Network Deployment (Distributed operating systems), v8.0 > Applications > Messaging resources > Interoperation with WebSphere MQ
Interoperation using a WebSphere MQ link
A WebSphere MQ link provides a server to server channel connection between a service integration bus and a WebSphere MQ queue manager or queue-sharing group, which acts as the gateway to the WebSphere MQ network.
A WebSphere MQ link enables WAS applications to send point-to-point messages to WebSphere MQ queues, which are defined as destinations in the service integration bus. The link also enables WebSphere MQ applications to send point-to-point messages to destinations in the service integration bus, which are defined as remote queues in WebSphere MQ. With a publish/subscribe bridge, the link also enables WAS applications to subscribe to messages published by WebSphere MQ applications, and WebSphere MQ applications to subscribe to messages published by WAS applications.
The WebSphere MQ queue manager or (for WebSphere MQ for z/OS) queue-sharing group that provides the gateway for a WebSphere MQ link to connect to a WebSphere MQ network is known as the gateway queue manager. When you define a WebSphere MQ link, you nominate one WebSphere MQ queue manager or queue-sharing group to act as a gateway queue manager. This queue manager or queue-sharing group must exist and be active in the WebSphere MQ network
To the gateway queue manager, the messaging engine with the WebSphere MQ link (and hence the bus that the messaging engine is a member of) appears to be a WebSphere MQ queue manager.
To the messaging engine with the WebSphere MQ link, the gateway queue manager (and any other queue managers connected to it) appears to be a foreign bus.
The WebSphere MQ link has sender and receiver channels defined on it. These channels communicate with, respectively, partner receiver and sender channels on the gateway queue manager. The WebSphere MQ link communicates with WebSphere MQ using the WebSphere MQ message formats and communication protocol. The WebSphere MQ link converts the service integration message formats to and from the WebSphere MQ message formats.
When WAS applications send messages over the WebSphere MQ link, the messages are transmitted through the WebSphere MQ link sender channel to the partner receiver channel on the gateway queue manager. The receiver puts the messages to the target destinations in the WebSphere MQ network.
Messages from the WebSphere MQ network, that are destined for WAS applications, are sent to the gateway queue manager. The sender channel on the gateway queue manager transmits the messages to the WebSphere MQ link receiver channel, from where they are distributed to the target destinations on WAS.
Concept topic