QlikView Workbench deployment scenarios

This topic describes the most common deployments setups.

1-Tier scenarios

Using Only IIS

• Single Machine
  • IIS
    • Workbench Web Site
    • QlikView Virtual Directories (QvAjaxZfc)
  • QlikView Server

This setup is ideal for small or centralized deployments or where only a single machine is available.

It is generally not recommended to run a QlikView Server and a web server on the same machine, if the web server is tasked with serving non-QlikView content; in such a case, the load on the web server could negatively impact the performance of QlikView Server. If there is more than a marginal load on the web server, a 2- or 3-tier configuration is recommended.

Using Both IIS and QVWS

• Single Machine
  • IIS
    • Workbench Web Site
  • QlikView Web Server
    • QlikView Virtual Directories (QvAjaxZfc)
  • QlikView Server

Typically, it is easier to use only Microsoft IIS (see Using Only IIS), which only requires the installation and configuration of a single web server, rather than going with this setup.

However, this setup may prove useful if already having QlikView deployed using QlikView Web Server (QVWS), and later wanting to add a WorkBench web site on the same machine, without disrupting the existing QlikView deployment.

This setup requires port sharing to be turned on in the operating system, or running IIS and QVWS on separate ports.

Running IIS and QVWS on separate ports causes cross-site scripting issues, unless using the proxy page provided by the QlikView WorkBench web site template or another reverse proxy.

It is generally not recommended to run a QlikView Server and a web server on the same machine, if the web server is tasked with serving non-QlikView content; in such a case, the load on the web server could negatively impact the performance of QlikView Server. If there is more than a marginal load on the web server, a 2- or 3-tier configuration is recommended.

2-Tier scenarios

QlikView Server on Own Machine – Using Only IIS

• Web Server Machine
  • IIS
    • Workbench Web Site
    • QlikView Virtual Directories (QvAjaxZfc)
• QlikView Machine
  • QlikView Server

This setup is one of the recommended deployment architectures, as it offers a good combination of performance and ease of setup. Of course, environmental factors, for example, existing QlikView deployments and existing web servers, may make other deployment scenarios more desirable at a given site.

QlikView Server on own machine – using both IIS and QVWS

• Web Server Machine
  • IIS
    • Workbench Web Site
  • QlikView Web Server
    • QlikView Virtual Directories (QvAjaxZfc)
• QlikView Machine
  • QlikView Server

Typically, it is easier to use only Microsoft IIS, which only requires the installation and configuration of a single web server, rather than going with this setup.

QlikView Server on Own Machine – Using Only IIS

However, this setup may prove useful if already having QlikView deployed using QlikView Web Server (QVWS), and later wanting to add a WorkBench web site on the same machine, without disrupting the existing QlikView deployment.

This setup requires port sharing to be turned on in the operating system, or running IIS and QVWS on separate ports.

Running IIS and QVWS on separate ports causes cross-site scripting issues, unless using the proxy page provided by the QlikView WorkBench web site template or another reverse proxy.

Workbench web site on own machine

• Web Server Machine
  • IIS
    • Workbench Web Site
• QlikView Machine
  • Either IIS QlikView Web Server
    • QlikView Virtual Directories (QvAjaxZfc)
  • QlikView Server

This setup requires the use of the proxy page provided by the QlikView WorkBench web site template or another reverse proxy, as there are two separate web server domains.

This setup might pose some challenges when using NTLM to execute Windows Integrated Authentication (WIA), as it is subject to the multi-hop issue inherent in NTLM. To execute WIA, Kerberos may have to be configured to allow delegation in this setup. This is not an issue, if NTLM is not used as authentication mechanism.

3-Tier scenario

Every component on a separate machine

• Front-end Web Server Machine
  • IIS
    • Workbench Web Site
• Back-end Web Server Machine
  • Either IIS QlikView Web Server
    • QlikView Virtual Directories (QvAjaxZfc)
• QlikView Machine
  • QlikView Server

This setup requires the use of the proxy page provided by the QlikView WorkBench web site template or another reverse proxy, as there are two separate web server domains.

This setup might pose some challenges when using NTLM to execute Windows Integrated Authentication (WIA), as it is subject to the multi-hop issue inherent in NTLM. To execute WIA, Kerberos may have to be configured to allow delegation in this setup. This is not an issue, if NTLM is not used as authentication mechanism.