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Middleware Mash-Up 2022 User Group Event Recap: Modernize and Optimize Your IBM MQ Environment

By Gabriel Marte Blanco posted Mon November 07, 2022 11:30 AM

  

On Wednesday, November 2nd, The New York/New Jersey Hybrid Cloud & Integration User Group, co-hosted an event with Middleware Mash-Up at the Crowne Plaza Edison, NJ. If you missed it, you missed quite an event. Focused on optimizing and modernizing your IBM MQ environment, the event featured two presentations out of IBM Hursley from Amy McCormick, Principal Product Manager IBM MQ and from David Ware, IBM MQ Chief Architect and a presentation by MQ expert Nick Glowacki, Executive IT Specialist at IBM. These sessions were followed by an Ask the Experts open question session and an experts discussion panel on IBM MQ Modernization and Optimization Lessons Learned. The final presentation of the day was given by Peter D’Agosta, Chief Product Manager of Infrared360, Avada Software’s IBM MQ advanced administration solution. His session provided optimization tips and techniques for managing IBM MQ in hybrid environments. The sessions were followed by a social event and an Art Afterparty. Here are some key points covered in each session.

The Latest in IBM MQ, @Amy McCormick, Principal Product Manager IBM MQ

Amy touched on the most recent developments in MQ and some tips for the best uses of newer capabilities in the latest version. She discussed why most organizations are seeing less than 1/3 of the impact they expected from digital investments, mostly related to inefficient digital integration across technology platforms, business processes and organizational barriers. She hit on some key points why IBM MQ is the solution for mission critical messaging. This included things like deployment versatility including both cloud and hybrid as well as through appliances and then covered new HA capabilities with MQ Native HA. The last segment was about Advanced Connectivity with Managed File Transfer and IBM MQ Advanced. She covered IBM MQ Advanced, MQ Operator & MQ Advanced Certified Container, and Cloud Native Messaging within the Cloud Pak for Integration. She wrapped up with some aspects of IBM’s strategy for MQ roadmap and discussed how to get involved with MQ future direction through things like the Early Experience Program and the IBM Community.

MQ in the Cloud, @Nick Glowacki, Executive IT Specialist at IBM

Nicks’ unique session took us through a common discussion he has with IBM MQ customers all over the world.  The discussion is around moving to a public cloud and understanding the architectural approach, best practices, and what options are when you’re the MQ owner. The presentation explored various ,motivations for moving to cloud and how each impacts that answer as well as pertinent customer topologies before and after. He covered various options in AWS, GCP, IaaS, etc. and went into detail down to Replicated Data Que Managers (RDMQ) and recovery options.

Event Streaming: Apache Kafka and IBM MQ, Where to Use What & Why, @David Ware, IBM MQ Chief Architect

David covered the evolution of architectural patterns and the new business motivations that have made event streaming so a hot topic. He covered how application messaging patterns and the key differences between streaming and queuing. The key message was that Applications demand a broad spectrum of messaging patterns and how IBM MQ and Apache Kafka complement each other to cover that spectrum. He also reviewed the differences between using MQ for event streaming vs using it to keep a message history for replay. David covered the differences in consumption models in depth and how that applies to where to use which model best suited.

 Ask the Experts

For this open question session David was joined by a number of other experts including

  • Brian Wilson, Americas Automation Technical Sales Leader, Integration for IBM.
  • Nick Glowaski, Executive IT Specialist, IBM
  • David Corbett, Middleware Architect, USBank (Retired)                                              
  • Nick Felicione, Senior Vice President, Information Design, Inc. (IDI)
  • Arthur Rodriguez, Senior Solution Architect, TxMQ
  • Peter D'Agosta, Co-Founder and Chief Product Manager, Avada Software

There were too many questions and long discussion answers to cover here, but one of the most discussed questions was around MQ’s ability to keep a message until confirmation is received from the application. The end result was that it could, but the applications need to use best practices for their intention. The discussion detailed how using a correlation ID can help in this regard, but cannot go the last step in confirming ‘processing’ of the message.

Another was about connecting to a broad spectrum of OS’s on which MQ can run; is there any doc from IBM on how to use web console for all of the different remote queue managers and OS’s? Although the answer wasn’t about the web console, it was highlighted that the Infrared360 MQ administration product has been providing this for 15+ years now and was initial reason the product was created. It synchronizes across remote platforms while also allowing specified access on a user(s) level. This group/role access model is implemented in one place versus performing the exercise on each remote node.

 

A question about RDQM, in terms of standing up a service quickly was: is IBM working on making the cloud experience more user friendly? The answer came from David that, yes, by using a container, Kubernetes, OpenShift this is now handled.  IBM is currently looking into making more Ansible ready tools, which quite a few audience members indicated they need.

 

As mentioned, there were a lot of other questions and a lively discussion among all attendees and experts.

Panel Discussion: IBM MQ Optimization Lessons Learned

The Ask the Experts session led into an Experts Panel discussion featuring experts with real-world experience at all stages of optimization and modernization providing practical advice and moderated by IBM MQ expert, Nick Glowacki. Panelists included:

  • David Corbett, Middleware Architect, USBank (Retired)
  • Peter D'Agosta, Co-Founder and Chief Product Manager, Avada Software
  • Nick Felicione, Senior Vice President, Information Design, Inc. (IDI)
  • Greg Hanson, Infrastructure Manager, The Options Clearing Corporation
  • Arthur Rodriguez, Senior Solution Architect, TxMQ


The discussion gave 1st-hand experiences about, preparation, surprises, optimization, observability, and simplicity of administration based around a central theme of how technology (especially middleware infrastructure) swings along the pendulum of centralized to decentralized, and back again and how that impacts architectural and optimization choices and options.

You’ve Arrived, did you plan correctly? Peter D’Agosta, Chief Product Manager, Avada Software

Peter presented on optimization tips and techniques for managing IBM MQ in hybrid environments. He provided tips on how to avoid added maintenance and work for the team managing IBM MQ and other IT teams involved in the migration progresses, and pertinent tips on how to ensure end users have proper visibility into your MQ environment as you proceed.

He gave tips on how to manage MQ in clouds, hybrid, or other modern architectures in a way to lessen vulnerabilities (internal or external). None of the sessions were recorded, but you can see a similar session Peter gave at a previous event here.

Networking Soiree and Art Afterparty

One of the benefits of attending an event like Middleware Mash-Up is participating in activities that let you relax and absorb what you’ve just learned, do a little socializing, and share with and learn from others. This event was no exception with a gathering of attendees for a networking event with hors d'oeuvres and beverages. followed by a unique Art Afterparty experience.

The event was a fun and information experience for everyone. Keep an eye out for upcoming Middleware Mash-Up and NY/NJ Hybrid Cloud and Integration User Group events

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