IBM MQ for z/OS Value Unit Edition (VUE)

IBM MQ for z/OS Value Unit Edition (VUE)

IBM® IBM MQ for z/OS® Value Unit Edition (VUE) (VUE) provides all the function and capability of the base IBM MQ for z/OS, in a format that offers a one-time-charge (OTC) price metric for eligible workloads that are deployed in qualified IBM Z Systems New Application License Charge (zNALC) logical partitions (LPARs).

The term, Eligible Workload, is defined as new workload that executes using the IBM MQ for z/OS VUE server environment, on condition that the workload is qualified and approved through the zNALC qualification process.

For further information on zNALC, see IBM Z Systems Software Pricing

The OTC price metric provides an alternative pricing model for new IBM MQ for z/OS-connected applications and new IBM MQ for z/OS VUE service enablement workloads.

Support for the zNALC metric offers a reduced price for the z/OS operating system on LPARs that run a qualified application.

IBM MQ for z/OS VUE can connect to other supported versions of IBM MQ for z/OS (whether in zNALC or non-zNALC environments) for workload federation and systems management.

IBM MQ for z/OS VUE allows connections from IBM MQ clients, that run on other platforms.

Installing VUE

An order for VUE is fulfilled by delivery of two products:
  • IBM MQ for z/OS,
  • The VUE enabling product itself.
The products are separately installed using SMP/E following the process documented in their respective program directories. For download links for the Program Directories, see IBM MQ for z/OS Program Directory PDF files.

Enabling VUE

To enable a queue manager to run an eligible workload in a zNALC LPAR, the SCUEAUTH library created by installation of the VUE enabling product must be added to the STEPLIB concatenation of the xxxxMSTR procedure for that queue manager:
  • The SCUEAUTH library should be APF authorized
  • The SCUEAUTH libary must be concatenated ahead of the SCSQAUTH library,
For example, the CSQ4MSTR sample would be modified as follows: 

//PROCSTEP EXEC PGM=CSQYASCP,REGION=0M,MEMLIMIT=2G
//*
//STEPLIB  DD DSN=hlq.SCSQANLE,DISP=SHR
//     DD DSN=hlq.SCUEAUTH,DISP=SHR
//     DD DSN=hlq.SCSQAUTH,DISP=SHR
-
When SCUEAUTH is added to the STEPLIB concatenation, the characters VUE appear in the release level shown by message CSQY000I during queue manager startup. The queue manager starts only in an LPAR configured for zNALC workload by name or IPL parameter.

Characteristics of a VUE-enabled queue manager

A VUE-enabled queue manager has all the function and capability of the base queue manager. Additionally, clients will be enabled during channel initiator start up.

A VUE-enabled queue manager records usage information in SMF89 records with the product name and identifier for IBM MQ for z/OS Value Unit Edition (VUE) instead of those for the IBM MQ product.

A VUE-enabled queue manager can:
  • Connect to other queue managers and clients in a network, according to the connectivity capabilities of the base queue manager installation.
  • Participate in a queue sharing group with other queue managers provided the base queue manager versions are able to interoperate, regardless of whether other members are standard or VUE function queue managers.