The Rational® Build
Forge® system
has the following components:

- Web Client: Used by users and administrators who
use web browsers to access the system. Browser clients access the Web
Interface component.
- API Client: Any program using the Java™ API or Perl API to access Rational® Build
Forge®. API clients access
the Services Layer directly.
- Build Forge®:
A collective term for the system. During installation, the system
displays the following core product features:
- Web Interface: Referred to as the management console or
console. This component is made up of a set of PHP modules.
- Process Engine: Referred to as the engine. The engine manages
job scheduling and execution.
- Services Layer: A database abstraction layer through which
API clients, web interfaces, and the process engine make a request.
In simple installations, all three components are installed
on the same host. They can be installed on separate hosts. In the
case of a Rational® Build
Forge® configuration
file, for example buildforge.conf, the file must
be modified allowing the components to communicate.
- Database: Information storage for the system. The database
stores project definitions, system configurations, and user configurations.
- Agent: A program installed on a host. An agent must be
installed on every host that you want the management console to use
as a server resource. The agent receives requests to perform work
or steps, and runs them on the host where the agent is installed.
The components can be deployed in a variety of ways. The deployment
variations range from all components on a single host, to a system
that uses clustered consoles and a large number of distributed server
resources.