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IBM Connections Cloud Data Center Multi-Active Notice


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In August 2016 the IBM Connections Cloud team will begin taking steps to introduce a multi-active architecture. Included are a bunch of things you need to know about these changes. IBM states there is many changes that should not interrupt your service but here is why the changes are coming first..

Why is IBM Connections Cloud adopting a multi-active Data Center approach?
  • This multi-active data center architecture will enable IBM to provide you with a higher performing and more resilient IBM Connections Cloud service.
  • With this architecture, your users will be served from any number of active data centers within a geographic region.  The intent is to eventually build a quadruple set of data centers in the same region.
  • Users will be served out of the data center most geographically co-located to them under normal conditions, and will automatically be routed to other available data centers in the event of service disruption or planned maintenance.
So to prepare for this here are the changes you need to make sure have in place for your network and users  
Prior to August 22, 2016, your organization will need to allow access to to the new IP address ranges (highlighted in red in the attached PDF)  in addition to those you already allow.
  • This is particularly important for our SmartCloud Notes clients to allow traffic on ports 1352 and 25 to avoid service issues.
  • Furthermore, in order to avoid an interruption of service for your users after August 22, 2016, it is imperative that your network allows all web clients (mobile, desktop browser and API clients) access to any IP address on ports 80 or 443, or else allow access to the list of Akamai IP address ranges in Section 3 of the attached PDF. These addresses will be required as IBM is partnering more closely with Akamai to provide advanced traffic routing and site selection capabilities for web traffic across multiple active data centers.
  • We also suggest you audit your environment against the attached PDF and the associated list of ports per service on our WIKI to ensure your organization is fully compliant with requirements to access our service(s).
See the previous IBM Connections Cloud enhancement posts right here (and previous SmartCloud naming ones) on IdoNotes