New: MQ File Mover v4.0.0

November 16, 2011 Roger Lacroix

Capitalware is pleased to announce the release of MQ File Mover v4.0.0. It is a free open source project.

MQ File Mover is a managed file transfer solution that facilitates the transfer of files using IBM’s WebSphere MQ (aka MQSeries). MQFM processes “Action” commands which are controlled through an MQFM Workflow XML file. The user combines a series of Action commands to create the MQFM Workflow XML file.

    Changes:

  • Added support for unlimited file size for Send, Receive and Watch Actions
  • Added support for sending the file to a single queue or to multiple queues for Send and Watch Actions
  • Added support for end-to-end encryption:
    • Enhanced Send and Watch Actions to have the ability to encrypt a message with AES 128, 192 or 256-bit.
    • Enhanced Receive Action to have the ability to decrypt a message with AES 128, 192 or 256-bit.
  • Added support for file locking when reading and writing to/from a file.
  • All Actions now have an “On Error Fail” flag.
  • Added a DecryptFile Action to decrypt a file with AES 128, 192 or 256-bit.
  • Added a EncryptFile Action to encrypt a file with AES 128, 192 or 256-bit.
  • Added an If/Else Action to perform a conditional test against an Action’s variable
  • Added a Launch Action to invoke an MQFM Workflow XML file.
  • Added a Merge Action to merge 2 or more files into a target file
  • Added a MergeSort Action to merge 2 or more files and sort the results into a target file
  • Added a ReplaceText Action to perform a search and replace of text on a file.
  • Added a Schedule Action to invoke an MQFM Workflow XML file at a specific date and/or time.
  • Added a SendEmail Action to send an email to 1 or more recipients.
  • Added a Sleep Action to pause the Workflow.
  • Added a Sort Action to sort a file into a target file
  • Added a Touch Action to set the modification time of the file to the current time of day. If the file doesn’t exist, it is created.
  • Added a Tar Action to create a tar archive from the contents of a file or files in a directory.
  • Added an UnTar Action to extract the contents of a tar archive to a directory.
  • Added an UnZip Action to extract the contents of a zip archive to a directory.
  • Added support for custom logging.
  • Fixed an issue with “dir” attribute of File element of Watch element

For more information on MQ File Mover, please go to:
http://www.capitalware.biz/mqfm_overview.html

Regards,
Roger Lacroix
Capitalware Inc.

Capitalware, IBM i (OS/400), IBM MQ, Java, Linux, macOS (Mac OS X), MQ File Mover, Open Source, Unix, Windows Comments Off on New: MQ File Mover v4.0.0

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November 9, 2011 Roger Lacroix

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Solaris 11 Released

November 9, 2011 Roger Lacroix

Oracle has just released Solaris v11.
http://www.techworld.com.au/article/406990/oracle_solaris_goes_11

Oracle Solaris provides innovative, built-in features that deliver breakthrough high availability, advanced security, efficiency, and industry-leading scalability/performance to help businesses grow. Oracle Solaris is supported and fully optimized for SPARC and x86, the industry’s two leading enterprise architectures.

Regards,
Roger Lacroix
Capitalware Inc.

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Fedora 16 Released

November 8, 2011 Roger Lacroix

Fedora Project Contributors has just released Fedora v16.
http://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/Fedora/16/html/Release_Notes/index.html

Fedora is a Linux-based operating system, a suite of software that makes your computer run. You can use the Fedora operating system to replace or to run alongside of other operating systems such as Microsoft Windows or Mac OS X. The Fedora operating system is 100% free of cost for you to enjoy and share.

Regards,
Roger Lacroix
Capitalware Inc.

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freshmeat.net is now called freecode.com

November 1, 2011 Roger Lacroix

Patrick Lenz of freshmeat.net has announced a name change:
http://freecode.com/articles/whats-in-a-name

Regards,
Roger Lacroix
Capitalware Inc.

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SupportPac MS03 v6.1.4.0 Released

October 25, 2011 Roger Lacroix

Geoff Winn of IBM has released version 6.1.4.0 of SupportPac MS03.
https://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?q1=mA1J&rs=171&uid=swg24000673

    Changes:

  • On iSeries *SYSTEM generated rather than +system.
  • Add switch to require NOSYNC for all MQGETs.
  • Add switch to disable save of subscriptions.
  • Fixed a small number of defects.

SupportPac MS03 saves all of the objects, such as queues, channels, etc, defined in either a local or remote queue manager, to a file.

Regards,
Roger Lacroix
Capitalware Inc.

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Ubuntu 11.10 Released

October 14, 2011 Roger Lacroix

Ubuntu has just released Ubuntu v11.10.
http://www.ubuntu.com/

Super-fast, easy to use and free, the Ubuntu operating system powers millions of desktops, netbooks and servers around the world. Ubuntu does everything you need it to. It’ll work with your existing PC files, printers, cameras and MP3 players. And it comes with thousands of free apps.

Regards,
Roger Lacroix
Capitalware Inc.

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WebSphere MQ version 7.1 Released

October 6, 2011 Roger Lacroix

IBM has released WebSphere MQ versoin 7.1:
http://www.ibm.com/common/ssi/cgi-bin/ssialias?subtype=ca&infotype=an&appname=iSource&supplier=877&letternum=ENUSZP11-0483

Highlights
– Multi-version and re-locatable installation for easier install, testing, and migration
– Support for virtualized environments
– Scalability and message throughput enhancements
– Reduced complexity for enabling and checking system security
– Extensions to support for .NET APIs
– Telemetry function for lightweight connectivity to mobile and other devices now included in the package
– Distribute across multiple end-points with integrated Multicast function
– Upgrade from trial-to-production deployment

WebSphere MQ homepage
http://www.ibm.com/software/integration/wmq/

Regards,
Roger Lacroix
Capitalware Inc.

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Capitalware’s Head Office has Moved

September 14, 2011 Roger Lacroix

Effective immediately, Capitalware’s head office is located at the following address:

Capitalware Inc.
1673 Richmond Street, Unit 11, PMB524
London, Ontario N6G2N3
Canada

New Telephone Number: +1-226-980-7307

Regards,
Roger Lacroix
Capitalware Inc.

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MQAUSX without a Client-side Security Exit – Part 2

September 1, 2011 Roger Lacroix

As mentioned in Part 1, I often get asked if MQAUSX can authenticate a UserID and Password without the requirement of a client-side security exit. The answer is yes.

Part 1 demonstrated how to set a UserID and Password for a client connection to a remote queue manager via code samples (i.e. C, C++, C#, Java & JMS). Part 1 can be found here.

Part 2 will show you how to configure applications like MQ Explorer, MQ Visual Edit, MQ Visual Browse, MQMon (SupportPac MO71), etc.. to send a UserID and Password in plain text to a remote queue manager for authentication by MQAUSX.

Very Important
Most people do not realize that the queue manager uses the UserID for authorization ONLY and it throws away the password. The queue manager does NOT call the Local OS (or RACF on the mainframe) for authentication. Yes, it does an authorization check of the UserID against OAM for distributed platforms or RACF (or ACF) for mainframe but not authentication. Now if there is a security exit defined (i.e. MQAUSX) then the UserID and Password are passed to it and it is up to the security exit to perform the authentication.

MQ Visual Edit/MQ Visual Browse
In MQ Visual Edit/MQ Visual Browse, open the Queue Manager Access Profile window for the particular queue manager and fill in the UserID and Password then click Save to save the information.

Now when the user connects to the queue manager, MQ Visual Edit/MQ Visual Browse will use the saved UserID and Password for the connection.

MQ Batch Toolkit
In MQ Batch Toolkit, the AddProfile function allows the user to specify a UserID and Pasword for the Queue Manager Access Profile or the user can use the AlterProfile function to update a profile with the UserID and Password.
i.e.
mqbt AddProfile -p MQWT1 -m MQWT1 -c MY.TEST.EXIT -h 127.0.0.1 -n 1415 -u tester -w mypwd

Now when the user connects to the queue manager, MQ Batch Toolkit will use the saved UserID and Password for the connection.

MQ Channel Monitor
In MQ Channel Monitor, follow the instructions in the manual and add the XML tags called UserID and Password to the MQ XML file.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<!DOCTYPE MQCM_MQ SYSTEM "MQCM_MQ.dtd">
<MQCM_MQ>
<QMgrName>MQWT1</QMgrName>
<Hostname>127.0.0.1</Hostname>
<ChannelName>MY.TEST.EXIT</ChannelName>
<Port>1415</Port>
<UserID>tester</UserID>
<Password>mypwd</Password>
<RefreshRate>10</RefreshRate>
<MonitorChannelName>*</MonitorChannelName>
</MQCM_MQ>

Now when the user connects to the queue manager, MQ Channel Monitor will use the saved UserID and Password for the connection.

MQ File Mover
In MQ File Mover, follow the instructions in the manual and add the XML tags called UserID and Password to the MQ XML file.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<!DOCTYPE MQFM_MQ SYSTEM "MQFM_MQ.dtd">
<MQFM_MQ>
<QMgrName>MQWT1</QMgrName>
<Hostname>127.0.0.1</Hostname>
<ChannelName>MY.TEST.EXIT</ChannelName>
<Port>1415</Port>
<UserID>tester</UserID>
<Password>mypwd</Password>
</MQFM_MQ>

Now when the user connects to the queue manager, MQ File Mover will use the saved UserID and Password for the connection.

MQ Explorer
Setting a UserID and Password in MQ Explorer, is only available in version 7.0.0.0 or higher. It is not available in version 6. In MQ Explorer v7, right click on the queue manager name, click Connection Details and click Properties. Select Userid in the left panel of the Properties window, fill in the UserID and Password then click OK to save the information.

Now when the user connects to the queue manager, they will be prompted for the Password.

SupportPac MO71
In SupportPac MO71 (aka MQMon), right click on the queue manager name and click Open Location. Make sure the Client and Userid checkboxes have been selected then click the OK to save the information.

Now when the user connects to the queue manager, they will be prompted for the UserID and Password.

QueueZee
In QueueZee, right click on the queue manager name, click Properties and fill in the UserID and Password then click OK to save the information.


Now when the user connects to the queue manager, QueueZee will use the saved UserID and Password for the connection.

WMQTool
In WMQTool, right click on the Root element and select “Add Queue Manager”. On the Queue Manager Connection Information window, fillin the UserID and Password fields and then click OK. Now when the user connects to the queue manager, WMQTool will use the saved UserID and Password for the connection.

SupportPac IH03
SupportPac IH03 (aka rfhutilc) is a very popular SupportPac but I have not been able to figure out how to configure it to send a UserID and Password in plain text to a remote queue manager for authentication by MQAUSX. I followed the documentation: clicked ‘Set Conn Id’ button inputted the UserID and Password on the popup window and then clicked OK. But every time I try and use the ‘ReadQ’ button, I receive an error (RC=2538). When I checked the MQAUSX server-side component, it shows that no MQCSP structure was sent (Passwords must be sent via MQCSP structure). If anyone knows how to make this work, then please let me know.

Regards,
Roger Lacroix
Capitalware Inc.

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