Websphere MQ

Solutions for IBM Websphere MQ

CDB, in Partnership with Cressida Technology Ltd, offers innovative solutions for Websphere MQ log analysis and message monitoring.

Log Analysis for Websphere MQ

ReQuest^TM for WebSphere MQ offers a set of unique functionality to enable extensive MQ Reporting, Recovery and Replay functions for WebSphere MQ Logs across multiple queue managers on multiple platforms.

Cressida's ReQuest is designed to work in a multi-queue manager, multi-platform MQSeries environment. The product can be driven from a GUI, or from a Command Line Interface. All functions support both linear and circular logging. The recovery log can be accessed while the queue manager is running. All functions can be applied on defined 'applications' which are sets of local queues, possibly across multiple queue managers.

Using the MQ log files as input you will be able to run comprehensive reports on messages and queue managers. Uniquely you will be able to run a report that will detail the exact path of a specific message, identifying all queues and queue managers that have processed it.

The Recovery function will allow you to recover the queues to a specific valid timestamp.

The Replay function will allow you to capture existing production message flows and then run them through new code or new system configurations to see what will happen. Message rate can be increased to see how it may affect the new code. This function is also quite useful for regression and performance testing and problem determination.

Reporting:

• at the individual message level
• includes timestamp information
• open architecture allows for interfacing with the reporting tool of your choice, or with in-house written applications.
• advanced filtering options
• "message propagation report" identifies the path a message took. Optionally includes related messages, for example based on the correlation-id.

Workload recreation (Replay):

• Update rate can be changed
• Workload can be recreated on an alternative queue manager.

Recovery:

• Timestamp recovery
• Detection of valid recovery timestamps.
• Allows MQ-data to be recovered in sync with DBMS data.
• Recovers deleted queues and purged data.
• Allows for timestamp-recovery based SLA's.
• Allows analysis of damage by a rogue application.
• Recovery can be performed on an alternative queue or queue manager.

There is NO application or queue manager overhead. For Case Studies on the ReQuest product, please contact CDB.

Queue Replication for Websphere MQ

SynQuest^TM for WebSphere® MQ is a highly optimized production strength replication and synchronization tool utilizing the MQI API exit facility. It is designed to keep the content of WMQ queues on separate queue managers synchronized by performing a MirrorQ type application.

SynQuest provides a solution for maintaining disaster recovery backups of queue managers in those cases where a hardware (i.e. mirrored disks) solution is impractical due to distance or associated hardware costs.

SynQuest is a user-configurable tool that utilizes the power and functionality of the WMQ API Exit to intercept WMQ API calls and keep the content of selected queues on one queue manager in sync with same-named queues on another queue manager anywhere in the WMQ environment.

This is achieved by intercepting all puts and gets on selected queues and replicating the messages (puts) and forwarding information of the gets to the target queue manager thus offering a supported and highly optimized multi-platform MirrorQ functionality for disaster recovery and other replication applications. SynQuest uses WMQ as the transport agent for messages and replication information.

SynQuest^TM provides:

• Production Strength Multi-Platform MirrorQ Solution.
• Disaster Recovery & Hot Site Application
• Synchronize Local and Offsite Queue Managers
• User Selective Source Queue Replication
• High-Performing, No User Coding needed Synchronizing API Exit Agent
• Utilizes Well Trusted IBM WMQ Transportion Engine
• Based on Cressida InQuest Highly Optimized API Technology
• No MQ API coding skills required
• Easy to use graphical front end

Content-based alerting, filtering and standards enforcement for Websphere MQ

InQuest^TM uses the power and functionality of the IBM WebSphere MQ API Exit to examine WMQ MQI calls that meet user defined criteria. Actions such as alerts, filtering and replication can be automatically taken based on message contents.

InQuest^TM is a configurable building block of common coded modules that utilizes the power and functionality of the IBM WebSphere MQ API Exit to "intercept" WMQ MQI calls that meet user defined criteria and performs certain user authorized actions and functions.

InQuest:

• works on all MQI call types
• handles both before and after MQI processing
• allows Filter on information available within the exit; including message data, header fields, call options (open options, object description), date/time, name of program
• takes authorized user defined Actions
• offers the following Modules:
  • MBA: Message Based Alerting Module
  • SRE: Standards and Rules Enforcer Module
  • MBR: Message Based Replicator Module

The above modules are explained in more deetail here.

• MBA: Message Based Alerting Module
  

  The Message Based Alerting module allows the user to add entries in a log file or to generate alerts based on any MQ API call that meets the criteria defined by the user.

  The alerts can be any of the following, either alone or in combination:

  • Write an entry to a specified log filetimestamp information
  • Send an SNMP trap to the specified host and community with specified severity
  • Put an MQ Event message to a specified queue

  The message included in the above alerts can be made up of user defined text and any of the WMQ fields or parts of the fields that are available for defining the filter criteria.

• SRE: Standards and Rules Enforcer Module
  

  The Standards and Rules Enforcer module allows users to modify MQPUT, MQPUT1, MQGET, and MQOPEN calls so that they conform to defined policies and required standards.

  The actions can be any of the follow, either alone or in combination:

  • Fail Call: the call will not be processed by WMQ. The application will receive MQCC_FAILED and a user defined value specified for MQRC
  • Set Field: change the value of one or more fields
  • Set Option: add or remove a flag or an option, without affection other options that may be set

• MBR: Message Based Replicator Module
  

  The Message Board Replicator module allows the user to selectively replicate messages based upon criteria defined within a filter

  The actions can be any of the following, either alone or in combination:

  • Replicate to Queue
  • Replicate to File

  The replicated data can include all or part of the original message data, so that the replication output can be limited to contain only the essential information

  When replicating to a file, several output formats are available depending upon your intended use of the replicated data.

Tivoli® Omegamon® monitoring for all WMQ platforms

TeQuest^TM extends Omegamon Monitoring Agent capabilities to include platforms such as OpenVMS, Tru64 Unix, HP Titanium, SCO OpenServer and others.

More Information

Websphere Mq Recovery Logs