IBM MQ 9.3 Long Term Support is the next step forward on the MQ Long Term Support path, approximately two years on from the MQ 9.2 LTS release. MQ 9.3 LTS rolls up all the new MQ capabilities delivered over the last two years in the Continuous Delivery releases into the next LTS release which will remain functionally stable and fully supported for a minimum of 5 years.
Here are your MQ and MQ Appliance options at this point:
New MQ Appliance M2003 models will ship with the 9.3 LTS firmware onboard by default, but you can move at any time to a future CD firmware if there is function of interest.
Where can I get IBM MQ 9.3 LTS from?
MQ 9.3 is currently available on on distributed platforms and the IBM MQ on IBM Cloud managed service platforms. For MQ for z/OS and MQ Appliance we have a statement of direction in the announcement letter to say IBM intends to make IBM MQ for z/OS®, 9.3 and IBM MQ Appliance 9.3 firmware available in the future, so watch out for future blog posts about that.
For any clarification needed about what each Program entitles you to install check out the MQ license information page.
- Distributed platforms: Download instructions for AIX, IBM i, Linux and Windows
- z/OS
- shopZ for z/OS - will be available on 15th July 2022
- MQ 9.3.0 PTFs for the CD FMIDs are available now and can be used to upgrade from MQ 9.2.5 - PH43968 (MQ base), PH43969 (MQ Advanced for z/OS VUE).
Note that on z/OS there are CD and LTS orderable features in shopZ. They are functionally identical at 9.3.0 but you must ensure you install the one that matches the upgrade path you wish to follow - LTS or CD.
- z/OS offerings are:
- 5655-MQ9 – IBM MQ for z/OS
- 5655-VU9 – IBM MQ for z/OS Value Unit Edition
- 5655-AV9 – IBM MQ Advanced for z/OS
This is a bundle of MQ Advanced Message Security and MQ Managed File Transfer capability (no MQ entitlement included)
- 5655-AV1 – IBM MQ Advanced for z/OS Value Unit Edition
This is a bundle of MQ Advanced Message Security, MQ Managed File Transfer and MQ for z/OS Value Unit Edition capability
- MQ Appliance:
- IBM MQ Advanced certified container: Deployment instructions
- IBM MQ on IBM Cloud: IBM MQ on IBM Cloud managed service, which has different T-shirt size plans and options for placing the queue manager in an IBM Cloud or AWS data center.
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What’s new in the MQ 9.3 LTS release?
In addition to the below, there is also a MQ focused Podcast available from www.DoYouMQ.com, Spotify or Apple Podcasts featuring MQ experts, customers and business partners sharing their knowledge and insights about MQ capabilities. If you have suggestions for topics let us know!
MQ updates
What's new/changed - IBM MQ and IBM MQ for z/OS Deprecations and removals - IBM MQ and IBM MQ for z/OS
What's new/changed - IBM MQ Appliance 9.3 firmware
Announcement letters:
Both announcement letters cover both what is new in MQ 9.3 and provides a summary of all the new capability in the Long Term Support stream that has been delivered since MQ 9.2. This is a useful reference for users updating from MQ 9.2 LTS, which I won't attempt to replicate in this blog.
- IBM MQ Appliance M2003 new hardware model
IBM MQ Appliance M2003 is the new hardware model released on 2nd August 2022. For an overview of the new hardware model and 9.3 firmware please take a look at Jamie Squibb's excellent blog on the topic.
In the product documentation there is also a M2002 vs M2003 model comparison that gives a good at a glance view on the changes in the hardware.
- MQ 9.3 operating system support
With a new LTS release we have taken the opportunity to lift our minimum supported operating system levels. This removes older operating systems that are out of support or soon to be out of support. We ensure there is some overlap with MQ 9.2 so that for migrations the operating system can be migrated first followed by MQ. Further details on OS support and removals can be found in the MQ system requirements and documentation section.
- Updated language support
- MQ 9.3 has added the Jakarta Messaging 3.0 API (aka JMS 3.0)
- .NET 6
- Java 11 and 17 runtimes for MQ clients. Throughout the MQ 9.2.x CD releases MQ has been adding new Java runtime support for AdoptOpenJDK, Red Hat OpenJDK, Adoptium OpenJDK, IBM Semeru and Oracle Java.
- MQ Advanced Operator / Container minimum OpenShift Container Platform (OCP) level has been lifted to 4.10
- Support for PKCS#12 key stores for MQ queue managers and clients
The PKCS#12 key store format will enable more choice on certificate management tools that can be used to manage the keystores.
- MQ Managed File Transfer REST enhancements
A managed call request to a MFT Agent can now be made over REST. Managed calls can be used to ask an agent to run commands, scripts or JCL without the need for transferring files or messages.
- MQ Explorer changes
- MQ Explorer has been removed from the main product installers (Linux x86-64 and Windows), but continues to be available as a standalone download from https://ibm.biz/mqexplorer
- MQ Explorer is delivered as a CD component only, so you will need to take updates in line with our CD releases.
The reason for these changes are due to some dependencies of MQ Explorer moving to a CD only model and this change will ensure MQ Explorer will continue to receive full support.
- Ansible® sample playbooks to orchestrate configuration of MQ on z/OS
These enable clients to provision new queues on a queue manager, manage existing queues, and automate backup of application structures within a Coupling Facility. The sample playbooks can be found in the IBM Z® Ansible collections.
- Deprecations and removals
- See the IBM Docs for the complete list
- Removal: Dashboard Web Console removal
MQ has gone through a few iterations of web console as technologies have changed. The 'Dashboard Web Console' was an older console that we retained until the new Web Console was functionally ready to supersede it. This old console has now been removed from MQ 9.3
- Removal: IBM XMS support for multicast messaging
- Removal: MQ File Transfer Edition commands that have been superseded by newer MQ Managed File Transfer commands
- Deprecation: Weak IBM MQ Advanced Message Security ciphers
- Deprecation: 32-bit MQ client libraries
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Can I get a copy of IBM MQ for development purposes?
The LearnMQ site is regularly updated with a mix of tutorials and essential getting started information, and offers you the opportunity to earn an IBM MQ Developer Essentials badge.
The full list of Developer download options are below.
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Downloadable resources
A number of MQ components are made available on IBM Fix Central and elsewhere for ease of download. Below are the links to the available components. Where applicable, they will show the latest 9.2 Continuous Delivery (CD) and Long Term Support (LTS) updates for each component. Be sure to know which you require!
Main product:
Fix packs:
Checksums and Signatures:
Clients:
Components:
Containers:
Development:
Tip: Try opening the links in a private browsing tab if they don’t correctly resolve.
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MQ System Requirements and documentation
The system requirements are documented at the links below. IBM MQ Continuous Delivery releases are being made available on z/OS, Microsoft Windows, Linux on x86-64, Linux on IBM z Systems, Linux on Little Endian Power (RHEL, SLES and Ubuntu) and AIX.
Further information can be found in the IBM MQ Documentation and
IBM MQ system requirementsMQ 9.3 operating system support
|
MQ 9.3 LTS |
Removed compared to MQ 9.2 LTS |
| AIX |
7.2 TL5, 7.3 |
7.1 TL5, 7.2 TL3 |
| IBM i |
7.3, 7.4 |
None |
| Linux |
RHEL 7.9+, 8.4+
SLES 12 SP5, 15 SP2
Ubuntu 20.04
|
RHEL 7.6, 7.7, 7.8, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3
SLES 12 SP4, 15 SP1
Ubuntu 18.04 |
| Windows |
Windows Server 2019, 2022
Windows 10 20H2 or later
Windows 11 |
Windows Server 2016
Windows 10 pre-20H2 |
| z/OS |
z/OS 2.4, 2.5 |
z/OS 2.3 |
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What function has released in previous updates?
IBM MQ and IBM MQ Appliance 9.2.5 Continuous Delivery Release
IBM MQ and IBM MQ Appliance 9.2 Long Term Support Release
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Remind me how the Continuous Delivery support model works…
It's worth reminding you what the Continuous Delivery support model means for MQ.
- MQ 9.3 LTS is supported for a minimum of 5 years from its availability in June 2022, and will receive fix only updates through fixpacks versioned 9.3.0.1, 9.3.0.2 and so on.
- MQ CD updates will be delivered with the 3rd digit change – 9.3.1, 9.3.2 and so on. Defect support for a CD release is available for 12 months from the availability of the release or while it remains one of the two most recent CD releases, whichever is longer, so you need to keep moving forward with the MQ CD releases.
- MQ CD updates will be delivered with new function enabled by default.
- The IBM MQ FAQ for Long Term Support and Continuous Delivery Releases will hopefully answer most of your questions.
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