IBM BPM, V8.0.1, All platforms > Authoring services in Integration Designer > Developing monitor models

Monitoring WebSphere MQ Workflow processes

To monitor WebSphere MQ Workflow processes, Business Monitor includes the FDL to monitor model utility for WebSphere MQ Workflow. The utility is an integral part of the WebSphere MQ Workflow to Process Server transition. Having a common monitoring solution simplifies completing processes that are already running in a WebSphere MQ Workflow while starting new ones in Process Server.

Using the FDL to monitor model utility, you can import an existing Flow Definition Language (FDL) file and convert the data contained in it to Common Base Events. You can then generate a monitor model. WebSphere MQ Workflow v3.6 Service Pack 6 or later contains an enhancement of the audit trail and the WebSphere MQ Workflow Event Converter to support monitoring.

To set up your system to monitor WebSphere MQ Workflow processes, the following components are necessary:

• FDL to monitor model utility for WebSphere MQ Workflow

• WebSphere MQ Workflow 3.6 Service Pack 6 or later

• WebSphere MQ Workflow SupportPac for WebSphere MQ Workflow Event Converter

The FDL to monitor model utility is a plugin that is installed in either Rational Application Developer or Integration Designer. The FDL to monitor model utility consists of two functions:

1. Generate Event Definition
2. Generate Monitor Model

The Generate Event Definition function imports the FDL file and generates common base event definitions. The Generate Monitor Model function starts the Monitor Model Generation wizard to generate a monitor model based on the imported FDL file.

WebSphere MQ Workflow v3.6 Service Pack 6 or later enhances WebSphere MQ Workflow to emit the container data in an audit trail.

The WebSphere MQ Workflow SupportPac for WebSphere MQ Workflow Event Converter:

1. Converts the audit trail data to Common Base Events.
2. Publishes the Common Base Events to the Common Event Infrastructure (CEI).

This documentation covers the FDL to monitor model utility only. For more information on the WebSphere MQ Workflow Service Pack and Event Converter, see the library for WebSphere MQ Workflow.

Steps for monitoring a WebSphere MQ Workflow process

These steps use an FDL model with selective event generation based on a fine-grained audit trail filter.

The basic steps involved in monitoring the WebSphere MQ Workflow process are:

1. Import the existing FDL file using the FDL to monitor model utility. Considering the performance impact, FDL typically contains the selective event generation based on a fine-grained audit trail filter.
2. Generate a monitor model based on the imported FDL file using the FDL to monitor model utility. Then export the monitor model and deploy it on a Business Monitor server.
3. Deploy the FDL file into the WebSphere MQ Workflow run time environment.

4. Whenever a process runs in WebSphere MQ Workflow, the workflow engine writes audit trail data to a WebSphere MQ queue.

5. The WebSphere MQ Workflow Event Converter contained in the WebSphere MQ Workflow SupportPac reads the data from the queue and transforms it into Common Base Events. The Common Base Events are then sent out into CEI.
6. Business Monitor consumes and processes the Common Base Events.

7. The collected data is shown in the Business Monitor dashboards.

• Installing the FDL to monitor model utility for WebSphere MQ Workflow
  The FDL to monitor model utility is installed in Rational Application Developer or Integration Designer using Eclipse software updates. The utility is packaged as a compressed file and is shipped on the Business Monitor development toolkit installation DVD in the WMQWF directory.
• Importing the FDL file
  Before you can use the FDL to monitor model utility, you must import your FDL file. The result of importing an FDL file is a new FDL related project in the Package Explorer view.
• Generate a monitor model from an FDL file
  

  You can use the FDL to monitor model utility to generate a monitor model from an imported FDL file.

• Selecting the typical events to monitor
  By using the fine-grained events setting, you can reduce the impact that the monitored WebSphere MQ Workflow process has on performance after enabling audit. However, there are events that must be present for successful monitoring.
• Selecting the WebSphere MQ Workflow monitoring templates
  In the Monitor Model Generation wizard, you can choose the monitored events from the Emitted Events tab or you can select templates from the Monitoring Templates tab.

  If you select a template, the required events for that template are selected automatically. Select only the templates and events that you need to avoid extraneous monitoring artifacts in the generated monitor model.

• Remove the FDL to monitor model utility for WebSphere MQ Workflow
  

  If you need to remove the Business Monitor development toolkit, you will have to remove the FDL to monitor model utility from Integration Designer or Rational Application Developer first. Otherwise you will see several warning messages.

Developing monitor models