Showing a remote queue manager

If you want to administer a remote queue manager, you must connect IBM MQ Explorer to the remote queue manager, so that the queue manager then appears in the Navigator view.


IBM MQ Explorer automatically discovers all the queue managers on the computer on which IBM MQ Explorer is installed. However, IBM MQ Explorer does not automatically discover queue managers on other computers.

To administer remote queue managers, you must manually connect IBM MQ Explorer to the remote queue manager and show the queue manager in the Queue Managers folder in IBM MQ Explorer.

Use one of the following methods to connect to a remote queue manager:

We can also show remote cluster queue managers in the Queue Managers folder so that we can administer them from IBM MQ Explorer. For more information, see Administer remote cluster queue managers.

If IBM MQ Explorer cannot connect to the remote queue manager for any reason (for example, the remote queue manager is not running), a dialog is displayed asking if you want to add the queue manager anyway. Click Yes and the queue manager is displayed in the Queue Managers folder but none of its details are available until it connects.

IBM MQ Explorer cannot connect to queue managers that are running on IBM MQ platforms that do not support remote administration. For more information about which IBM MQ platforms are supported, see Administer remote queue managers.

Automatic client reconnect is not supported by IBM MQ classes for Java™.

For more detailed information about CCDTs, see Client channel definition table in the IBM MQ online product documentation.


Creating a connection manually

About this task

Before we can create the connection, you must know the following information about the remote queue manager:

  • The name of the queue manager.
  • The name of the computer that hosts the queue manager.
  • The port number of the queue manager's listener.
  • The name of the server-connection channel on the queue manager that IBM MQ Explorer uses to connect to the queue manager. If we have enabled the queue manager for remote administration, the SYSTEM.ADMIN.SVRCONN channel is available. Otherwise, use SYSTEM.DEF.SVRCONN, a client channel definition table, or a server-connection channel that we have created and named.

To manually create a connection from IBM MQ Explorer to a remote queue manager, complete the following steps.

Procedure

  1. Right-click on Queue Managers in the Navigator view, then click Add Remote Queue Manager The Add Queue Manager wizard opens enabling you to create a connection.
  2. In the Queue manager name field, type the name of the queue manager to which you want to connect.
  3. Ensure that Connect directly is selected, then click Next.
  4. Ensure that Specify connection details is selected, then type the following details:

    • In the Host name or IP address field, type the name of the computer that hosts the remote queue manager; Use one of the following formats:

      • The short host name, for example, joho The remote computer must be in the same domain as your local computer.
      • The fully qualified host name, for example, joho.example.com Use this if the remote computer is in a different domain to your local computer.
      • The IP address, for example 127.0.0.1
    • In the Port number field, type the port number; for example, 1416
    • In the Server-connection channel field, type the name of the channel to use
    To change the defaults that are used, see Specifying the default values used to connect to remote queue managers
  5. Optional: Select the Autoreconnect check box to configure MQ Explorer to automatically reconnect to the queue manager if the connection is lost.
  6. Optional: Change the frequency with which IBM MQ Explorer refreshes its information about the queue manager. To prevent IBM MQ Explorer automatically refreshing its information about the queue manager, click No queue manager refresh interval; to specify a different refresh interval, click Specify queue manager refresh interval, then type the number of seconds that you want IBM MQ Explorer to wait before refreshing its information about the queue manager.
  7. Click Finish.

Results

IBM MQ Explorer connects to the remote queue manager, and the queue manager is shown in the Queue Managers folder in the Navigator view.


Creating a connection using a client channel definition table

Instead of manually specifying the connection details of the remote queue manager, we can use a predefined client channel definition table. Using this method of connection means that we can, for example, configure the channel to use security exits.

Before you begin

Before we can create a connection using a client channel definition table, you must create the client channel definition table on the computer that hosts the remote queue manager, then copy the client channel definition table to the local computer (from which you want to connect to the remote queue manager).

About this task

MQ Explorer connects to the remote queue manager using the client channel definition table, and the queue manager is shown in the Queue Managers folder in the Navigator view.

To connect to the remote queue manager using the client channel definition tables, complete the following tasks in MQ Explorer on the local computer (the computer from which you want to connect to the remote queue manager):

Procedure

  1. Right-click on Queue Managers in the Navigator view, then click Add Remote Queue Manager The Add Queue Manager wizard opens enabling you to create a connection.
  2. In the Queue manager name field, type the name of the queue manager to which you want to connect.
  3. Ensure that Connect directly is selected, then click Next.
  4. Click Use client channel definition table, then browse for the client channel definition table file.
  5. Optional: Select the Autoreconnect check box to configure IBM MQ Explorer to automatically reconnect to the queue manager if the connection is lost.
  6. Optional: Change the frequency with which IBM MQ Explorer refreshes its information about the queue manager. To prevent MQ Explorer automatically refreshing its information about the queue manager, click No queue manager refresh interval; to specify a different refresh interval, click Specify queue manager refresh interval, then type the number of seconds that you want IBM MQ Explorer to wait before refreshing its information about the queue manager.
  7. Click Finish.

Results


Creating a security-enabled connection

About this task

For more information about using TLS with client connections, see Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) support in IBM MQ classes for Java in the IBM MQ online product documentation.

To connect to a remote queue manager using a security-enabled connection, complete the following tasks in IBM MQ Explorer on the computer from which you want to connect to the remote queue manager.

Note: If you place the IBM MQ Explorer plug-ins in another Eclipse environment, to use the full set of CipherSuites, and to operate with certified FIPS 140-2 or Suite-B compliance, a suitable JRE is required. IBM Java 7 Service Refresh 4, Fix Pack 2 or a higher level of the IBM JRE provides the appropriate support.

Procedure

  1. Right-click on Queue Managers in the Navigator view, then click Add Remote Queue Manager The Add Queue Manager wizard opens, enabling you to create a connection.
  2. In the Queue manager name field, type the name of the queue manager to which you want to connect.
  3. Ensure that Connect directly is selected, then click Next.
  4. Ensure that Specify connection details is selected, then type the following details:

    • In the Host name or IP address field, type the name of the computer that hosts the remote queue manager; Use one of the following formats:

      • The short host name, for example, joho The remote computer must be in the same domain as your local computer.
      • The fully qualified host name, for example, joho.example.com Use this if the remote computer is in a different domain to your local computer.
      • The IP address, for example 127.0.0.1.
    • In the Port number field, type the port number; for example, 1416.
    • In the Server-connection channel field, type the name of the channel to use.
    To change the defaults that are used, see Specifying the default values used to connect to remote queue managers.
  5. Optional: Select the Autoreconnect check box to configure IBM MQ Explorer to automatically reconnect to the queue manager if the connection is lost.
  6. Optional: Change the frequency with which IBM MQ Explorer refreshes its information about the queue manager. To prevent IBM MQ Explorer automatically refreshing its information about the queue manager, click No queue manager refresh interval; to specify a different refresh interval, click Specify queue manager refresh interval, then type the number of seconds that you want IBM MQ Explorer to wait before refreshing its information about the queue manager.
  7. Click Next.

Results

At this point in the wizard, we can select the optional security parameters on the new pages of the wizard. All the security parameters are optional and you are not required to enable any of them if we do not want to, however, you must select Enable SSL stores to access the Enable SSL options parameters:
  1. Optional. Select Enable security exit and type your security exit details into the fields. The remote server conn channel must also have a security exit defined. Click Next.
  2. Optional. Select Enable user identification and type your required user identification details in the field. If you want to set the optional password, type your password details in the field. Optional: The remote server conn channel can also have a security exit defined. Click Next.
  3. Optional. Select Enable SSL stores to specify TLS certificate key repository details. The remote server conn channel must also have TLS enabled. To specify certificate stores choose either one or both of the following options.

    • Optional. Click Browse in the Selected Certificate Store section of the dialog to locate the certificate store file. If you want to set the optional password, click Enter password... to open the Password details dialog where you must type your password details in the fields.
    • Optional. Click Browse in the Personal certificate Store section of the dialog to locate your personal certificate store file. You must set a password when defining a personal certificate store; click Enter password... to open the Password details dialog where you must type your password details in the fields.
    Click Next.
  4. Optional. Select Enable SSL options. Select the TLS options you require, and click Finish to create the TLS-enabled connection and close the wizard. You must have previously selected Enable SSL stores to access the Enable SSL options parameters.

Passwords used by the IBM MQ Explorer to connect to resources, for example, opening TLS stores or connecting to queue managers, can be stored in a file. The location of the file can be changed to a remote or removable device. For more information, see: Passwords preferences.

IBM MQ Explorer now connects to the remote queue manager using a TLS-secured connection, and the queue manager is shown in the Queue Managers folder in the Navigator view.


Use an existing connection

About this task

IBM MQ Explorer connects to the remote queue manager and the queue manager is shown in the Queue Managers folder in the Navigator view.

We can also use existing cluster connections to administer remote cluster queue managers. For more information, see Administer remote cluster queue managers.

To connect using an existing connection that has been made by another queue manager, complete the following steps.

Procedure

  1. Right-click on Queue Managers in the Navigator view, then click Add Remote Queue Manager. The Add Queue Manager wizard opens enabling you to create a connection.
  2. In the Queue manager name field, type the name of the queue manager to which you want to connect.
  3. Click Connect using an intermediate queue manager, then click Next.
  4. From the Intermediate queue manager list, click the name of the queue manager that made the existing connection.
  5. Optional: Select the Autoreconnect check box to configure IBM MQ Explorer to automatically reconnect to the queue manager if the connection is lost.
  6. Optional: Change the frequency with which IBM MQ Explorer refreshes its information about the queue manager. To prevent IBM MQ Explorer automatically refreshing its information about the queue manager, click No queue manager refresh interval; to specify a different refresh interval, click Specify queue manager refresh interval, then type the number of seconds that you want IBM MQ Explorer to wait before refreshing its information about the queue manager.
  7. Click Finish.