Create a PolicyCenter database in SQL Server

About this task

Guidewire requires that you follow these guidelines to create and configure an instance of a SQL Server database for PolicyCenter.

Important: If you plan to create additional database instances to support multiple PolicyCenter environments or other Guidewire products, consider applying the changes in the following procedure to the model database. Use the model database as a template for the additional database instances. Before you edit the model database, create a backup of the database.
Note: Guidewire recommends that you not share the PolicyCenter database with other applications.
Note: It is possible for a database administrator to write a CREATE DATABASE SQL statement to create the database also.

Procedure

  1. If not already open, open SQL Server Management Studio.
  2. If creating a new database, do the following. Otherwise, skip to step 3:
    1. Right-click the Databases node and select New Database.
    2. Enter a database name in the New Database dialog.
    3. Click OK.
    4. Skip to step 4.
  3. If modifying the model database, do the following:
    1. Expand Databases > System Databases,
    2. Right-click model and select Properties,
    3. Continue to step 4.
  4. Optionally, create one or more filegroups to support the PolicyCenter logical tablespaces from the Filegroups page.

    See Create filegroups in SQL Server for details.

  5. Select the Options page.
    1. Choose your database collation if not using the SQL Server server default. The only requirement is that it is a CI (case-insensitive) collation.
    2. Verify that the values for Auto Create Statistics and Auto Update Statistics are both set to True.

      During start up, PolicyCenter checks that these properties are set to True and validates that the SQL Server database is case-insensitive.

    3. Verify that the value of Auto Shrink is set to False.
      Note: If the value of this options is set to True, poor performance can result.
    4. Click OK.
  6. Right-click Security and select New > Login.
    1. On the Login - New dialog, select SQL Server Authentication if not already selected.
    2. Specify a password and password policy options.
    3. Click OK.
  7. In Object Explorer, expand the database and open Security > Users.
    1. Right-click Users and select New User.
    2. Enter pcUser for the User name.
    3. Enter the Login name that you created earlier.
    4. Select db_owner in both Schemes owned by this user and Database role membership panels.
      This action grants ownership of the PolicyCenter database to pcUser.
    5. Click OK.
  8. Grant the pcUser the following permissions on each PolicyCenter data management view:
    • view server state
    • view database state

    See Grant Guidewire Data Management view permissions to pcUser for details.

  9. Disable the SQL Server autogrowth feature in a production system.

    See Disable the SQL Server autogrowth feature for details.

  10. Set the READ_COMMITTED_SNAPSHOT option to on.

    PolicyCenter checks for this condition during application start up.

    See Set the READ_COMMITTED_SNAPSHOT option for details.

    Note: There is no need to save the READ_COMMITTED_SNAPSHOT query that sets this value.
  11. Close SQL Server Management Studio.