You can install Tealeaf CX on a single server or across multiple servers.
The decision on which installation structure to implement depends your existing IT infrastructure, the volume of data to be captured, and your design and usage model.
If you are unsure about the topology to use for your Tealeaf installation, consult with Tealeaf professional services.
After you have installed and configured Tealeaf CX and other Tealeaf products, you can manage the deployment environment for the Tealeaf CX components as a single server or as a collection of servers.
Install on a single server
If your Tealeaf deployment environment consists of a single server, the installation steps involved are as follows:
- Install Tealeaf CX.
- Enable additional Tealeaf products on the same server.
- On local Windows desktops, you can install Tealeaf RealiTea Viewer, the desktop application for searching and replaying Tealeaf sessions.
Note: It is recommended that you use Browser Based Replay, the web browser-based method of replaying sessions. This client requires no additional installation.
- Perform post-installation tasks and product configuration tasks for you single-server solution.
- Start the Tealeaf CX solution and verify that it is operational.
Install on multiple servers
The physical architecture of your Tealeaf installation environment can be distributed across multiple servers.
The distributed architecture of the Tealeaf solution provides you with options for distributing component functionality to meet varying data volume, network architecture, and business requirements.
For small-volume deployments, you can deploy the Storage Server on the same physical machine as the Processing Server. While deploying the Processing and Storage Servers on a single machine does not provide the benefits of two separate machines, it provides greater advantages for backup and search performance than running an entire Tealeaf system on a single Processing Server.
For high-volume and multi-data center environments, the architecture can be scaled horizontally and distributed to meet real-time processing loads while still providing a central location for session and aggregate data storage and a single user experience.
- Data Center 1: PCA server and Processing Server
- Data Center 2: PCA server and Processing Server
- Data Center 3: PCA server and Processing Server
- Operations Center:
- Storage Server is configured to store session and index archives on SAN.
- The Portal Web application is also deployed on the Storage Server.
- The Report Server is deployed on the SQL Server farm.
- Additional Processing Servers can be deployed if the data volumes exceed the capacity of a single Processing Server.
Each Processing Server is configured to store sessions for the current day. The aggregate reporting data is stored in the Report Server deployed on the SQL farm. Using the Portal and RealiTea Viewer, users have a single, unified view of live activity, monitoring, search, session replay, and reporting across all Processing and Storage server instances.
The distributed architecture of the Tealeaf solution also permits the prescribed architecture to be modified to meet varying data volume, network architecture, and business requirements.
Support for virtualized server environments
Tealeaf supports the installation of a subset of Tealeaf components into a server virtualization solution, such as those offered by, VMWare, Citrix, or Microsoft.
For all virtualized server environments, it is recommended to use a dedicated environment due to the unpredictable and volatile nature of the system resource requirements necessary to support data processing in the Tealeaf system.
Resources must be allocated to meet the minimum system requirements specified by the sizing recommendation provided by Acoustic Professional Services.
Support restrictions
Acoustic is not responsible for supporting the identification or resolution of performance issues when Tealeaf is deployed in a shared VM environment.
Components that support virtualization
| Component | Virtual machine support (Yes or No?) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
Passive Capture Appliance |
Yes |
The Passive Capture Application is a high-performance real-time processing engine that requires a dedicated server. |
|
Processing Server |
Yes |
Due to high processing and I/O loads, at least 8 cores and 16 GB of RAM must be dedicated to the instance that runs the Tealeaf software. |
|
Other Windows-based Tealeaf Servers |
Yes |
Tealeaf supports Microsoft SQL Server 2012, 2014, and 2017 in virtual server environments that adhere to Microsoft support policies, guidelines, and restrictions. |