Create and configure a queue manager cluster

Create and configure a queue manager cluster

A cluster is a group of two or more queue managers that are logically associated and can share information with each other. We can use the wizards and properties dialogs in IBM MQ Explorer to create and configure queue manager clusters.

About this task
Since the queue managers in a cluster are logically associated and can share information with each other, this means that an application can put a message on a cluster queue from any queue manager in the cluster and the message is automatically routed to the queue manager where the cluster queue is defined. The amount of system administration is reduced because the cluster channels that the cluster queue managers use to exchange application messages are automatically defined as required.

IBM MQ Explorer provides wizards to help you to create and configure queue manager clusters and objects.

We cannot use the wizards to manage queue managers and objects that belong to more than one cluster (and, therefore, use namelists). However, we can still use the IBM MQ Explorer properties dialogs to edit the properties of the queue managers and objects if you want them to belong to more than one cluster.

For more information, see Distributed queuing and clusters in the IBM MQ online product documentation.

Creating a queue manager cluster
IBM MQ Explorer treats queue manager clusters as objects so that we can create and administer them like other MQ objects.
Add a queue manager to a cluster
We can add a queue manager to a cluster as either a full repository or a partial repository.
Removing a queue manager from a cluster
If you no longer want a queue manager to be a member of a cluster, we can remove the queue manager from the cluster.
Suspending the cluster membership of a queue manager
If a queue manager is a member of a cluster but you want to temporarily prevent the queue manager sharing its cluster queues and exchanging messages using the cluster, we can suspend the queue manager from the cluster. We can later easily resume the queue manager's membership of the cluster.
Resuming the cluster membership of a queue manager
If you previously suspended a queue manager's membership of a cluster, but then want to resume the queue manager's membership, we can do this without having to re-enter the queue manager's connection details.
Refreshing locally held information about a cluster
You are unlikely to need to refresh (discard) all locally held information about a cluster in normal circumstances but you might be asked to do this by your IBM Support Center.
Specifying a different cluster information source for IBM MQ Explorer
We can change the full repository queue manager from which IBM MQ Explorer obtains information about which queue managers belong to a cluster.
Cluster repositories
A cluster repository contains information about the cluster; for example, information about the queue managers that are members of the cluster, and the cluster channels. Repositories are hosted by the queue managers in the cluster.
Making a queue manager a full repository for more than one cluster
A queue manager can be a full repository for more than one cluster at the same time.
Sharing a queue in a cluster
A queue manager that belongs to a cluster can share one or more of its queues with all the other members of the cluster.
Connecting to a remote cluster queue manager
We can connect IBM MQ Explorer to a remote queue manager by using the cluster information source as an intermediary queue manager.
Administer a remote cluster queue manager
After connecting to a remote cluster queue manager using the cluster information source as an intermediate queue manager, we can select to show the queue manager in the Queue Managers folder. We can use then use the connection to administer the remote queue manager.
Parent topic: Configure IBM MQ using IBM MQ Explorer

Related concepts

Queue manager clusters