In the latest App Connect Enterprise (13.0.5.0) you can now configure an integration node with a Private Network Agent configuration file. This can then allow the webMethods Hybrid Integration control plane to connect to the integration node and administer all of its integration servers without requiring you to expose your integration node to the internet.

Connecting an ACE integration node to the IWHI control plane

First you need create an integration node in your App Connect Enterprise environment.

Run the command "mqsicreatebroker <integrationNodeName>" to create your integration node. Then run "mqsicreateexecutiongroup <integrationNodeName> --integration-server <integrationServerName>" to create an integration server under the integration node.

In the webMethods Hybrid Integration control plane open the main menu and select Integration runtime management. Then click Register runtime > App Connect runtimes.

Note: You must be an admin to have permission to perform these actions.

Select the "switch-deployment-location" and Download configuration.

This will download a switchclient.json file which is used to configuration your integration node and allow it to connect to the webMethods Hybrid Integration control plane. The configuration file will contain "admin: 'enabled'", which enables remote administration of the integration node, and a "switch" section which contains the configuration that is needed to connect to the webMethods Hybrid Integration control plane.

In your App Connect Enterprise environment, stop your integration node, and then create a directory at "<workDirectory>/components/<integrationNodeName>/config/switch"

Note: the work directory is set by the MQSI_WORKPATH environment variable.

After creating the switch directory, copy the switchclient.json file into it. Now the integration node can be started and it will connect to the webMethods Hybrid Integration control plane.

Back in the webMethods Hybrid Integration control plane on the Register runtime panel, click Next. It will discover the integration node and list the integration servers that it finds.

Select the integration servers that you want to add to the webMethods Hybrid Integration control plane and click Add Runtime.

The integration servers will now each appear as separate tiles on the Integration runtime management page.

Depending on your access level in the webMethods Hybrid Integration control plane, clicking into an integration server tile will allow you to view and administer the applications, flows, and other resources.

You can also add new resources to the runtime by deploying a BAR file. Click on Deploy and select a BAR file.

Enabling callable flows

If you want to register callable flows to be available in the webMethods Hybrid Integration control plane then additional configuration is needed. Each App Connect Enterprise integration server which is running callable flows will need to be configured.

Follow these steps:

1. Take a copy of the switchclient.json file and inside the file set "admin: 'disabled'" and "callableFlows: 'enabled'". 
2. Move the switchclient.json file to the config/switch folder in the work directory of your App Connect Enterprise integration server. If the switch folder doesn't exist, create it.
3. Restart your App Connect Enterprise integration server.
4. Check the App Connect Enterprise integration server logs for messages that indicate that the a successful connection has been made to the switch server and that the connection agent for callable flows has been started.

Conclusion

This mechanism allows you to connect your existing App Connect Enterprise integration nodes to the webMethods Hybrid Integration control plane easily with a single configuration. This approach keeps your network more secure as the connection is made outbound from the integration node to the control plane, so you do not need to change any configuration in your firewall.

For more details on managing other App Connect runtimes and creating webMethods integrations, read this blog post.