ExtraView is architected to allow you to create within a single database an unlimited number of systems (i.e. “Areas”) and subsystems (i.e. “Projects”). Each Area and Project can have its own workflows, layouts, sub-layouts, business rules, notification rules, administrators, security, privacy, etc.  Hence, different parts of your organization, such as Engineering, Marketing, and Human Resources can each create and maintain within one database their own Areas and Projects.  For example, you might create an Area called “Human Resources” that contains four Projects (e.g. “Training”, “Recruiting”, “New Employees”, “Staff Evaluations”, etc.).  You could also create a second Area called “Engineering” that contains three Projects (e.g. “Defects”, “Requirements”, “Test Cases”).  Using a variety of ExtraView’s configurable security settings, each Area and Project can be granularly locked down as required, even to the point where users cannot tell that they are sharing the same database with users from other Areas and Projects.

Given that, a common question I’m asked by ExtraView administrators who are looking to roll out their second ExtraView system is whether they should put that new system in a new ExtraView instance or create it within the existing instance.  An ExtraView instance that contains multiple systems is sometimes referred to as a multi-tenant instance.   There are pros and cons to multi-tenant instances. The pros are: consolidated reporting, shared licenses, and one database to maintain.  The cons include:  additional coordination, additional complexity, and little or no improvement in hardware utilization. (more…)