How many and what databases I have to create for a WSO2 EI two node cluster like this (each node contains ESB and MB profiles)

Question

I am installing a WSO2 EI two nodes cluster and I have some doubts about the number of databases that have to be created.

I will try to explain my situation as best that I can: I am using WSO2 EI 6.5.0 .

I have two nodes cluster. Each node contains the ESB and the MB profile. I will create the needed databases on a Microsoft SQL Server cluster DB.

So I have this situation:

NODE 1: ESB AND MB

NODE 2: ESB AND MB

Reading on the official documentation:

CLUSTERING WSO2 ESB PROFILE: https://docs.wso2.com/display/EI650/Clustered+Deployment

CLUSTERING WSO2 MB PROFILE: https://docs.wso2.com/display/EI650/Clustering+the+Message+Broker+Profile

I can found information of the DBs needed by ESB and MB profiles. In particular ESB profile need the creation of these 4 databases:

• WSO2_USER_DB: JDBC user store and authorization manager.
• REGISTRY_DB: Shared database for config and governance registry mounts in the product's nodes.
• REGISTRY_LOCAL1: Local registry space in Node 1.
• REGISTRY_LOCAL2: Local registry space in Node 2.

while MB profile need the following 5 databases:

• WSO2_USER_DB: JDBC user store and authorization manager.
• REGISTRY_DB: Shared database for config and governance registry mounts in the product's nodes.
• REGISTRY_LOCAL1: Local registry space in Node 1.
• REGISTRY_LOCAL2: Local registry space in Node 2.
• MB_DB: Stores instance data that are specific to the message broker profile.

So it appears that the first 4 databases are the same between the ESB and MB profiles and that the MB profiles uses an addictional database named MB_DB .

And here my doubt: in a situation like the one that I have (2 nodes cluster that both contains ESB and MB profiles) how many databases have do I have to create?

My original idea was 5 databases because I thought that the first 4 databases are shared between ESB and MB profiles but now I have the following doubt: in theory (correct me if I am doing wrong assertion) both ESB and MB may use same user database and registry but checking the default H2 setup we have that:

• ESB profile use one database placed in /usr/lib/wso2/wso2ei/6.5.0/repository/database/
• MB profile use one database placed in /usr/lib/wso2/wso2ei/6.5.0/wso2/broker/repository/database/

So in theory it should mean that it is better to do not mix databases between profile/products.

So what exactly I should do? How many and what databases I have to create?

I am now thinking that maybe I have to completly separate the ESB and MB profiles databases using prefix, something like this:

ESB profile databases: I have to create these 4 databases:

• ESB_WSO2_USER_DB
• ESB_REGISTRY_DB
• ESB_REGISTRY_LOCAL1
• ESB_REGISTRY_LOCAL2

MB profiles databases: I have to create these 5 databases;

• MB_WSO2_USER_DB
• MB_REGISTRY_DB
• MB_REGISTRY_LOCAL1
• MB_REGISTRY_LOCAL2
• WSO2_MB (specific for MB profile so I am not using a reduntant suffix)

Could this be a good solution? But in this way I will have completlely separate dbs and not shared information for users and registry.

What is the best practice in a case like a two nodes cluster like mine?

Thank you

Answer 1

As you said, it is fine to keep separate databases. And what usually does is creating databases with a prefix as you mentioned.

However, let's say if its only one set of users that will be accessing both ESB and MB, then you can go ahead and point a single userdb from the both products (means all the four instances running in 2 nodes).

Regarding the registry database, let say if you have a configuration file that needs to be access from both ESB and MB, then you have to share a single registry_db (and also have to follow the proper registry mounting / see the docs for that). If there is no such case, it is best to keep separate databases.

Bottom line: As long as there is nothing to be shared between ESB and MB internally, it is best to maintain a separate set of databases. You only need to follow clustering and share databases only between the instances of the same product.

Cheers!