Before deploying BIRT iHub in a production environment, Actuate recommends testing the installation in a separate staging area. The following sections provide some guidelines for setting up a test environment and staging area.
Using a test environment
Set up a test environment and then move to iHub on the production system when testing is complete. You cannot mix Actuate products from different release levels. For example, you cannot use BIRT iServer Release 11 design tools with BIRT iHub Release 3.
Complete the following general tasks in this order to determine how to upgrade your site to BIRT iHub:
Create a test environment for BIRT iHub. The test environment cannot be on the same machine that hosts an earlier Actuate installation.
Install the software in the test environment. Create any applications you need using BIRT iHub Integration Technology in the test environment.
Ask application developers and a few users to perform some typical tasks in the test environment.
Create a production staging area.
Install the remaining BIRT iHub desktop products, if required, in production environments on the user workstations. Verify that the desktop products function properly.
Schedule a low-impact time to switch to the production system.
Setting up a production staging area
A production staging area is one that you can use for testing and also configure as the live production system. The production staging area can be a separate configuration on the live production machine or a separate machine. You can install all BIRT iHub products or the BIRT iHub server products and a subset of the desktop products.
If you plan to test BIRT iHub desktop products, identify which users to include in the final testing. Developers and users can then confirm that applications perform as expected in the BIRT iHub production staging environment.
Complete the following general tasks to test BIRT iHub:
Install BIRT iHub software in a production staging area.
Install BIRT iHub desktop software on the test user machines.
Verify that the BIRT iHub production staging environment works correctly.
Install the remaining BIRT iHub desktop products, if you installed a subset earlier.
Verify that all the BIRT iHub desktop products work correctly.
Begin setting up a production environment as described in the following section.
Setting up a production environment
When testing is complete, confirm that your applications work as expected in the BIRT iHub environment. Set up the production environment and schedule a date and time to activate BIRT iHub.
When you switch to BIRT iHub, use the following procedure list as a general guideline:
Install design and document files.
Start BIRT iHub.
Inform users that they can start using BIRT iHub design tool products.
Create a test environment for BIRT iHub. The test environment cannot be on the same machine that hosts an earlier Actuate installation.