Metadata+Middle tier (in one pass), Compute(s).  This will cause failures and will result in a deployment that cannot be managed in a supportable way. 

You mention the planning application, which would imply you're a partner. Please refer to the Help where you'll find the Planning App Guide where you'll find this topic and other plan-specific topology requirements discussed. Here's the beginning of that section: 

Deploying the metadata server and middle tier on the same machine

For deployments that include more than one machine, if you want to deploy the metadata server and middle tier on the same machine, you must put them on two separate machines in your plan file (one for metadata server, the other for the middle tier).

"Machines" in the planning application is synonymous with a tier, which is a configuration directory.

Regarding the binaries, you will want to share SASHome between the metadata and middle tier since they are on the same machine. When you perform future SAS Deployment Manager administration tasks it will find two configuration directories managed by this SASHome and you will be prompted to choose which configuration directory to act upon. For any task, except rebuilding and redeploying web applications, you will want to be certain to select to operate on the metadata tier's configuration directory first.