My client asked me this, so I thought I'd share it here.
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Context
In the world of IBM BPM Advanced 8.5, with DB2, we have three (five) distinct databases.
Most typically, we have the Process Server database ( often known as the BPM Database, BPMDB ), the Shared Database ( often known as the Common Database, CMNDB ) and the Performance Database ( often known as the Performance Data Warehouse Database, PDWDB ).
Optionally, we can have two more databases; the Messaging Engine Database ( MEDB ) and the Business Process Choreographer Database ( BPCDB ).
The IBM Redbook, Business Process Management Deployment Guide Using IBM Business Process Manager V8.5, puts this so much better: -
Most of the time, I use the three DB topology pattern, which is more-or-less the default. This separation allows me to put different databases in different places, perhaps on different disks ( LUNs ), user IDs ( instances ), different servers etc.
For the record, I'm a DB2 guy by trade, so I realise that, in the world of Oracle, we have a single database ( Oracle itself ) and multiple schemas.
But the principle remains much the same ...