Set Up PBRS Server Collaboration

About PBRS server collaboration

PBRS server collaboration distributes schedule processing across multiple PBRS servers.

Schedules are created, edited, and managed on the primary scheduling server. Collaborator servers process schedules assigned by the primary scheduling server. They do not process their own local schedules while operating as collaborators.

Collaboration can distribute resource-intensive work to appropriate servers and allow multiple PBRS servers to share schedule-processing workloads.

Open the Collaboration settings

1. Open PBRS on the primary scheduling server.
2. Select System.

1. Select Collaboration.

The Collaboration screen is used to enable server collaboration, connect collaborator servers, and select how schedules are assigned.

Execution capacity depends on the thread settings and resources available on each participating server. Confirm the configured capacity of the current environment instead of assuming a fixed number of threads per Collaborator.

Requirements

• Two or more PBRS installations are required.
• Each PBRS server must be accessible to the other participating servers through the internal network.
• The PBRS API service must be installed, configured, running, and reachable on every participating server.
• The primary scheduling server database must be hosted in the organization’s SQL Server environment.
• Every collaborator server must connect to the primary scheduling server’s PBRS database.
• Email, database, reporting-account, and system settings required by assigned schedules must be configured correctly on every collaborator server.
• The Windows credentials used during setup must have read and write access to the remote PBRS server and its configuration share.

For instructions on configuring the API service on each server, see Manage the PBRS API Service and API Clients.

Add a collaborator server

Complete the following steps on the primary scheduling server:

1. Open PBRS.
2. Select System.

1. Select Collaboration.

1. Select Enable server Collaboration, then select Add. Select the browse (…) button to locate the collaborator server configuration file, or enter the Server API Endpoint and select Connect.

Collaboration must be enabled on the collaborator server before it can be connected.

1. In the file browser, enter or select the collaborator server name.

1. Select Open.

1. Select pbrsconfigshare.

1. Select pbrslive.config, then select Open.

1. Select Connect, then select Save & Exit.

1. When prompted, select OK.
2. Enter Windows credentials that have read and write access to the remote server and its PBRS configuration share.
3. Select OK.

The collaborator server is now connected to the primary scheduling server.

Select the collaboration method

Choose the method PBRS will use to assign schedules:

• Server Affinity: Use this option when a schedule must run on a specific server. The Schedule Wizard allows you to select the server for that schedule.

• Round-Robin: Use this option when schedules can run on any available participating server. PBRS distributes due schedules among available servers and does not use the server-affinity selection from the Schedule Wizard.

Run a schedule on a collaborator server

1. Open the schedule context menu, then select Execute On….

Process Watcher must be enabled under Options > General.

1. Select the server that should process the schedule, then select OK.
2. PBRS submits the schedule to the selected server for execution.