Websphere MQ Explorer integration with CICS Explorer

This SupportPac introduces the first step in the integration of Websphere MQ Explorer and CICS Explorer. The instructions in this document guide you through the installation process, and help you get started.

The procedure described in this document is under review and your feedback is requested on any aspect of the MQ Explorer integration. You can provide feedback using the CICS Explorer developerWorks forum.

There are three tasks to integrate the MQ Explorer with the CICS Explorer:
  1. Downloading the files.
  2. Installing MQ Explorer.
  3. Integrating MQ Explorer with CICS Explorer.

Downloading the files

Before you begin
If you are using the Windows operating system, create two temporary directories on your computer. If you are using the Linux operating system, create one temporary directory. These are used to store, and extract, the downloaded files.

You must login to the Websphere MQ Explorer download site using an IBM ID.

About this task
  1. Open the CICS Explorer download Web site. .
    1. If you have not already done so, download the CICS Explorer and install it on your computer following the instructions in the CICS Explorer ReadMe, or Release Notes file.
    2. Download the MQ Explorer integration pack cs1q.zip and save it on your computer. Do not extract the file.
  2. Open the Websphere MQ Explorer download Web site.
  3. If you are using the Linux operating system, download and extract the Websphere MQ Explorer for Linux file ms0t_explorer701_linux.tar.gz into the temporary directory created previously.
  4. If you are using the Linux operating system, perform the following steps:
    1. Download and extract the Websphere Eclipse platform file, ms0t_eclipse331_windows.zip, into one of the temporary directories created previously.
    2. Download and extract the MQ Explorer SupportPac, ms0t_explorer701_windows.zip, into the other temporary directory created previously.

Installing MQ Explorer

About this task
You must first install the Eclipse platform then install the MQ Explorer.
  1. If you are using the Linux operating system, perform the following step:
    1. Navigate to the directory where you unpacked the files and run the command Setup.bin and follow the on screen instructions to install the Eclipse platform and Websphere MQ Explorer.
  2. If you are using the Windows operating platform, perform the following steps:
    1. Navigate to the directory where you unpacked the Eclipse platform file ms0t_eclipse331_windows.zip, double-click Setup.exe, and follow the on screen instructions to install Eclipse.
    2. After Eclipse has successfully installed, change to the directory where you unpacked the MQ Explorer SupportPac ms0t_explorer701_windows.zip, double-click Setup.exe, and follow the on screen instructions to install MQ Explorer.

Integrating MQ Explorer with CICS Explorer

About this task
You must install the MQ Explorer integration pack into the CICS Explorer, then copy some files from the MQ Explorer into a CICS Explorer directory .
  1. Follow these steps to install the MQ Explorer integration pack:
    1. Start the CICS Explorer and select the menu option Help > Software Updates.
    2. In the Software Updates and Add-ons dialog, select the Available Software tab, and click Add Site.
    3. In the Add Site dialog, click Archive and point the file browser to the cs1q.zip file you downloaded previously. Click OK and the file is added to the list of available software.
    4. Click the check box next to the file, and click Install.
    5. CICS Explorer installs the file and asks if you want to restart. Do not restart yet.
  2. Follow these steps to copy MQ Explorer files into the CICS Explorer
    1. Locate the folder where you installed the Websphere Eclipse platform.
    2. Expand the folder tree to locate the links directory. This directory should contain two files. Select both files and copy them to the clipboard.
    3. Go to the directory where you installed the CICS Explorer. Expand the directory and find the links directory.
    4. Paste the two files from the clipboard into the links directory.
  3. Now close and restart the CICS Explorer

Results

CICS Explorer restarts with the CICS SM perspective active.

You can open Websphere MQ views inside the CICS SM perspective by clicking Window > Show View > Other, then expand the IBM Websphere MQ tree, and select the view to add.

Alternatively, you can click the Open Perspective icon on the shortcut bar, click Other and select the Websphere MQ Explorer perspective, then click OK to open the perspective.