Interoperating with WebSphere MQ: Comparison of key features

A detailed comparison of the different ways that you can send messages between WebSphere® Application Server and a WebSphere MQ network, describing the key features of each approach.

Table 1. Key features comparison between the three ways of interoperating with WebSphere MQ
No bus: The WebSphere MQ messaging provider Multi-bus: WebSphere MQ network as a foreign bus (using WebSphere MQ links) Single-bus: Queue manager as a bus member (a WebSphere MQ server)

A JMS application uses the default messaging provider to pass a message to the WebSphere MQ messaging provider, which uses JMS messaging protocols to pass the message to a WebSphere MQ queue or topic.
A JMS application uses the default messaging provider to pass a message to a service integration bus. The bus passes the message across a WebSphere MQ link to a WebSphere MQ queue or topic. Service integration views the WebSphere MQ system as if it were a foreign bus.
A JMS application uses the default messaging provider to pass a message to a service integration bus. The bus passes the message through a WebSphere MQ server to a WebSphere MQ queue. Service integration views the WebSphere MQ system as if it were a bus member.
Uses the WebSphere MQ messaging provider. Uses the default messaging provider. Uses the default messaging provider.
  Cooperative administrative domains for WebSphere MQ and WebSphere Application Server:
  • Mutually agree definitions of channels, foreign destinations and buses, to reflect WebSphere MQ connectivity.
  • Both ends of the link must be started.
Independent administrative domains for WebSphere MQ and WebSphere Application Server:
  • Separate authority.
  • Temporal decoupling of administrative changes.
  Links act as funnels:
  • Messages are routed through the gateway messaging engine or queue managers.
  • Administrators can stop or start a link.
 
Minimal change to the WebSphere MQ configuration.   Minimal change to the WebSphere MQ configuration.
No use of service integration buses.   Small configuration change to the service integration bus:
  • Queue manager appears as a bus member.
  • Queue appears as a bus destination.
  Messages are pushed across the link – regardless of whether a consumer is ready. Messages are pulled from the queue by a WebSphere Application Server consumer, and pushed by a WebSphere Application Server producer.
  Store and Forward capability.  
  Traffic can be indirect, routed to mapped queue.  
Supports WebSphere MQ shared queues. Does not support WebSphere MQ shared queues. Supports WebSphere MQ shared queues.
Provides multiple connections between WebSphere Application Server application servers and WebSphere MQ queue managers or queue sharing groups. Connections are established as and when required, to allow WebSphere Application Server applications to access WebSphere MQ queues located on WebSphere MQ queue managers or queue sharing groups. Provides a single connection between a service integration bus and a WebSphere MQ network (comprising one or more interconnected WebSphere MQ queue managers). This single connection is used to transfer all the messages which are exchanged between the service integration network and the WebSphere MQ network.

In a multiple links configuration, you cannot define multiple links to the same foreign bus. This means that if you want to establish multiple links from a service integration network, you must define multiple foreign buses to represent different (gateway) queue managers on the WebSphere MQ network.

Provides multiple connections between messaging engines in a service integration bus and WebSphere MQ queue managers or queue sharing groups. Connections are established as and when required, to allow WebSphere Application Server applications to access WebSphere MQ queues located on WebSphere MQ queue managers or queue sharing groups.
Configured and managed using the administrative console. Configured and managed using the administrative console. Configured and managed using the administrative console.
Does not integrate the service integration bus with the WebSphere MQ network. Service integration bus mediations running in WebSphere Application Server cannot process messages from a WebSphere MQ queue, and WebSphere MQ applications cannot use WebSphere MQ servers to put messages to, or get messages from service integration bus queue-type destinations.   Allows closer integration; messaging applications can directly consume messages from the WebSphere MQ network.

WebSphere MQ applications cannot use WebSphere MQ servers to put messages to, or get messages from, service integration bus queue-type destinations.

WebSphere Application Server applications can send messages to WebSphere MQ queues, and can receive messages from WebSphere MQ queues.

When a WebSphere Application Server application sends a message to a WebSphere MQ queue, the message is immediately added to that queue; it does not use the service integration bus.

When a WebSphere Application Server application receives a message from a WebSphere MQ queue it receives the message directly from the queue.

WebSphere Application Server applications can send messages to WebSphere MQ queues but they cannot receive messages from WebSphere MQ queues.

WebSphere MQ applications can put messages to service integration bus queue-type destinations but they cannot get messages from service integration bus queue-type destinations.

WebSphere Application Server applications can send messages to WebSphere MQ queues, and they can receive messages from WebSphere MQ queues.

When a WebSphere Application Server application sends a message to a WebSphere MQ queue, the message is immediately added to that queue; it is not stored by the service integration bus for later transmission to WebSphere MQ.

When a WebSphere Application Server application receives a message from a WebSphere MQ queue, it receives the message directly from the queue rather than indirectly from the bus.

WebSphere Application Server applications can use asynchronous consumer sessions to receive messages from a WebSphere MQ queue and message-driven beans can be configured to process messages immediately they arrive at the WebSphere MQ queue.   WebSphere Application Server applications can use asynchronous consumer sessions to receive messages from a WebSphere MQ queue and message-driven beans can be configured to process messages immediately they arrive at the WebSphere MQ queue. Also, service integration bus mediations running in WebSphere Application Server can process messages as they arrive at a WebSphere MQ queue.
Permission for WebSphere Application Server applications and mediations to send messages to, and receive messages from, a particular WebSphere MQ queue is controlled by WebSphere MQ administration. Permission for WebSphere Application Server applications to send messages to a particular WebSphere MQ queue is controlled by WebSphere Application Server (actually service integration bus) administration.

Permission for WebSphere MQ applications to send messages to service integration destinations is controlled by WebSphere MQ administration.

Permission for WebSphere Application Server applications and mediations to send messages to, and receive messages from, a particular WebSphere MQ queue is controlled by WebSphere Application Server (actually service integration bus) administration.

Permission for WebSphere Application Server (which includes permission for its applications and mediations) to access WebSphere MQ queues is controlled by WebSphere MQ administration.

The WebSphere MQ messaging provider regards the WebSphere MQ queue manager or queue sharing group as a JMS messaging provider.

The WebSphere MQ messaging provider is regarded by the WebSphere MQ network as just another WebSphere MQ client attaching to the queue manager or queue sharing group.

Each end of the WebSphere MQ link appears in a natural form to the other end, so the WebSphere MQ network appears to service integration as a bus (a foreign bus) and the service integration bus appears as a virtual queue manager to the WebSphere MQ network. WebSphere MQ server regards the WebSphere MQ queue manager or queue sharing group as a mechanism for queuing messages for the service integration bus.

WebSphere MQ server is regarded by the WebSphere MQ network as just another WebSphere MQ client attaching to the queue manager or queue sharing group.

Messages are stored on queues not messaging engines; one or many WebSphere Application Server applications can access the messages, even when the applications are running on different servers.   Messages are stored on queues not messaging engines; one or many WebSphere Application Server applications can access the messages, even when the applications are running on different servers.
Messages can be stored on shared queues; if a queue manager fails, messages can still be retrieved from a different queue manager (no single point of failure exists). WebSphere Application Server applications sending messages to WebSphere MQ, and WebSphere MQ applications putting messages to the service integration bus are not affected by temporary failures of the communication link. The messages are stored by WebSphere MQ or the service integration bus and are delivered when the communication link recovers. Messages can be stored on queues; if a queue manager fails, messages can still be retrieved from a different queue manager (no single point of failure exists).
    Automatically discovers resources (queue managers and queues) on the WebSphere MQ network during configuration and administration.
    Can be configured to use properties of the message bus to which it belongs, giving the potential for each WebSphere MQ server to be bus-specific.
Does not support mediations. Does not support mediations. Supports different mediation scenarios for modifying message content, or routing, and for logging.
Optimum load balancing is easier to achieve because applications can pull messages from the WebSphere MQ network.   Optimum load balancing is easier to achieve because applications can pull messages from the WebSphere MQ network.
    User authentication is required for configuring and for messaging.
Connection between the WebSphere Application Server and the WebSphere MQ network can use a TCP/IP communication link or, if the WebSphere Application Server is running on the same image as the WebSphere MQ queue manager, it can use a direct call interface (this is called 'bindings mode'). Connection between the service integration bus network and the WebSphere MQ network uses a TCP/IP communication link. SSL channels are also supported. Connection between the service integration bus network and the WebSphere MQ network can use a TCP/IP communication link or, if the WebSphere Application Server application server is running on the same image as the WebSphere MQ queue manager, it can use a direct call interface (this is called 'bindings mode'). For related information, see Transport chain security.



Related concepts
Learning about interoperating with a WebSphere MQ network
Concept topic Concept topic    

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