What's new and what's changed in IBM WebSphere MQ Explorer

A key new feature of IBM WebSphere MQ Version 7.5 is the integration of IBM WebSphere MQ Managed File Transfer and IBM WebSphere MQ Advanced Message Security function, the use of which is subject to appropriate licensing entitlements. There is a single installation where you choose the required components.

The IBM WebSphere MQ Managed File Transfer and IBM WebSphere MQ Advanced Message Security extensions are always present in IBM WebSphere MQ Explorer, both in the server component and the stand-alone version from SupportPac MS0T, and become active as required. You now always see a Managed File Transfer node in the IBM WebSphere MQ Explorer Navigator view.

If you have an existing managed file transfer configuration on the computer, created from the earlier separate product, it automatically opens under the Managed File Transfer node. Alternatively, right-clicking on the node opens a new configuration wizard to select your coordination queue manager and command queue manager. This feature is useful if you are using IBM WebSphere MQ Explorer to connect to remote queue managers that are configured for use with IBM WebSphere MQ Managed File Transfer. When you have set up your configuration, you can then use IBM WebSphere MQ Explorer to do a number of operations, including scheduling transfers and monitoring their progress.

IBM WebSphere MQ Advanced Message Security provides a high level of protection for sensitive data that is flowing through your IBM WebSphere MQ network. Messages can be both encrypted and also signed so that the identity of the sender can be confirmed. When IBM WebSphere MQ Explorer connects to a queue manager, if it detects the IBM WebSphere MQ Advanced Message Security capability on the queue manager, it adds a Security Policies node under the queue manager in the navigator view. From there, you can create security policies to protect specific queues.

Another key new feature of this release of IBM WebSphere MQ Explorer is improved multi-version support. From IBM WebSphere MQ Version 7.1, you are able to install multiple copies of IBM WebSphere MQ on the same computer. IBM WebSphere MQ Explorer has improved function to further simplify working with multiple installations of IBM WebSphere MQ.

The Welcome screen now has a new link to View installations. Clicking this link displays all of your IBM WebSphere MQ installations. Each installation might have its own copy of IBM WebSphere MQ Explorer, so the installation that is running IBM WebSphere MQ Explorer is shown first. All other installations are then shown in the second table. Each installation has a name, version, and installation path, and optionally a description. One of the installations might be set as the primary one on the computer (setting as primary sets various system-wide settings such as environment variables on Windows systems). The State is Available unless there is an issue with the installation, and the Identifier is allocated at installation time and is for internal use.

There is a new Transfer queue managers to this installation function on the dialog. This control opens a new wizard, which can also be opened by right-clicking on the Queue Managers node in the navigator tree and selecting Transfer Queue Managers.... This new wizard enables you to transfer one or more queue managers from other installations to the current installation. This wizard is equivalent to the setmqm command, but saves having to type the required paths and parameters. Only stopped queue managers can be transferred; running queue managers are shown for reference. Queue managers can be pulled only into the current installation; they cannot be pushed out into other installations. After you click Transfer, the setmqm command is invoked with the selected queue managers. If successful, the navigator tree updates to include the transferred queue managers. If there are any problems, a dialog is shown with the error message from the command. You can also use drag and drop, and IBM WebSphere MQ Explorer import and export function, to transfer queue managers. For drag and drop, you must run two instances of IBM WebSphere MQ Explorer at the same time, from different installations. You can then drag a stopped queue manager out from one installation and drop it into the queue managers folders of the other. You then see a confirmation dialog.

If you export IBM WebSphere MQ Explorer settings to a file, under the Connection Information category there is now an option to save details for local queue managers. If you then import that file into IBM WebSphere MQ Explorer from a different installation, you get the same prompt as you do if you want to transfer the queue manager. You can drag the exported XML file into IBM WebSphere MQ Explorer to initiate the import.

To reduce the overhead of maintaining the Navigator view, the amount of information about the state of the Navigator view of IBM WebSphere MQ Explorer persistent on disk is reduced. As a result of this change, the expansion state of tree nodes in the Navigator view no longer persists when IBM WebSphere MQ Explorer is restarted.