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Inbound transport options

There are number of options, such as network and security settings, that apply when configuring messaging engines that receive messages.

The configuration of network transport for service integration is managed through the transport channel service. We can use this service to add, remove, or modify protocols that can be used to establish connections to an application server over a network.

We can configure an application server to allow a combination of several different protocols, that is, a transport chain, to be used when communicating with messaging engines hosted by the server. The transport channel service includes support for:

Messaging engine clients such as JMS applications running in a client container and other messaging engines can communicate with a messaging engine using these transport chains.

We can also configure one of two different types of transport chain to be used by WebSphere MQ links and WebSphere MQ client links. These transport chains support:

  • WebSphere MQ queue manager sender channels and WebSphere Application Server applications that use the WebSphere MQ messaging provider can communicate with a messaging engine by using either of these transport chain types.

    When a server is created using the default template, the following transport chains are automatically created to facilitate communication with messaging engines that are hosted by the application server:

    InboundBasicMessaging

    Allows communication using the TCP protocol. The default port used by this chain for the first server on the node is 7276. Check the selected port is not already used, for example if you are creating a second server on a particular node. Messaging engines hosted in other application servers and JMS applications running in a client container can communicate with the messaging engines of the server by using this transport chain.

    InboundSecureMessaging

    Provides secure communication using the secure sockets layer (SSL) based encryption protocol over a TCP network. The default port used by this chain for the first server on the node is 7286. Check the selected port is not already used, for example if you are creating a second server on a particular node. The SSL configuration information for this chain is based on the default SSL repertoire for the application server. Messaging engines hosted in other application servers and JMS applications running in the client container can communicate using this transport chain.

    InboundBasicMQLink

    Supports WebSphere MQ queue manager sender channels and applications using the WebSphere MQ messaging provider connecting over a TCP network. The default port used by this chain is 5558, this can be automatically adjusted to avoid conflicts.

    InboundSecureMQLink

    Enables WebSphere MQ queue manager sender channels and applications using the WebSphere MQ messaging provider to establish SSL based encrypted connections over a TCP network. The default port used by this chain is 5578, this is automatically adjusted to avoid conflicts.

    soReuseAddr

    Allows the WAS administrator to control bind behavior. When the WAS is restarted, if the inbound TCP channels have problems trying to bind the listening socket, errors are printed into the SystemOut file until either the bind is successful or the number of allowed bind attempts has been passed. This custom property helps to avoid repeated error messages during the bind process.

    By default all of these transport chains are configured to use the SIBFAPInboundThreadPool thread pool to handle the data they receive. No reason has been identified for it being necessary to change the minimum or maximum size of this thread pool.

    Manage these chains in the console by selecting one of the following:

    • Servers -> Server Types -> WebSphere application servers -> server_name -> [Server messaging] Messaging engine inbound transports

    • Servers -> Server Types -> WebSphere application servers -> server_name -> [Server messaging] WebSphere MQ link inbound transports

    We can also use these console panels to define new transport chains from a set of templates.

    Inbound channel chains used for communicating with messaging engines are usually started when the application server that hosts them is started. This can occur even if the application server does not host any active messaging engines. When an inbound chain starts, it binds to the TCP port that it has been assigned and accepts network connections. The following table describes the circumstances under which the inbound chains relating to messaging function are started:

    are started. The first column lists the service integration bus scenarios in which the inbound chains are started. The second column states whether the messaging chains are started for the scenarios. The third column states whether the WebSphere MQ interoperation chains
    Messaging chains WebSphere MQ interoperation chains
    SIB service disabled for server Not started Not started
    SIB service enabled for server and no WebSphere MQ links or WebSphere MQ client links resources defined Started Not started
    SIB service enabled and WebSphere MQ links or WebSphere MQ client links resources defined Started Started

    For more information about enabling or disabling the SIB service, see SIB Service Detail Form.

    For more information about defining WebSphere MQ related resources, see, for example, WebSphere MQ link sender channel [Settings].

    Note that there is no affinity between a particular inbound channel chain and a messaging engine. Any messaging engine active on a server can be contacted by any inbound channel chain running. This has important implications when attempting to secure network communications: communication with the messaging engines that are active in an application server is only as secure as the least secure messaging chain active on the server within the same category, that is, a messaging chain or MQ interop chain.

    We can specify inbound transport chains by name in the following places:

    • The Inter-engine transport chain field in the Buses [Settings]. This specifies the chain used when establishing connections between nodes in the same cell.

    • The Target inbound transport chain field in the Default messaging provider unified connection factory [Settings]. This specifies the transport chain name to use when establishing a network connection for use by a JMS application when connecting to a remote messaging engine.


    Related concepts

  • Messaging engine communication


    Related tasks

  • Configure transport chains

  • SSL inbound channel
  • Transport chains collection
  • TCP transport channel custom properties


    Related information:

  • Permitted transports [Collection]
  • Add a transport to the list of permitted transports [Settings]