Understanding Multi-Tenancy

In this section:

PMF can be installed and configured to allow more than one separate and distinct PMF data mart to be used with a single copy of the PMF application. This configuration allows different constituents to see completely different Scorecards, Metrics, and Dimensions. It also allows for multiple separate and distinct copies of the PMF application to be hosted in a single environment of WebFOCUS Reporting Server(s), WebFOCUS Client(s), and ReportCaster. This type of configuration does not allow any sharing or crossover of these constituents.

This type of PMF installation is called multi-tenancy, since each separate PMF data mart and configuration is like a “tenant” in an “apartment,” where the “building” is the PMF application.

When a particular user logs on to PMF, the multi-tenancy configuration allows their correct data mart to be accessed when a particular user signs on to PMF. This setup is particularly useful because it allows you to host many PMF apps with as few as just one set of servers.

The following image shows the login process flow of a multi-tenancy configuration.

Login process flow


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When to Use Multi-Tenancy

Multi-tenancy should only be used if you need to have totally separate and distinct businesses use PMF, with no common Metrics or Dimensions. When this type of configuration is made, separate tenants have no common access and cannot see each others Scorecards, Metrics, or Dimensions. Multi-tenancy should not be used if this is not the desired scenario. If, for example, you wanted to allow different groups of users to see some common and some different Metrics and Dimensions, you would simply link these Metrics to different Scorecards, and make these visible to the stakeholders by giving them access to the Scorecards.


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Licensing With Multi-Tenancy

There are licensing considerations to be answered if you plan to use PMF with a multi-tenancy configuration. Each separate working mart can be seen as a different instance of PMF and might have separate licensing. Please check with your IBI representative for more information.


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Automation and Multi-Tenancy

It is possible that if you need to perform multi-tenancy installations regularly, you would want to write a batch script to automate the process. There is no default automation script for this, and since shell scripting is an OS dependent capability, you would need to create your own script.


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