When a PowerCenter domain contains multiple nodes, you can configure workflows and sessions to run on a grid. When you run a workflow on a grid, the Integration Service runs a service process on each available node of the grid to increase performance and scalability. When you run a session on a grid, the Integration Service distributes session threads to multiple DTM processes on nodes in the grid to increase performance and scalability.
You create the grid and configure the Integration Service in the Administrator tool. To run a workflow on a grid, you configure the workflow to run on the Integration Service associated with the grid. To run a session on a grid, configure the session to run on the grid.
The following image shows the relationship between the workflow and nodes when you run a workflow on a grid:
The Integration Service distributes workflow tasks and session threads based on how you configure the workflow or session to run:
Running workflows on a grid.
The Integration Service distributes workflows across the nodes in a grid. It also distributes the Session, Command, and predefined Event-Wait tasks within workflows across the nodes in a grid.
Running sessions on a grid
. The Integration Service distributes session threads across nodes in a grid.
To run workflows on a grid, you must have the Server grid option. To run sessions on a grid, you must have the Session on Grid option.