IBM MQ and IIB HA Architectures using AWS

Target audience: Mid to Highly skilled Linux, MQ/IIB and AWS admins.

IBM MQ and IIB have 2 distinct HA Architectures. MQ and IIB can be configured to have an Active Standby(2 live server) or an Active Passive(1 live server) HA configuration. Both MQ/IIB HA designs are publish documents. This article focuses on using just the IBM software and AWS components.

Again, these are high-level design and the details will need to be worked out with a specific client. Internet domains, SSL/TLS and certs are not cover, these items will also need to be incorporated to the client’s specifications.

The picture below depicts a MQ/IIB multi-instance Active Standby HA configuration.

Create the MQ/IIB environment on AWS – Multi-instance(active/standby):

1. Create a VPC for MQ/IIB that has a public subnet, Internet Gateway, Security Group, Network ACLs and Routing Table. These AWS components will be created and configure to a client’s specifications. The Security Group and Network ACLs should include MQ/IIB ports and should limit who can get to the MQ/IIB from the internet.
2. Create an instance of one of the AWS AMI’s that meets the client’s virtual machine speciation’s.
3. Upload the MQ/IIB software to the current AMI instance.
4. Install MQ/IIB. Do not define any Queue Managers(QMgr) or Brokers(Brkr).
5. Create an AWS EFS file system and mount it to the current AMI instance.
6. Set up the /etc/fstab so the EFS NFSv4 file system mounts on bootup.
7. Then save that AMI as a custom IBMESB base AMI. This will be the AMI you select as you model the MQ/IIB HA Environment.
8. Use the IBMESB base AMI create a second instance in the VPC.
9. Now create a QMgr multi-instance configuration on the 2 EC2 servers. Follow the IBM info center for these steps.
10. Now create an IIB multi-instance configuration on the 2 EC2 servers. Follow the IBM info center for these steps.
11. Start either MQ/IIB instance so it will be the active server. Then start the other MQ/IIB instance as the standby.
12. Now create a Load Balance that will monitor and route traffic to the active MQ/IIB server.
13. Create a notification even to inform IT support when a failover as occurred.
14. Test your new MQ/IIB multi-instance HA environment.

The picture below depicts a MQ/IIB Active Passive HA configuration.

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Create the MQ/IIB environment on AWS – Active Passive:

Other references for this design are listed below. Again, this article focuses on using just the IBM software and the tools available in AWS.

1. Create a VPC for MQ/IIB that has a public subnet, Internet Gateway, Security Group, Network ACLs and Routing Table. These AWS components will be created and configure to a client’s specifications. The Security Group and Network ACLs should include MQ/IIB ports and should limit who can get to the MQ/IIB from the internet.
2. Create an instance of one of the AWS AMI’s that meets the client’s virtual machine speciation’s.
3. Upload the MQ/IIB software to it.
4. Install MQ/IIB, do not define any Queue Managers(QMgr) or Brokers(Brkr).
5. Create an AWS EFS file system and mount it to the current AMI instance.
6. Set up the /etc/fstab so the EFS NFSv4 file system mounts on bootup.
7. Then save that AMI as a custom IBMESB base AMI. This will be the AMI you select as you model the MQ/IIB HA Environment.
8. Now create a QMgr configuration on the EC2 server. Follow the IBM info center for these steps. Put all Qmgr files on the AWS EFS file system.
9. Now create an IIB configuration on the EC2 server. Follow the IBM info center for these steps. Put all Brkr files on the AWS EFS file system.
10. Now write a script.
    1. The script will execute at bootup. Call it ESB_startup.
    2. It will start the QMgr and Brkr.
    3. Put ESB_startup script in /etc/init.d
    4. chmod 755 /etc/init.d/ESB_startup
    5. chkconfig –add ESB_startup
    6. chkconfig ESB_startup on
    7. Check it: chkconfig –list ESB_startup
11. Now save this instance as your IBMESBRT AMI.
12. Now reboot the Instance to see your script work. If both QMgr and Brkr startup, then continue. Otherwise go back to step 10 and debug your script.
13. Now delete the current IBMESBRT instance.
14. Now create a Launch Configuration/Auto Scaling Group and use the IBMESBRT AMI for the instance.
15. The auto scaling group will be a scaling group of 1.
16. Start the Launch Configuration
17. Now create an Elastic Load Balance for the IBMESBRT instance .
18. Add the IBMESBRT Instance and have it monitor the Qmgr Listener. This port numbers will vary if the client chooses not to use standard MQ Listener port.
19. Modify the Auto Scaling Group to use the Elastic Load Balancer as its health check.
20. Test your configuration by shutting down the Qmgr. You should see the Auto Scaling Group destroy the current instance and spin up a new instance of the Qmgr and Brkr.

References:

https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/community/blogs/messaging/entry/mq_openstack_part1_packer?lang=en

https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/community/blogs/messaging/entry/mq_openstack_part2_heat?lang=en