IBMMQConnector

Connects to an IBM MQ 9.x Queue Manager to send or receive messages and publish or subscribe to topics.

Typical Uses

Sending and receiving messages
Publishing or subscribing to topics

How does it work?

The IBMMQConnector uses your account credentials to perform various tasks:

Action	Task
Count Messages	Count the number of messages pending in a queue.
Receive	Receive messages from queues or topics.
Send	Send messages to queues or topics.

Optional Input Port

This transformer has two modes, depending on whether a connector is attached to the Input port or not:

Input-driven: When input features are connected, the transformer runs once for each feature it receives in the Input port.
Run Once: When no input features are connected, the transformer runs one time.

When the Input port is in use, the Initiator output port is also enabled.

Heartbeat

When Action is Receive and the connection is still alive (Receive Mode is Stream or a batch is not yet complete), heartbeat features are output at a specified interval after a period of non-activity.

Heartbeat features have two attributes:

_heartbeat_id: Integer starting at 0. This is a unique identifier for each heartbeat feature output from this port.
_heartbeat_counter: Integer starting at 0 that resets whenever the connector receives a new message and a new period of inactivity begins. This counter represents the number of consecutive heartbeat features.

Requirements

Windows is the only supported operating system.
This transformer connects to Queue Managers using the Client mode, so users must have an IBM MQ client installed locally. Bindings mode is not supported. For information on installing a client see Where to find downloadable installation images.
The environment variable MQ_FILE_PATH must be set, which should be done automatically during client installation.
The IBM MQ user must have these permissions:
- QMGR: CONNECT, DSP, SETID
- QUEUE: DSP, GET, INQ, PUT, SETID
- TOPIC: PUB, SUB
  For more details on permissions, see SET AUTHREC (set authority records) on Multiplatforms.
Listing queues requires these additional permissions:
- SYSTEM.DEFAULT.MODEL.QUEUE: GET, DSP

Usage Notes

There are possible restrictions on the default IBM MQ user named “app”. If running into authorization errors despite having the permissions above granted, try creating a different user.

Configuration

Input Ports

Output Ports

Output

Features with added attributes, as specified in parameters and according to Action:

Action	Output - Input-Driven	Output - Run Once
Count Messages	Input feature with a message count.	One new feature with a message count.
Receive	Multiple features, one for each message received, with details about the message.	Multiple features, one for each message received, with details about the message.
Send	Input feature with details about the sent message.	New feature with details about the sent message.

Parameters

Connection

Queue Manager

Specify the Queue Manager to connect to.

Channel

Specify the MQ Channel to use.

Use SSL

When enabled, use SSL.

Key Repository	Specify the key database file (*.kdb).
CipherSpec	Select a CipherSpec that is supported by the Queue Manager.

Note that the Queue Manager must also be configured to use SSL.

Action > Count Messages

Count Messages Options

Queue

Select a queue to count pending messages on.

If the specified queue does not exist, the transformer will return a rejected feature.

Output Attributes

Attributes to Add

Select any available attributes to be included on the output features:

_message_count

Number of messages in Queue.

Action > Receive

Receive Options

Source	Select the message source to receive from: Queue (default) Topic
Queue	When Source is Queue, specify the queue to receive from.
Topic String	When Source is Topic, specify the topic string to subscribe to. This is a character string that must be broken up into ‘/’ delimited parts. See Topic strings - IBM Documentation.
Subscription Name	When Source is Topic, specify the subscription to receive from. If the specified subscription does not exist, a new subscription will be created for Topic String.
Durable Subscription	When Source is Topic, specify whether the subscription is durable: Yes (default) No See Subscription durability - IBM Documentation.
Receive Mode	Select a message receiving method: Stream: The connector continues to receive messages indefinitely. The translation must be terminated to stop receiving. Batch: Only a given number of messages are received before the connection is closed.
Batch Size	When Receive Mode is Batch, specify the number of messages to read per batch.
Get JMS Headers	When Source is Queue, specify whether JMS (Java Message Service) headers are kept or discarded: Yes (default) No
Maximum Message Length (MB)	Specify the maximum length of a message that can be transmitted on the specified Channel. The default is 4 MB, and the value must be between 4 and 100. Note that when adjusting the Maximum Message Length, users may also need to update the queue, queue manager, and channel configurations via MQSC commands or the MQ Console. For subscriptions, users may need to update the underlying queue configuration.

Heartbeat

Interval

Specify the duration of a period of inactivity before a heartbeat feature is emitted, in Time Units.

Default is 1.

Time Unit

Select the Interval unit:

Seconds
Minutes
Hours (default)
Days

Output Attributes

Attributes to Add

Select any available attributes to be included on the output features:

_accounting_token	Part of the identity context of the message.
_application_identity_data	Provides additional information about the message or originator. Part of the identity context of the message.
_message_count	Number of messages in Queue.
_message_id	Message identifier.
_payload	The message payload. UTF-8 string if possible to decode, otherwise binary or numeric.
_persistence	Indicates whether the message survives system failures and restarts of the queue manager.
_priority	Priority of the message.
_reply_to_queue	Name of the Queue that the application receiving the message sends reply or report messages to.
_reply_to_queue_manager	Name of the Queue Manager that the application receiving the message sends reply or report messages to.
_timestamp	Message timestamp in FME datetime format.
_user_identifier	The user identifier of the application that originated the message. Part of the identity context of the message.

Action > Send

Send Options

Payload

Provide the message to send.

Destination

Select a message destination:

Queue (default)
Topic

Queue

When Destination is Queue, specify the queue.

Queue Message Descriptor

(Optional) When Destination is Queue, set message properties.

Key

Select a property to set:

AccountingToken
ApplIdentityData
UserIdentifier
Persistence
- Accepted values: yes/no, true/false, 1/0
Priority
- Accepted values: Integer greater than or equal to 0
ReplyToQ
ReplyToQMgr

Value

Provide an appropriate value.

See MQMD - Message descriptor - IBM Documentation.

Topic String

When Destination is Topic, provide the topic string to send to.

This is a character string that must be broken up into ‘/’ delimited parts.

See Topic strings - IBM Documentation.

Topic Message Descriptor

(Optional) When Destination is Topic, set message properties.

Key

Select a property to set:

Persistence
ReplyToQ
ReplyToQMgr

Value

Provide an appropriate value.

See MQMD - Message descriptor - IBM Documentation.

Maximum Message Length (MB)

Specify the maximum length of a message that can be transmitted on the specified Channel.

The default is 4 MB, and the value must be between 4 and 100.

Note that when adjusting the Maximum Message Length, users may also need to update the queue, queue manager, and channel configurations via MQSC commands or the MQ Console.

Output Attributes

Attributes to Add

Select any available attributes to be included on the output features:

_payload

The message payload. UTF-8 string if possible to decode, otherwise binary or numeric.

Editing Transformer Parameters

Transformer parameters can be set by directly entering values, using expressions, or referencing other elements in the workspace such as attribute values or user parameters. Various editors and context menus are available to assist. To see what is available, click beside the applicable parameter.

How to Set Parameter Values

Defining Values

There are several ways to define a value for use in a Transformer. The simplest is to simply type in a value or string, which can include functions of various types such as attribute references, math and string functions, and workspace parameters.

Using the Text Editor

The Text Editor provides a convenient way to construct text strings (including regular expressions) from various data sources, such as attributes, parameters, and constants, where the result is used directly inside a parameter.

Text Editor

Using the Arithmetic Editor

The Arithmetic Editor provides a convenient way to construct math expressions from various data sources, such as attributes, parameters, and feature functions, where the result is used directly inside a parameter.

Arithmetic Editor

Conditional Values

Set values depending on one or more test conditions that either pass or fail.

Parameter Condition Definition Dialog

Content

Expressions and strings can include a number of functions, characters, parameters, and more.

When setting values - whether entered directly in a parameter or constructed using one of the editors - strings and expressions containing String, Math, Date/Time or FME Feature Functions will have those functions evaluated. Therefore, the names of these functions (in the form @<function_name>) should not be used as literal string values.

Content Types

String Functions	These functions manipulate and format strings.
Special Characters	A set of control characters is available in the Text Editor.
Math Functions	Math functions are available in both editors.
Date/Time Functions	Date and time functions are available in the Text Editor.
Math Operators	These operators are available in the Arithmetic Editor.
FME Feature Functions	These return primarily feature-specific values.
FME Parameters	FME and workspace-specific parameters may be used.
Creating and Modifying User Parameters	Create your own editable parameters.

Dialog Options - Tables

Table Tools

Transformers with table-style parameters have additional tools for populating and manipulating values.

Row Reordering

Enabled once you have clicked on a row item. Choices include:

Add a row
Remove a row
Move current row up one
Move current row down one
Move current row to top
Move current row to bottom

Cut, Copy, and Paste

Enabled once you have clicked on a row item. Choices include:

Cut a row - delete and copy to clipboard
Copy a row to the clipboard
Paste a row from the clipboard

Cut, copy, and paste may be used within a transformer, or between transformers.

Filter

Start typing a string, and the matrix will only display rows matching those characters. Searches all columns. This only affects the display of attributes within the transformer - it does not alter which attributes are output.

Import

Import populates the table with a set of new attributes read from a dataset. Specific application varies between transformers.

Reset/Refresh

Generally resets the table to its initial state, and may provide additional options to remove invalid entries. Behavior varies between transformers.

Note: Not all tools are available in all transformers.

For more information, see Transformer Parameter Menu Options.

Reference

Processing Behavior	Feature-Based
Feature Holding	No
Dependencies
Aliases
History

FME Online Resources

The FME Community and Support Center Knowledge Base have a wealth of information, including active forums with 35,000+ members and thousands of articles.

Search for all results about the IBMMQConnector on the FME Community.

Examples may contain information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver, Open Government Licence - British Columbia, and/or Open Government Licence – Canada.