Split database architecture
Pega Platform high availability is database-agnostic. The recommended database features are:
- Highly available clustered databases or third party or database vendor software that supports this feature
- Database fault tolerance that meets production service level agreement requirements — for example, some databases have add-on products to handle failover of hardware or software sub-systems, enabling another piece to take over
For supported database platform versions, see the Platform Support Guide on Pega Community.
About split schema architecture
Pega Platform supports a split schema database architecture. The split separates rules and data into separate schemas and is essential for enabling minimal to zero down time during Pega Platform application and strategic application upgrades or patch installation.
The use of split schema architecture enables Pega Platform System Administrators to install and upgrade a new rules schema in the production database while the old schema is still in use. Pega Platform high availability features can then be used to migrate users from the old rule schema to the new schema on the production system to complete the upgrade.
Replicated and split databases
In general, the Pega Platform data can be replicated or split to support high-volume production requirements, reporting, or other needs.
Database vendor facilities that implement replication do not affect the Pega Platform operation. Separate server nodes can access tables in separate, but synchronized, database instances.
In addition, in a production system the rules change slowly and frequently used rules are cached. Work items, work item history, and work item attachments can grow to require more space than rules.
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