Generally we recommend a tiered deployment architecture for Prognosis in general with at least one layer of managing nodes depending on the levels of seperation required between the processing environment and the end users.
In Payments for example, due to PCI, we regularly deploy 3 tiers with a intermediate managing node with some very specific and limited functions (i.e. minimal alerting, no webui) occurring within the Card Holder Data Environment (CDE) and all other activities occurring at the top level managing node. Some of this is described here.
Though for PCI and other secure environments you do not follow the standard recommendations on Network Subsys Relationships found here: https://help.prognosis.com/prognosis/116/deployment-and-installation/deployment/deploying-prognosis-...
On this top level managing node is where we generally recommend doing most alerting (with some caveats), dispatching, but generally under almost all circumstances (except for exception circumstances) that all users of the Desktop client and web client access.
The following is the current version of the document (updated version of the one in the link above) we use in the field and the Nonstops would be the black nodes.
On the hardware requirements; the general "generic" recommendations as of 11.6 can be found here and the intermediate managing node if setup as a 'pass-through' server we tend to be "ok" with the minimum recommendations if it does nothing else (no thresholds, no BI, no DT, not a lot of databases).. but the top level managing nodes we "Minimally" suggest the "recommended" in the documentation.. especially around memory we suggest at least 16 gigs of memory on any server running the WebUI or PQL activity is occurring.
In the Americas region we use a seperate "field recommendations" Hardware, Network, and Software pre-requisites guide for Payments and Infrastructure specifically which supplement our official help and fill in the GAPs, are more in tune with P&I deployments, and answer and account for additional scenarios.
Happy to answer any additional / specific questions you have as well. Feel free to DM or send me an email as well if there is confidental information you feel you need to communicate on this.
Christopher
