How Commerce Server Software Is Installed Within a Deployment

For the latest version of Commerce Server 2007 Help, see the Microsoft Web site.

A Commerce Server deployment requires that you install, configure, and unpack various Commerce Server components. You use the Commerce Server Setup Wizard, Configuration Wizard, and Site Packager tools at various times during the deployment.

This topic answers the following questions:

  • What Are the Server Roles in a Commerce Server Deployment?

  • Which Commerce Server Components Should You Install?

  • Where Should You Install Commerce Server Components?

  • How Do You Install Commerce Server Components?

What Are the Server Roles in a Commerce Server Deployment?

The following table describes the server roles used in the different environments supported by Commerce Server deployments. For information about the environments and deployment types, see Deployment Roadmap.

Server role

Environment

Deployment type

Description

BizTalk server

Integration/test

Production

Enterprise

Supports Commerce Server BizTalk adapters for line-of-business (LOB) and business-to-business trading partner integration. BizTalk Server facilitates multichannel integration scenarios with other internal systems, other retail sales channels, and external trading partners. It supports the exchange of data with the Catalog, Inventory, Orders, and Profiles Systems.

Business Management application client

Internal corporate intranet

Base

Enterprise

Enables the business users in an organization to access the Commerce Server Business Management applications and manage the product catalogs, marketing campaigns, site terms, and more for each Commerce Server site. These applications access the Web services that run on the Business Management server.

Business management clients can point to the Business Management server that runs in the integration/test, staging, or production environments.

Business Management server

Integration/test

Staging

Production

Base

Enterprise

Runs the Web services that the Business Management applications access.

Commerce Server single server

Single server

Evaluation

Supports evaluation and pre-deployment tasks. Runs all Commerce Server software.

Data Warehouse and analysis server

Production

Base

Enterprise

Supports data mining from multiple information sources and analysis reporting services. This server combines an SQL Server database, an Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) database, and processes that Commerce Server uses to import and maintain data.

Database server

Integration/test

Staging

Production

Base

Enterprise

Stores Commerce Server data.

Developer workstation

Development environment

Base

Enterprise

Supports the development of Commerce Server applications, sites, and services.

Domain controller

Integration/test

Production

Base

Enterprise

Runs the Active Directory directory service and Authorization Manager to handle security for all servers and devices on a network. Also handles permissions and logon authentication for users.

ISA server

Production

Base

Enterprise

(Optional) Runs the Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) application that helps to secure the communication between networks.

Management server

Production

Base

Enterprise

Runs the Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) to monitor the servers in a deployment.

Staging server

Data/staging

Enterprise

Runs the Commerce Server Staging (CSS) service. CSS lets you synchronize multiple servers in a Web farm, or copy Web site content and data between separate environments. By using CSS, you can update Web content and business data from a source server to one or more destination servers. CSS is available only with Commerce Server 2007 Enterprise Edition.

In an enterprise deployment, you deploy the staging server in the data/staging environment. It should be set up to mirror the production Business Management server.

Web server

Production

Base

Enterprise

Supports user access to Commerce Server Web sites. You typically deploy Commerce Server Web servers in a load-balanced Web farm.

Which Commerce Server Components Should You Install?

The following table describes the Commerce Server 2007 software components that you can install by using the Commerce Server installation tools.

Commerce Server component or service

Description

Commerce Server 2007 core components

Includes the Commerce Server Catalog, Inventory, Marketing, Orders, and Profiles Systems, Commerce Server Manager, product documentation, software development kit (SDK), and the Commerce Server client tools.

Install the Commerce Server core components on the Business Management server and on other computers in a deployment that run the Commerce Server Web services. The Business Management applications access the Web services.

Direct Mailer component

(Optional) Includes the Commerce Server Direct Mailer service and components that Commerce Server uses to create and send direct mail to lists of users.

Install this component on the Business Management server or on a dedicated server that supports direct mail activities.

Project Creation Wizard

Provides a developer tool that you use in Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 or Visual Studio 2008 to make it easier to create Commerce Server Web projects. To install the Project Creation Wizard, you must have previously installed Visual Studio 2005 or Visual Studio 2008.

Install this component only on developer workstations.

Staging component

Includes the Commerce Server Staging (CSS) system components, including the deployment engine and the CSS service. You can use CSS to stage your Web site content and business data from one environment to another, such as from a test environment to the production environment.

Install this component on the Business Management server and Web servers in the deployment.

Health Monitoring Service

(Optional) Supports monitoring of Commerce Server Web services with MOM 2005. To use the Health Monitoring Service, you must install MOM 2005 and the Commerce Server 2007 MOM Pack. MOM 2005 and Commerce Server 2007 MOM pack are available as separate downloads.

Install this component on the Business Management server or on one of the Web servers in the Web tier of an enterprise deployment.

Volume Shadow Copy Writer Service

(Optional) Supports backup and restore operations for Commerce Server databases. To use this service, you must install and configure the Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service. For more information about the Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service, see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=71858.

Install this component on the principal production database server in the deployment.

Business Management applications

Supports business users, customer service representatives, developers, and administrators who change the catalog, profile, orders, and marketing data. There are four Business Management applications:

  • Catalog Manager. Supports product catalog Web site management activities.

  • Catalog and Inventory Schema Manager. Supports managing catalog definitions, categories, products, and properties.

  • Customer and Orders Manager. Supports order management Web site activities.

  • Marketing Manager. Supports discount, advertisement, and direct mail Web site management activities.

Commerce Server adapters for BizTalk Server

(Optional) Supports Commerce Server adapters for BizTalk Server to integrate with other applications, Web services, and trading partners.

Install this component on computers that are running BizTalk Server.

The following table describes the Commerce Server 2007 software components that you can install by using the Commerce Server Configuration Wizard, Site Packager, or other tools.

Commerce Server components

Commerce Server tool

Commerce Server global resource databases:

  • MSCS_Admin

  • MSCS_CatalogScratch

  • DirectMailer

Commerce Server Configuration Wizard

Commerce Server site-specific databases:

  • <site_name>_productcatalog

  • <site_name>_marketing

  • <site_name>_marketing_lists

  • <site_name>_profiles

  • <site_name>_transactionconfig

  • <site_name>_transactions

Site Packager

Commerce Server site and Web services

Site Packager

Commerce Server Data Warehouse resource and database

Site Packager (DW.pup file)

Commerce Server reports

Commerce Server Analysis PuP Helper (ReportInstaller.exe)

Commerce Server MOM pack

To download the Commerce Server MOM Pack, see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=43970

Where Should You Install Commerce Server Components?

The following table shows the Commerce Server 2007 software components that you typically install to support each server role.

Server role

Commerce Server 2007 core components

Direct Mailer

Project Creation Wizard

Staging

Health Monitoring Service

Volume Shadow Copy Writer Service

Business Management applications

Commerce Server adapters for BizTalk Server

BizTalk server

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

Yes

Business Management client

No

No

No

Yes

No

No

Yes

No

Business Management server

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No

No

Yes

No

Commerce Server single server

Yes

Yes

Optional

Yes

Optional

No

Yes

No

Data Warehouse and analysis server

Yes

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

Database server

No

No

No

No

No

Yes

No

No

Developer workstation

Yes

Optional

Yes

Optional

No

No

Yes

No

Management server

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

Staging server

Yes

No

No

Yes

No

No

Yes

No

Web server

Yes

No

No

Optional

Optional

No

No

No

How Do You Install Commerce Server Components?

The following table summarizes how Commerce Server software is deployed across the servers in a base or enterprise deployment. Commerce Server creates different databases at different points during deployment. The Commerce Server Configuration Wizard creates global resource databases, except for the Data Warehouse. Commerce Server creates site-specific resource databases when you unpack the Web services for a site. Commerce Server creates the Data Warehouse global resource database when you unpack the Data Warehouse resource.

Server

Commerce Server Software

Tool used to install

BizTalk server

  • Commerce Server adapters for BizTalk Server

Commerce Server Setup Wizard

Business Management application clients

  • Commerce Server Business Management applications

Commerce Server Setup Wizard

Business Management server

  • Commerce Server 2007 core components

  • Direct Mailer (optional)

  • Staging

  • Commerce Server Business Management applications

Commerce Server Setup Wizard

  • Commerce Server site and Web services

Site Packager

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You should unpack Web services only one time within a deployment environment. Name restrictions apply to the applications and Web services you unpack. For more information, see How Site Packager Works.

Data Warehouse and analysis server

  • Data Warehouse global resource database: DWsite_datawarehouse

Site Packager

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Commerce Server creates the Data Warehouse database when you unpack the Data Warehouse resource (DW.pup). Unpack this resource on the Business Management server.
  • Data Warehouse reports

Commerce Server Analysis Pup Helper (ReportInstaller.exe)

Database servers

  • Commerce Server Volume Shadow Copy Writer Service (optional)

Commerce Server Setup Wizard

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Install on the principal server in a cluster or a non-clustered database server.
  • Commerce Server global resource databases:

    • MSCS_Admin

    • MSCS_CatalogScratch

    • DirectMailer

Commerce Server Configuration Wizard

  • Commerce Server site-specific resource databases:

    • <site_name>_productcatalog

    • <site_name>_marketing

    • <site_name>_marketing_lists

    • <site_name>_profiles

    • <site_name>_transactionconfig

    • <site_name>_transactions

Site Packager

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Site Packager unpacks Web services on the internal/test and production Business Management server, and on the Staging server. Commerce Server creates corresponding databases on each database server that is deployed to support these server roles. Commerce Server also creates these databases when you unpack a site on a developer workstation or Commerce Server single server.

Developer workstation

  • Commerce Server 2007 core components

  • Project Creation Wizard

  • Commerce Server Business Management applications

  • Commerce Server adapters for BizTalk Server (optional)

Commerce Server Setup Wizard

  • Commerce Server global resource databases

Commerce Server Configuration Wizard

  • Commerce Server site, Web services, and site databases

Site Packager

Management server

  • Commerce Server MOM pack

The MOM pack is available as a separate download. For more information, see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=71997.

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MOM installs MOM agents on each server in the deployment.

Staging server

  • Commerce Server 2007 core components

  • Staging

  • Commerce Server Business Management applications

Commerce Server Setup Wizard

  • Commerce Server site and Web services

Site Packager

Staging server database

  • Commerce Server global resource databases:

    • MSCS_Admin

    • MSCS_CatalogScratch

Commerce Server Configuration Wizard

  • Commerce Server site-specific databases:

    • <site_name>_productcatalog

    • <site_name>_marketing

    • <site_name>_marketing_lists

    • <site_name>_profiles

    • <site_name>_transactionconfig

    • <site_name>_transactions

Site Packager

Web servers

  • Commerce Server 2007 core components

  • Staging

  • CS Health Monitoring components (optional)

Commerce Server Setup Wizard

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You need to install the Commerce Server Health Monitoring service on only one server in the deployment.
  • Commerce Server site

Site Packager

Aa545464.alert_note(en-US,CS.70).gifNote:
You can add multiple Web servers to support a Commerce Server site. You can do this through Site Packager or through Commerce Server Manager, which accesses Site Packager to add the site to additional Web servers.

See Also

Other Resources

Using Commerce Server Installation Wizard

Using Commerce Server Configuration Wizard

How Site Packager Works

Deployment Roadmap

Deployment Architecture

Deployment Guidelines

Using Commerce Server Installation Tools

Deploying Commerce Server 2007