3.2 Selecting the Operating Environment for Your Vibe Server

3.2.1 Vibe Server Platform

Novell Vibe can run on the versions of Linux and Windows listed in Section 2.1, Vibe Server Requirements.

BASIC VIBE INSTALLATION SUMMARY SHEET

Under Vibe Server Platform, mark your operating system of choice.

3.2.2 Vibe Server Architecture

Vibe can run on 32-bit or 64-bit processors. A 64-bit processor is recommended for a large Vibe site where the processor load is heavy and data storage requires a large amount of disk space.

BASIC VIBE INSTALLATION SUMMARY SHEET

Under Processor Architecture, mark the processor capacity required for the size of Vibe site that you want to set up.

3.2.3 Vibe Server Memory

If a 32-bit processor is sufficient for your Vibe server, the server needs at least 3 GB of memory. If you plan to use a 64-bit processor in your Vibe server, the server needs more.

Vibe server memory usage is significantly affected by some factors and less affected by others:

  • Number of users logged in: No significant effect.

  • Number of concurrent active sessions: No significant effect.

  • Database server caches: Significant memory usage.

    When you follow the instructions for a Basic installation, the database is located on the same server as the Vibe software. After you have successfully tested your Basic installation, you can reconfigure Vibe to have its database on a remote server, so that the database uses separate memory resources, as described in Section 13.0, Creating the Vibe Database on a Remote Server.

  • Vibe internal data caches: Significant memory usage.

    When you follow the instructions for a Basic installation, the Vibe internal data caches are subdirectories of the teamingdata directory, described in Section 3.2.4, Vibe Installation Locations. The Vibe internal data caches are separate from any caching or memory usage by the database server itself.

  • Lucene index cache: Significant memory usage.

    The Lucene Index Server is a high-performance Java search engine. Large file repositories (particularly with large files or a large number of files) can create a very large data index. When you perform a Basic installation, the Lucene index is created on the same server where the Vibe software is installed. After you have successfully tested your Basic installation, you can reconfigure Vibe to have its Lucene index on a remote server, so that it uses separate memory resources, as described in Installing the Lucene Index Server on a Remote Server.

BASIC VIBE INSTALLATION SUMMARY SHEET

Under Memory Requirements, specify the amount of physical memory you plan to have for your Vibe server.

When you perform a Basic installation, the default amount of memory allocated to the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) where the Vibe software runs is 1 GB, which is adequate for a medium-sized Vibe site running on a 32-bit server. This memory allocation, called the Java “heap size,” does not include memory used by your database server or by the Lucene Index Server when these programs are running on the same server as the Vibe software.

A general rule is that no more than 75% of the available physical memory should be allocated to the JVM. Memory not allocated to the JVM must be sufficient to support the operating system, the database server, and the Lucene Index Server if they are also running on the Vibe server, and any other processes running on the Vibe server.

IMPORTANT:A JVM on a 32-bit server should not be configured to take more than 1.5 G of memory. However, large numbers of users and documents often need memory settings higher than 2 GB to provide adequate performance. This type of Vibe system should be set up on 64-bit hardware.

BASIC VIBE INSTALLATION SUMMARY SHEET

Under Java JDK Location, specify the amount of memory to allocate to the JVM where Vibe runs.

Although it is possible to run Vibe with less than 1 GB of memory for the JVM, this applies only to very small test configurations, and is not suitable for production systems. In a test configuration, 512 MB is the minimum amount of memory required to produce a functioning Vibe installation.

3.2.4 Vibe Installation Locations

The default file location for the Vibe software varies by platform:

Linux:

/opt/novell/teaming

Windows:

c:\Program Files\Novell\Teaming

Included under the main Vibe software directory are subdirectories for Tomcat and file viewer software.

The default file location for the Vibe file repository also varies by platform:

Linux:

/var/opt/novell/teaming

Windows:

c:\Novell\Teaming

IMPORTANT:On Windows, the Vibe installation program displays the Windows pathname with forward slashes (/) rather than the traditional backslashes (\). This syntax is necessary in the installation program.

The Vibe file repository holds all files that are imported into Vibe, information related to the imported files, such as thumbnails and HTML renderings, and the search engine index.

BASIC VIBE INSTALLATION SUMMARY SHEET

Under File Locations, specify the directories where you want to install the Vibe software and data if you prefer not to use the default locations.

A Basic installation allows you to change the root directory for the Vibe software and the Vibe file repository.

IMPORTANT:If you want to organize the Vibe file repository so that some file types are not under the Vibe file repository root directory, you must perform an Advanced installation as your initial Vibe installation. You cannot move directories out of the Vibe file repository root directory after the initial installation has been performed. To perform an Advanced installation in order to organize the Vibe file repository to meet your needs, complete the planning steps for a Basic installation and complete the Basic Vibe Installation Summary Sheet, then follow the additional instructions in Section 9.2, Distributing Different Data Types to Different Locations.

3.2.5 TrueType Font Location (Linux Only)

The Oracle Outside In viewer technology used by Novell Vibe to render various file formats into HTML for viewing requires access to TrueType fonts. Typical locations for these fonts are:

/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/truetype
/usr/share/fonts/truetype

BASIC VIBE INSTALLATION SUMMARY SHEET

Under TrueType Font, specify the directory that contains the TrueType font location.