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
is displayed in the Navigator view. You can create a connection manually, or using a client channel
definition table. You can also create a new security-enabled connection, or connect using an
existing connection.
About this task
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:
- Create a connection manually. Create
a connection to the remote queue manager using the Add Queue
Manager wizard. You can use the default SYSTEM.ADMIN.SVRCONN
channel or a server-connection channel that you specify yourself.
- Create a connection using a client channel
definition table. If you use a client channel definition table
to configure the channel, you can for example, define security exits
on the channel.
- Create a new security-enabled connection.
Create a new security-enabled connection to the remote queue manager.
- Connect using an existing connection.
Connect to a remote queue manager using and existing connection that
has been made by another queue manager.
You can also show remote cluster queue managers in the Queue Managers
folder so that you can administer them from IBM MQ Explorer.
For more information, see Administering 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 Administering 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 IBM Knowledge Center.
Procedure
-
[OPTION 1] Create a connection manually
Before you 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 you 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 you have created and named.
-
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.
-
In the Queue manager name field,
type the name of the queue manager to which you want to connect.
-
Ensure that Connect directly is
selected, then click Next.
-
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
-
Optional: Select the Autoreconnect check
box to configure IBM MQ Explorer to
automatically reconnect to the queue manager if the connection is
lost.
-
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.
-
Click Finish.
IBM MQ Explorer connects to the remote queue manager, and
the queue manager is shown in the Queue Managers folder in the Navigator
view.
-
[OPTION 2] Create a connection using a client channel
definition table
Instead of manually specifying the connection details of
the remote queue manager, you can use a predefined client channel
definition table. Using this method of connection means that you can,
for example, configure the channel to use security exits.
Before you 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).
IBM 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
steps in IBM MQ Explorer on
the local computer (the computer from which you want to connect to
the remote queue manager).
-
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.
-
In the Queue manager name field,
type the name of the queue manager to which you want to connect.
-
Ensure that Connect directly is
selected, then click Next.
-
Click Use client channel definition table,
then browse for the client channel definition table file.
-
Optional: Select the Autoreconnect check box to configure IBM MQ Explorer to automatically reconnect to the queue manager if the
connection is lost.
-
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.
-
Click Finish.
-
[OPTION 3] Create a new security-enabled connection
For more information about using TLS with client connections, see Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) support in IBM MQ classes for Java in IBM Knowledge Center.
To connect to a remote queue manager using a security-enabled connection, complete the following
steps 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.
-
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.
-
In the Queue manager name field,
type the name of the queue manager to which you want to connect.
-
Ensure that Connect directly is
selected, then click Next.
-
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.
-
Optional: Select the Autoreconnect check box to configure IBM MQ Explorer to automatically reconnect to the queue manager if the
connection is lost.
-
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.
-
Click Next.
At this point in the wizard, you 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 you do not want to, however, you must select
Enable SSL stores to
access the
Enable SSL options parameters:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
-
[OPTION 4] Connect using an existing connection
IBM MQ Explorer connects to the remote queue manager and
the queue manager is shown in the Queue Managers folder in the Navigator
view.
You can
also use existing cluster connections to administer remote cluster
queue managers. For more information, see Administering remote cluster queue
managers.
To connect using an existing connection that has been made by another queue manager, complete the
following steps.
-
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.
-
In the Queue manager name field,
type the name of the queue manager to which you want to connect.
-
Click Connect using an intermediate queue manager,
then click Next.
-
From the Intermediate queue manager list,
click the name of the queue manager that made the existing connection.
-
Optional: Select the Autoreconnect check box to configure IBM MQ Explorer to automatically reconnect to the queue manager if the
connection is lost.
-
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.
-
Click Finish.