---
title: "Shops"
slug: "shops"
abstract: "Overview of Sitecore Shops supported infrastructure, references, scaling, and privacy and security."
---
# Shops

The Shops role is the instance of the Commerce Engine that serves traffic from one or more storefronts.

## Supported infrastructure

You can host the Shops role on:

- IIS
- [Azure App Service](https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/app-service/)

Refer to the [Sitecore Commerce compatibility table](https://kb.sitecore.net/articles/804595) for compatible versions.

## Reference structure

The Shops role has its place in the Sitecore reference structure. It can be referenced by other roles, and it can also reference other roles.

![Illustration showing the Shops role's place in the Sitecore reference structure.](https://doc.sitecore.com/api/markdown-image/xp/en/developers/91/platform-administration-and-architecture/images/shops.png)

### Referenced by

The Shops role is referenced by the following roles:

- [Content Delivery](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/developers/91/platform-administration-and-architecture/content-delivery--cd-.html "Content Delivery (CD)")

### References

The Shops role references the following roles.

#### Storage roles

| Role name | Connection string name | Port | Type | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Global database](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/developers/91/platform-administration-and-architecture/global-database.html) | Global | 1433 | SQL |  |
| [Shared Environments database](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/developers/91/platform-administration-and-architecture/shared-environments-database.html) | SitecoreCommerce9_SharedEnvironments | 1433 | SQL |  |

#### Application roles

| Role name | Connection string name | Default Port | Type | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| \|xm-content-management | None - see notes. |  | HTTPS | Accesses items via the [Sitecore Services Client](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/developers/91/sitecore-experience-manager/sitecore-services-client.html). |

#### Search indexes

| Index | Port, Solr | Port, Azure Search | Type | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Catalog Items Scope index](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/developers/91/platform-administration-and-architecture/catalog-items-scope-index.html) | 8983 | 443 | HTTPS |  |

## Privacy and security

The Shops role handles personal data in the following ways:

- Query, Create and Update Operations on Customer and Orders which can contain personal data.
- Queries search indexes which contain personal data.

Refer to the [Sitecore Commerce DevOps Guide](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/developers/91/sitecore-experience-commerce/en/commerce-devops-312290.html) for steps to secure the Shops role.