WebSphere MQ - Choosing the Right Tool to Manage This Middleware Management Software Product

WebSphere MQ (WMQ) has become the de factomainframe,.NET framework Windows applications and
standard in the industry for asynchronous applicationJava web applications running on Application Servers
integration. As architecture has moved from CICS andare often interconnected using WMQ. The messages
mainframe to SOA, WMQ has adapted. It is widelythese applications use to communicate with one
recognized as a flexible cost effective, multi-purposeanother are sent through WMQ. You will have large
messaging integration platform for not only financialmonitoring "blind spots" unless you have adequate
businesses but for any organization that has a diversevisibility into activities occurring in the middleware layer
IT system.The complexity in the interactions between these
As valuable as WMQ is in business, it is just one of theapplications using WebSphere MQ as their "glue"
applications that impact performance. As a messaginginevitably leads to problems in terms of resource
tool, it interacts with diverse layers within the ITavailability, scale and logic. Each silo in most enterprise
environment. The purpose of WebSphere MQ is notIT organizations has experts with specialized tools who
to provide visibility into whether your applications areunderstand how their specialization works, yet rarely
available and performing. It only acts as ando these experts have an end-to-end view across the
MQ-message queue manager and applicationentire IT environment. At best, all these professionals
integration enabler.can identify is a range of symptoms. Identifying the
Evaluating WebSphere MQ Middleware Messagingroot cause without a tool that monitors performance
Functionof every transaction that passes through the
In order to evaluate whether your middlewareend-to-end system is time consuming and costly.
messaging is working as it should, an externalMaintaining Peak WebSphere MQ Productivity
monitoring application must be installed to manageThe key then to maintaining peak productivity within
application performance and business transactionWebSphere MQ is choosing the right tool to give
performance. Transaction tracking and performancemanagement the power to monitor application
monitoring within WebSphere MQ is vital for increasingperformance and business transaction performance,
top-line revenue, offering superior, consistent customerthen to follow through with the necessary configuration
service, maintaining transactional security and keepingmanagement.
operational costs under control.It is a known fact that WebSphere MQ requires
Any organization with a diverse IT infrastructure thatexpert configuration management. Changes that occur
utilizes messaging and transactions must acquirefrom any source need to be captured so the
visibility into the WebSphere MQ middleware layer tonecessity for a roll back to a previous configuration is
reduce mean time to repair (MTTR) for problems.identified before the change impacts customers.
Without independent visibility into the middleware tier,Maintaining a configuration database automatically
business transaction monitoring and applicationwhere automatic discovery of Queue Managers and
performance monitoring is ineffective and supportMQ Objects takes place allowing for maintenance of
costs soar.the database for audit and compliance, or for backup
Why is this? WebSphere MQ isn't the only applicationand recovery, assures that the middleware messaging
in the typical IT structure. There are generallyisn't the problem. Security administration is also an
commercial software applications, web-basedimportant aspect of configuration management.
applications, applications running on CICS on the