Creating a multi-tiered (custom) Perception 5.7 environment

Applies to the following products:

Questionmark Perception

Applies to the following Perception versions:

Perception 5.7

This page includes the following sections:

What does a multi-tiered (custom) installation mean?

It is important to note that the following order of steps is just one possible suggestion that you can follow to set up a multi-tiered (or custom) installation of Perception. Although this section includes a specific order of installation steps, it is possible to follow a different order as you set up your multi-tiered environment. Your configuration may differ depending on your needs and look different from the one outlined here, as there are a number of different multi-tiered configurations that can be set up.

A multi-tiered (custom) install of Perception involves installing its various components across several servers and then linking these components to a database, which is usually hosted on its own server. For example, Perception Application Server is installed on one server, Assessment Delivery Web Server is installed on another server, and the ETL Services Server is installed on a third server.

This section covers how to setup a multi-tiered Perception environment, meaning that your environment will include the following:

Assessment Delivery Web Server server
- Assessment Delivery Web Server will be installed on this server
- The appropriate software prerequisites for the Assessment Delivery Web Server will be installed on this server
ETL Services Server server
- The ETL service (the ETL Services Server) and the temporary ETL (ETL_Temp) database will be installed on this server
- The appropriate software prerequisites for the ETL Services Server will be installed on this server
Perception Application Server server
- Perception Application Server will be installed on this server
- The appropriate software prerequisites for the Perception Application Server will be installed on this server
Database server
- The database instance you will be using will be installed on this server
- The shared repository (Perception_REPO), Main (Perception_Main), and Results Warehouse (Perception_RW) databases will be installed on this server

It is recommended that you install and configure the components of Perception for a multi-tiered environment in the following order:

Assessment Delivery Web Server
ETL Services Server
Perception Application Server

During installation in a multi-tiered environment, you will need to know certain information about the other servers you are installing on. You will need to determine the following information before installing Perception:

the Perception server root, i.e., the URL used to access the system,

the QPLA location, i.e., the server where Assessment Delivery Web Server is installed, and

the Perception Application Server IP address, i.e., the IP address where Perception is installed so that it can communicate with Assessment Delivery Web Server.

The installation process (Get started!)

The installation process for a multi-tiered Perception environment is as follows:

Other installation steps for a multi-tiered installation include:

Further custom installation options

If you intend on installing Perception in a configuration different from the one recommended above, click Other in the Custom Setup window. The following warning message will appear:

The instructions for installing Perception in configurations that are different from the multi-tiered installation documented above are beyond the scope of this installation guide. Installing individual components of Perception will require additional manual configuration, and it is recommended that the Other option is only used when directed to by a Questionmark representative.

Click Next in this window to take you to the Custom Setup window.

The Custom Setup window gives you the opportunity to install the following Perception components:

Enterprise Manager
- EM Business Services
  - Analytics Zone Services, i.e., the internal services that allow Enterprise Manager, Analytics, and the ETL to communicate
  - People Zone Services, i.e., the internal services for authentication and authorization within Perception
- Open ID Provider
- EM Presentation Layer
  - Reporting Presentation Layer
  - Questionmark Portal
  - Open Authoring
  - Enterprise Manager & Scoring Tool
- Shared Repository Manager & Service
Application Programming Interface
- QMWISe, i.e., the programmable interface for Perception, needed if you plan to use Questionmark to Go or Printing and Scanning
ETL Service, i.e., the service that extracts data from your shared repository and loads it into the ETL_Temp database before it is moved to the Result Warehouse
Delivery Zone
- Questionmark Presentation Layer for Assessments, i.e., what is responsible for producing the user interface and assessment interface the participant sees when they take an assessment
- Questionmark Assessment Business Service, i.e., what is responsible for retrieving and sending assessment data from the shared repository to QPLA and back

If you want to install Perception in a full multi-tiered configuration different from the one documented in the above section, please speak to your Questionmark representative about our assisted install service.