The MQ Explorer
In this post i will help you understand what is the Eclipse Tool MQ explorer, how to use it and what are the options available.
When you download the MQ for Developers software, you can find the link here https://developer.ibm.com/articles/mq-downloads, it contains the MQ service and the MQ Explorer tool.
It allows to visualize the configuration of queue managers but also the data state and also metadata of each objects (such as queues, topics, subscriptions, …).
It is either usefull for developers to debug and configure their objects for their future development or useful for administrator to configure objects or export configurations.
After installing the MQ for Developers edition, start the MQ Explorer software.
When the tool is running, you will see in the top left corner eclipse view MQ Explorer – Navigator tab.
Lets begin by explaining each elements:
- Queue Managers: This is one of the most import element. It allows to create a new local queue manager, transfert local queue manager to a distant server, connect to a remote queue manager but also run tests on all the local and remote queue managers configured.
- Queue Manager Cluster: This element allowd to create a Queue manager cluster. This is will help to configure all the channel senders and receivers usefull to have an up and running cluster. The cluster configuration can be made by two different options:
- Full repository: each QM member of the cluster will sync everything objects and data.
- Partial repository: each QM member of the cluster will only sny objects. Data wont be synchronized.
- The choice between the two options can have an impact on the network bandwith, The fact that only the objects must be the same but the queue managers will be separated in region for instance (Europe region will not have the same data than the Asian region but the softwares putting data will have the same behavior in Europe and in Asia).
- JMS Administered Objects: This element is usefull to create a binding JNDI configuration file to share with developers. Each binding file will have the connection details to connect to a queue manager, a queue manager HA, a queue manager cluster and also destination queues/topics to send data. This allows to control and restrict the queues and topics availability.
- Manage File Transfer: For those who have the feature MQ FT enabled on at least two different queue managers and that you configured your agents, this options allows to test, trace and configuration file transfer. It is also possible to cron file transfer from the MQ Explorer.
- Service Definition Repositories: This option is less used than before. This allows to create a documentation that will become a WSDL to deploy to get description and documentation information. It can be compared to IBM WSRR.