A standard installation of MarkMagic PI usually consists of a single MMPI instance utilizing its own built in H2 database server.  Everything would be handled by this single MMPI instance.  All REST print calls, all JMagic connections for designing formats, hosting the web interface, licensing, starting/stopping the H2 database server, everything.


Using one instance of MMPI is great for small to medium deployments, but in larger deployments where one instance might not handle the load, users might decide to run many MMPI instances across different servers.  Each instance of MMPI would essentially be its own standalone node that would start/stop its own H2 database server and thus contain its own H2 database separate from the other nodes.


Rather than copying an existing H2 database and distributing it to all of the possible nodes that would be started across your deployment, MMPI can be run in Fusion mode.  Think of it like a "Central Database Mode".  There would be one main MMPI Server instance that manages a single H2 database and then there can be any number of MMPI Clients that would all connect to the single H2 database managed by the MMPI server instance.  The MMPI Clients' sole purpose would only be to handle REST API print calls.


In order to support the centralized database requirement, CYBRA has introduced new “modes” that MMPI can be run in.  To accomplish this, extra java runtime parameters can be used to specify information such as the MMPI mode (server or client), the path to the H2 Database, the H2 db user id/pass, etc.


Running MMPI in "Server mode" is required for the initial setup and configuration of the H2 database.  The server instance installs and manages the license and creates / updates all of the tables in the H2 database that are necessary for MMPI to function.  Only a single Server instance can be run against an H2 Database.


MMPI "Client mode" connects to an H2 Database (either the one created and hosted by the MMPI server instance or your own externally managed H2 database server).  The client will function only if there is a valid Server license installed on the MMPI server instance.  The primary use of a MMPI client is to handle print requests.


For more information about MarkMagic Fusion, please email our sales team at sales@cybra.com.