Plan for distributed queues and clusters
For distributed messaging network, we can manually connect queues hosted on distributed queue managers, or we can create a queue manager cluster and let the product automatically connect the queue managers.
Clustering enables queue managers to communicate with each other without the need to set up extra channel definitions or remote queue definitions, simplifying their configuration and management.
To choose a suitable topology for the distributed publish/subscribe network, we need to consider the following broad questions:
- How much manual control do we need over the connections in your network?
- How big will your network be?
- How dynamic will it be?
- What are your availability and scalability requirements?
Procedure
- Consider how much manual control we need over the connections in your network.
If you only need a few connections, or if individual connections need to be very precisely defined, we should probably create the network manually.
For multiple queue managers that are logically related, and that need to share data and applications, we should consider grouping them together in a queue manager cluster.
- Estimate how big your network needs to be.
- Estimate how many queue managers we need. Bear in mind that queues can be hosted on more than one queue manager.
- If we are considering using a cluster, add two extra queue managers to act as full repositories.
For larger networks, manual configuration and maintenance of connections can be very time consuming, and we should consider using a cluster.
- Consider how dynamic the network activity will be.
Plan for busy queues to be hosted on performant queue managers.
If you expect queues to be frequently created and deleted, consider using a cluster.
- Consider your availability and scalability requirements.
- Decide whether we need to guarantee high availability of queue managers. If so, estimate how many queue managers this requirement applies to.
- Consider whether some of our queue managers are less capable than others.
- Consider whether the communication links to some of our queue managers are more fragile than to others.
- Consider hosting queues on multiple queue managers.
Manually configured networks and clusters can both be configured to be highly available and scalable. If we use a cluster, we need to define two extra queue managers as full repositories. Having two full repositories ensures that the cluster continues to operate if one of the full repositories becomes unavailable. Make sure that the full repository queue managers are robust, performant, and have good network connectivity. Do not plan to use the full repository queue managers for any other work.
- Based on these calculations, use the links provided to help you decide whether to manually configure connections between queue managers, or to use a cluster.
What to do next
You are now ready to configure your distributed messaging network.
- Designing distributed queue manager networks
IBM MQ sends and receives data between applications, and over networks using Queue Managers and Channels. Network planning involves defining requirements to create a framework for connecting these systems over a network.- Designing clusters
Clusters provide a mechanism for interconnecting queue managers in a way that simplifies both the initial configuration and the ongoing management. Clusters must be carefully designed, to ensure that they function correctly, and that they achieve the required levels of availability and responsiveness.Parent topic: Architectures based on multiple queue managers
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