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Multi-Node Configuration (Enterprise) - VMC

Setting up a Qlik Sense multi-node environment to work with Vizlib Server requires configuration changes to both the Vizlib Management Console (VMC) and the Qlik Management Console (QMC).

This article contains instructions to configure virtual proxies in the VMC. Instructions for the next steps are:

  • QMC configuration for a multi-node environment and
  • Vizlib Server (Enterprise) configuration.

This topic contains the following sections:

Pre Configuration Checklist

Before starting the configuration, ensure you've gone through the items on this checklist:

  • You've installed Vizlib Server (Enterprise) on the target server.
  • Credentials required include the username and password for the Vizlib Management Console (VMC) of the Vizlib Server you want to use or a user account with Root Admin access. Read more about VMC user roles or view the VMC role matrix to view the permission options in a table.

  • Each node needs a separate Qlik Sense certificate. Details of exported certificates are under the path on each node server.

    C:\ProgramData\Qlik\Sense\Repository\Exported Certificates\.Local Certificates

  • Know which Qlik services - Engine and Proxy - are enabled for each node under Service Activation in the QMC. You'll match these when you configure Service Activation for the node in the VMC.

Copy the node certificates for each node and store them on the Vizlib Server disk drive. We recommend creating a folder for each node with the node's name as the folder name.

Figure 1:  Qlik Sense Node Certificates

4. Qlik Sense Node network information

Port numbers and host URLs for the QlikSense Proxy Service (QPS) and the QlikSense Repository Server (QRS) for each node.

Note: Your Node Host URL and the port number used by the QRS, QPS, QES, and QPS RestAPI Services is by default 4242, 443, 4747, and 4243.

Figure 2:  Qlik node host port defaults

VMC Configuration

Note: While each new node will have similar settings to the central node, there are some important differences.

  1. Save the URL paths of the certificates in a separate directory with a unique name. insightsoftware recommends using the node name. The following example is for a node named Rim01: /Qlik/Sense/Repository/Exported  Certificates/Rim01_Cert/client_key.pem
  2. The domain used for QPS and QRS settings should include the node name: Rim01.yourdomain.com
  3. Log into the VMC, then navigate to System Settings > Qlik Sense to open the configuration screen.

  4. Enter the configuration for the central node. Select the Certificate Type, then add the paths for each certificate.

    Note: Click the question mark icon to show instructions on exporting Qlik Sense certificates.

  5. Under Service Activation, select which Qlik services this node serves: Engine and/or Proxy. Match these toggles to the node's Service Activation settings in the QMC - see Service Activation below for details.
  6. Add the information, and click Restart (upper right corner of the VMC screen). You must restart Vizlib Server after you add a Virtual Proxy to save the updated settings.
  7. Check that a green tick is showing in the Qlik Sense panel on the dashboard to show the configuration is correct.
  8. Repeat the process for each rim node in your environment. Start by clicking on Add QS Node.
  9. For each node you configure, a green check mark displays on the dashboard.

Service Activation

In a multi-node environment, administrators often dedicate nodes to specific Qlik services in the QMC - for example, a proxy-only node or an engine-only node. Vizlib Server node configuration mirrors this: for each node, you specify which of the following services are active there:

  • Engine
  • Proxy

Once you've set these toggles, Vizlib Server only routes the relevant requests to nodes where that service is enabled, instead of attempting to reach services a node doesn't run.

Note: The QMC also has Service Activation checkboxes for Printing and Scheduler. Vizlib Server doesn't communicate with these services, so the VMC doesn't include toggles for them.

Note: If you're upgrading from an earlier version, your existing nodes migrate with both Engine and Proxy enabled by default, so single-node and existing full-service multi-node deployments keep working unchanged. You only need to adjust these toggles if you want to restrict which nodes serve which service.

Note: At least one node in your cluster must have each service enabled. If no node has Engine enabled, or no node has Proxy enabled, Vizlib Server shows a clear error instead of hanging or timing out.

App Reloads On Rim Nodes

With versions prior to 4.11.1, Vizlib Server made writeback-related communication with Qlik's central node. This worked well for many cases. However, in some configurations you may have rim nodes that ensure better performance for app reloads. In this case, you can configure Vizlib Server in such a way that the software executes app reloads on a different node than Qlik's central node. This feature applies to the following:

  • Multi-node Qlik environments
  • Vizlib Server v4.11.1 and above
  • Vizlib Writeback Table v4.11.1 and above

To enable such configuration, the following fields are available:

  • The Computer Name field in Vizlib Management Console (VMC) > System Settings > Qlik Sense.
  • The Custom Computer Name field in Vizlib Writeback Table > Destination after you set the destination to Vizlib Server.

For the feature to work, you need to fill in the Computer Name field in VMC and Custom Computer Name in Vizlib Writeback Table app with the same value.

If you want Vizlib Server to perform app reloads on Qlik Central Node, leave the Computer Name fields empty.

Disable Custom Computer Name

With Vizlib Writeback Table v4.21.0 root admins can hide the Custom Computer Name field in the Property Panel of Vizlib Writeback Table and Input Form. For this purpose the Disable custom computer name switch has been introduced in VMC > System Settings > Default Settings. When the switch is enabled, the Custom Computer Name field is hidden in the Property Panel of Vizlib Writeback Table and Input Form in new and existing extensions, and users can't change it. Also, any value that was previously selected on the extension side is ignored. As a result, the software automatically evaluates computer name based on Qlik expression. For more information on the ComputerName () function, click here.

Next Steps - QMC Configuration

Next complete the configuration for a Multi-Node Qlik Sense Environment, by configuring virtual proxies using the Qlik Management Console (QMC).

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