Determining How Many Databases You Need

You can install the database to both NetWare and Windows servers.

The installation program checks the version of the Sybase* engine before updating it. If it doesn't exist, or is an older version, Sybase software is installed.

IMPORTANT:  Make sure you select a server for the database where you are installing the Subscriber/Policies option. The Purge Database option in the ZENworks for Servers policy (Distributed Server Package) works only if the Policy/Package Agent software and the ZFSLOG.DB file are located on the same server.

The Installation Wizard automatically creates a database object for each instance of the database that is installed. You can install only one instance of the database per run of the Installation Wizard. The database object will be installed to the same eDirectory container as the Server object for the server where the database file, ZFSLOG.DB, is also installed.

Review the following to understand whether to have multiple database files:

• Database Logging and TED Reporting
• Multiple Databases

Database Logging and TED Reporting

Policy and Distribution Services can function normally without using a ZENworks database, because it uses the ZFSLOG.DB file to only log information for reports. ZFSLOG.DB for Policy and Distribution Services does not contain any configuration information.

The Distributor Agent writes its distribution status information (built, received, extracted) to the database. The Policy/Package Agent writes policy enforcement information and Server Software Package installation information to the database. You will need a separate ZENworks Database policy for each of these agents, even though they might be writing to the same database file.

The ZENworks Database policy is associated (Service Location Package version) for the Distributor Agent. The policy is distributed (Distributed Server Package version) for the Policy/Package Agent.

ZFSLOG.DB contains information about Distributions (sent, received, extracted, and so on) and Policy Packages (enforced, failed, and so on). This information is used for the Policy and Distribution Services reports.

The Distributor is the only component that logs TED information to the database file (ZFSLOG.DB). The Policy/Package Agent logs reporting information to this file.

Policy and Distribution Services provides six predefined reports for the Server Policies component and four for the TED component. The report information is obtained from information logged to its database file. The following reports are available:

A selected report displays all of the applicable Server Policies or TED information currently logged in the database. The criteria you can specify for a report include date ranges, specific Distributions, Distribution versions, and so on.

You might want multiple databases for specialized reporting. For more information, see Advantages .

For more information on reporting, see Reporting .

Multiple Databases

Policy and Distribution Services supports multiple instances of the ZENworks database per tree. However, we recommend that you install only one instance of the database per tree. Review the following:

• Advantages
• Distributor Object Contexts and Multiple Databases
• Determining Whether You Need Multiple Databases

Advantages

The advantage in having only one database is that the Distribution information provided by all of the Distributor Agents and Policy/Package Agents can be displayed in a single report.

For example, with a single database, your software package information can be contained in one report:

• The Distributor Agent's information on building and sending the Software Package type of Distribution
• The Policy/Package Agent's information on extracting and installing the software package

The advantages in having multiple databases are:

• Minimizing traffic over slow WAN links

  For example, having a separate database for Policy/Package Agent logging on its server's side of a WAN link.

• Providing individual databases for specialized reporting

  For example, if you have one database for the Distributor Agent (distributions) and one for the Policy/Package Agent (policies), the build and send information for the Software Package and Policy Package types of Distributions will be written to the distributions instance of the database, and the software package installation and policy enforcement information will be written to the policies instance of the database.

Distributor Object Contexts and Multiple Databases

One ZFSLOG.DB file can receive log entries from multiple Distributors, and a Distributor can only log to one ZFSLOG.DB file. The following explains why:

• For a Distributor Agent to locate a database file, it must have a ZENworks Database policy (Service Location Package) associated with a context above the Distributor's object that points to the Database object, which contains the file's location in its properties. (Distributors receive their policies through association.)
• If you have separate databases installed on two or more of your Distributor servers, each database requires its own ZENworks Database policy for locating it (the policy points to the database's object, which contains its file's location).
• Only one Service Location Package (which contains the ZENworks Database policy) can be associated with a given context, such as the container holding your Distributor objects.
• Because only one Service Location Package can be associated with a given context, you must install your Distributor objects to different contexts to have multiple Distributors writing to their individual database files. Each Distributor would need its own database location policy that is associated with its own parent container.

  For ease of management, you can keep your Distributor objects near each other by creating individual containers for each of them under the container where you would usually place all of them. Then you can associate the different Service Location Packages with their appropriate Distributor's unique parent containers.

• To have all of your Distributors write to the same database file, place each of their Distributor objects somewhere under the container where you associate the Service Location Package. They would all use the same database location policy.

Determining Whether You Need Multiple Databases

Consider the following to determine how many databases to have in the tree:

• WAN Traffic: TED does not perform a large number of database updates, so the actual impact on system resources should be minimal. The greatest impact could be the time it takes to perform the transaction. However, if you have slow WAN connections, you might not want database logging to occur over the WAN.

• Multiple Distributors: If you have multiple Distributors in the tree, you can have one database for each, or have them share one or more databases. The type of Distributor reporting you want should determine whether to have a separate database for each. For example, are your Distributors specialized in the types of Distributions they'll send?

• Consolidated Reporting: To have only one report for all of your TED information, install only one database object and file and have all TED Distributors log to that one file, regardless of WAN traffic considerations. Use the ZENworks Database policy (Service Location Package) to direct all Distributors to that database file.

• Specialized Reporting: You might want reports that are specific to a region or group of servers. You can install a database object and file for each such region and have the Distributors in those regions or server groups log to that database. Use a separate ZENworks Database policy (Service Location Package) to direct each Distributor to its desired database file.