This course is the ultimate course that gives an insight in the use of the message queuing technique as implemented through the IBM Message Queuing (MQ) software. Originally meant to help out in a client/server environment, a product like IBM MQ currently gets a lot of renewed attention in an SOA context. By using the IBM MQ product, the course shows how to work safely and efficiently in a C/S environment built around a Q-infrastructure. A lot of companies depend on IBM MQ infrastructure for reliable transmission of information.

At the end of this base course, participants will:

• be able to describe the typical characteristics of a IBM MQ environment;
• have an insight into the configuration and use of the product and its objects;
• understand what IBM MQ can and cannot do for you;
• understand the different ways IBM MQ objects can be accessed and used in applications based on the Messaging technique.

Participants will also learn 'when' and 'why' this technique can be used. Technical concepts will be discussed, a good practical understanding of the IBM MQ product as a basis for infrastructure design as well as troubleshooting is the goal of the course.

Day 1

• Positioning IBM MQ as a product in the classic MQ and WebSphere software stack
• Basic concepts of a Message Oriented Middleware (MOM) solution
• Positioning IBM MQ in the system infrastructure:
  • Message and Q • Standalone • Distributed • Asynchronous infrastructure • what is IBM MQ used for
• Communication patterns:
  • Send and Forget • Request/Reply • Publish/Subscribe
• Technical concepts for configuration:
  • Commands and utilities • Queue creation/deletion • Channel manipulation • Distributed queuing • Security and Recovery • Priority • Monitoring & Performance
• The use of commands in order to define and to manage IBM MQ objects
• Description of the base IBM MQ objects:
  • Types of queues (local and remote queues, event queues, transmission queues, dead-letter queues, command queues .....)
  • components (queues, queue managers, .....)
• Labs to illustrate the organisation of a Queue Manager and the configuration of the base objects

Day 2

• The distributed setup explained:
  • remote queues • transmission Q • the use of channel agents • listeners • channel types
• Lab to illustrate message transmission
• The trigger concept
  • trigger types • initiation Q • trigger monitor(s)
• Lab to illustrate Q triggering
• Miscellaneous:
  • cluster concept • transactional behaviour • logging infrastructure • space/file management • shared data Q (z/OS) • CICS/IMS interface (z/OS) • MQ in an integration scenario • Publish/Subscribe support
• Application programming: basic concepts
  • MQInterface (MQGET, MQPUT, MQCONN, MQOPEN, MQCLOSE, MQINQ .....) • anatomy of a call • MQMD structure

Live instructor-led training, with plenty of opportunities for hands-on exercises and discussion

Delivered as a live, interactive training: available in-person or online, or in a hybrid format. 
Training can be implemented in English, Dutch, or French.
If interested in organising this training internally, get in touch with us; we can even customise it to meet your specific needs.

Being familiar with application development and programming is an advantage. Some experience (command line and graphical interface) in a distributed environment will come in handy.

System Programmers and administrators who will be responsible for the maintenance of the IBM MQ infrastructure get a good feeling of the scope and workings of the product. Software architects, designers and (system) administrators can also strongly benefit from this practical introduction of IBM MQ concepts. After all IBM MQ very often is the building block of the transport backbone of their company.