What's new in Version 5.0

This topic introduces you to the main new function in WebSphere Business Integration Event Broker Version 5.0.
New graphical development environment based on Eclipse
The Message Brokers Toolkit for WebSphere Studio is an integrated development environment and graphical user interface based on the Eclipse platform. The Message Brokers Toolkit consists of the Eclipse platform and a set of Java plug-ins that enable the creation, maintenance, and deployment of WebSphere Business Integration Event Broker message flows (including publish/subscribe applications). See the Client environment topic, and the Eclipse web site.
The Message Brokers Toolkit includes, among other things, the following new features:
  • You can control multiple broker domains using a single Message Brokers Toolkit. See Client environment.
  • Developers and administrators have separate deployment models available to them: Rapid application development (RAD) provides developers a quick way to repeatedly test resources in a safe environment before they are used on a production system. See Rapid application development (RAD).
  • You can use Message Brokers Toolkit with external source repositories, for example with repositories that permit version control of message flow and message set source data. See Development repository.
  • Improved editors make it easier for you to build your solution. See Editors in the Message Brokers Toolkit.
  • You can configure some message flow properties at deployment time rather than at development time. See Broker archive - configurable properties.
Publish/subscribe enhancements
The following publish/subscribe changes have been made:
  • The set of protocols and distribution patterns supported by the broker has been extended to provide reliable, real-time IP multicast distribution of subscriptions over a Local Area Network. This is provided as an extension to the existing JMS IP support in WebSphere Business Integration Event Broker. For more information, see WebSphere MQ Multicast Transport and Multicast publish/subscribe, and WebSphere MQ Real-time Transport.
  • Publish/subscribe capabilities have been consolidated within WebSphere Business Integration Message Brokers. This rationalizes the product offerings and provides a clear upgrade path from WebSphere Business Integration Event Broker to WebSphere Business Integration Message Broker.
Enhanced initial user experience

The pre-install LaunchPad is launched from the Windows CD prior to installation. It guides you through the process of checking for, and installing, any necessary prerequisite software before launching the product installation. The installation is now implemented using InstallShield for Multi-Platforms.

The Welcome page for the Message Brokers Toolkit for WebSphere Studio, which appears after you launch the Message Brokers Toolkit for WebSphere Studio, provides links to a number of basic tasks, enabling you to configure and exercise a working system as quickly as possible. Supported tasks include:

Message flow accounting and statistics
You can now collect statistics on the behavior of message flows. For example, you can collect data about how many messages are processed and how large those messages are, or about CPU usage and elapsed processing times. For more information, see Message flow accounting and statistics data, and the developerWorks article on message flow performance.
SSL authentication, QoS, and HTTP tunneling
The following Internet-related items have been added:
New object level security model
You can now control access to runtime resources by object as opposed to by group. See Security for runtime resources.
Increased platform support
Supported operating environments now include Linux (x86 platform), Linux (zSeries platform), and Windows XP, giving you a wider choice of platforms on which to deploy your solution. For more information, see Supported operating environments.