What’s New in IBM MQ v9.4.1
Following on from the IBM MQ 9.4 Long Term Support (LTS), we’re pleased to introduce IBM MQ v9.4.1, the first Continuous Delivery (CD) release for this version. This latest release is designed to empower businesses through new innovations in MQ plus enhancements to existing functionality, enabling seamless, secure and reliable integration for applications across hybrid cloud environments.
MQ 9.4.1 is officially announced on 8 October, 2024 and is Generally Available on 24 October, 2024. It is available for clients who want to deploy software to hybrid cloud environments on baremetal and Virtual Machines (VMs) on a broad range of platforms including Linux, Windows and AIX among others, in Containers, or to the IBM MQ Appliance. The IBM-managed MQ as a Service is also updated to version 9.4.1 and a new Reserved Instance service is also announced. A detailed blog on the Reserved Instance will follow with further details.
IBM MQ on Azure Marketplace and AWS Marketplace
Clients have been running IBM MQ in production with full support in public cloud environments for years, both in VMs and container environments. IBM MQ now offers clients the flexibility to acquire licenses through popular public cloud marketplaces, including Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure either utilizing existing cloud credits or credit cards for transactions. By purchasing IBM MQ licenses alongside other software and infrastructure needs, clients can streamline procurement processes and manage costs effectively.
Read on to find out what’s new in MQ 9.4.1:
Rapidly deploy production-ready IBM MQ Advanced in containers
While clients using OpenShift can leverage the pre-built MQ container image and the MQ Operator, clients using other container platforms and Kubernetes distributions face the challenge of manually building an image which requires time, effort, and deep skills.
In this release, IBM MQ is proud to extend support of the pre-built container image for Containerd, cri-o, Podman, and Docker. This significantly reduces image building time and operational costs, making IBM MQ container deployments faster and more cost-effective regardless of how you run MQ in containers. Please refer this blog for more details.
Reduced risk of connection interruptions caused by certificate expiry
If a TLS certificate expires, the connection to the queue manager or other protected resource may become unavailable or stop functioning correctly. IBM MQ 9.4.1 introduces a new MQ command that enables administrators to configure alerts or generate events when TLS certificate is near expiry.
This proactive approach to certificate management helps prevent unplanned downtime and saves costs associated with potential disruptions. By staying ahead of certificate expiry, organizations can maintain secure communication channels and ensure smooth operations, ultimately enhancing their overall resilience and business continuity.
This important new feature is available in IBM MQ software for hybrid cloud platforms and MQ Appliance
Securely retrieve connection configuration
A Client Channel Definition Table (CCDT) is created during queue manager configuration. IBM MQ 9.4.1 ensure that the CCDT can only be accessed via HTTPS URLs with TLS encryption. This enhancement ensures that client applications can securely connect to alternative queue managers and underscores our commitment to providing industry-leading security features to maintain the trust of our clients.
This security feature is available to all IBM MQ form factors.
Contact an IBM representative to talk to us about how IBM MQ 9.4 LTS and 9.4.1 CD can meet your unique business needs and help your business be built for change.