IBM MQ - KubeMQ Connector

A bidirectional message broker connector that bridges KubeMQ and IBM MQ, enabling seamless message transfer between both systems.

Overview

This connector provides two-way communication between KubeMQ and IBM MQ message brokers:

• Forward messages from KubeMQ to IBM MQ
• Forward messages from IBM MQ to KubeMQ

Prerequisites

• Docker installed and running
• Access to KubeMQ broker
• Access to IBM MQ server
• Valid credentials for both systems

Configuration

The connector uses a YAML configuration file to define the bindings between KubeMQ and IBM MQ. Create a config.yaml file with the following structure:

bindings:
  - name: kubemq_to_ibm
    type: kubemq_to_ibm_mq
    source:
      address: host.docker.internal:50000        # KubeMQ server address
      queue_name: to_ibm                         # Source queue in KubeMQ
      client_id: kubemq-client                   # Client ID for KubeMQ
      poll_interval_seconds: 1                   # Polling interval
    target:
      host_name: your-ibm-mq-host               # IBM MQ host
      port_number: your-port                     # IBM MQ port
      channel_name: YOUR.CHANNEL                 # IBM MQ channel
      queue_manager: your-queue-manager          # IBM MQ queue manager
      queue_name: YOUR.QUEUE                     # Target queue in IBM MQ
      username: your-username                    # IBM MQ username
      password: your-password                    # IBM MQ password
      poll_interval_ms: 100                      # Polling interval

  - name: ibm_to_kubemq
    type: ibm_mq_to_kubemq
    source:
      host_name: your-ibm-mq-host               # IBM MQ host
      port_number: your-port                     # IBM MQ port
      channel_name: YOUR.CHANNEL                # IBM MQ channel
      queue_manager: your-queue-manager         # IBM MQ queue manager
      queue_name: YOUR.QUEUE                    # Source queue in IBM MQ
      username: your-username                   # IBM MQ username
      password: your-password                   # IBM MQ password
      poll_interval_ms: 100                     # Polling interval
    target:
      address: host.docker.internal:50000       # KubeMQ server address
      queue_name: from_ibm                      # Target queue in KubeMQ
      client_id: kubemq-target                 # Client ID for KubeMQ

Configuration Parameters

KubeMQ Configuration

• address: KubeMQ server address (format: host:port)
• queue_name: Queue name in KubeMQ
• client_id: Unique identifier for the KubeMQ client
• poll_interval_seconds: Interval for polling messages

IBM MQ Configuration

• host_name: IBM MQ server hostname or IP address
• port_number: IBM MQ listener port
• channel_name: IBM MQ channel name
• queue_manager: Name of the queue manager
• queue_name: Queue name in IBM MQ
• username: IBM MQ authentication username
• password: IBM MQ authentication password
• poll_interval_ms: Interval for polling messages in milliseconds

Deployment Options

Docker Deployment

Run the connector using Docker with the following command:

docker run -it \
  -v ${PWD}/config.yaml:/app/config.yaml \
  europe-docker.pkg.dev/kubemq/images/ibm-mq-connector:v0.1.0

This command:

• Mounts your local config.yaml file into the container
• Runs the connector in interactive mode
• Uses the specified version of the connector image

Kubernetes Deployment

The connector can be deployed in a Kubernetes cluster using ConfigMap and Deployment resources.

1. Create a ConfigMap with your configuration:

apiVersion: v1
kind: ConfigMap
metadata:
  name: kubemq-ibmmq-connector-config
data:
  CONFIG: |-
    bindings:
      - name: kubemq_to_ibm
        type: kubemq_to_ibm_mq
        source:
          address: kubemq-cluster-grpc:50000
          queue_name: to_ibm
          client_id: kubemq-client
          poll_interval_seconds: 1
        target:
          host_name: your-ibm-mq-host
          port_number: your-port
          channel_name: YOUR.CHANNEL
          queue_manager: your-queue-manager
          queue_name: YOUR.QUEUE
          username: your-username
          password: your-password
          # type of sending mode: default, rfh2, custom
          sender_mode: default
          # when sender_mode is custom, you can set the following parameters
          #message_format: MQHRF2
          #message_ccsid: 1208
          log_sent_messages: true
          poll_interval_ms: 100
      - name: ibm_to_kubemq
        type: ibm_mq_to_kubemq
        source:
          host_name: your-ibm-mq-host
          port_number: your-port
          channel_name: YOUR.CHANNEL
          queue_manager: your-queue-manager
          queue_name: YOUR.QUEUE
          username: your-username
          password: your-password
          # type of receiving mode: default, rfh2, no_rfh2
          receiver_mode: default
          # enable logging received messages
          log_received_messages: true
          log_sent_messages: true
          poll_interval_ms: 100
        target:
          address: kubemq-cluster-grpc:50000
          queue_name: from_ibm
          client_id: kubemq-target

2. Create a Deployment:

apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: kubemq-ibmmq-connector
  labels:
    app: kubemq-ibmmq-connector
spec:
  replicas: 1
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      app: kubemq-ibmmq-connector
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        app: kubemq-ibmmq-connector
    spec:
      containers:
        - name: kubemq-ibmmq-connector
          image: europe-docker.pkg.dev/kubemq/images/ibm-mq-connector:v0.4.0
          volumeMounts:
            - name: config-volume
              mountPath: /app/config.yaml
              subPath: config.yaml
      volumes:
        - name: config-volume
          configMap:
            name: kubemq-ibmmq-connector-config
            items:
              - key: CONFIG
                path: config.yaml

3. Apply the configuration:

kubectl apply -f configmap.yaml
kubectl apply -f deployment.yaml

Important Kubernetes Notes:

• Ensure the KubeMQ address points to your KubeMQ service in the cluster
• Adjust resource limits and requests based on your needs
• Consider using Kubernetes secrets for sensitive information
• Set appropriate replica count based on your scalability requirements

Monitoring and Troubleshooting

Logs

The connector outputs logs to stdout when running in Docker. Monitor these logs for:

• Connection status
• Message transfer confirmations
• Error messages
• Performance metrics

Common Issues

1. Connection Issues

   • Verify network connectivity to both brokers
   • Check credentials and permissions
   • Ensure correct hostnames and ports

2. Message Transfer Problems

   • Verify queue names exist in both systems
   • Check message format compatibility
   • Ensure sufficient permissions on queues

Security Considerations

• Store sensitive information (passwords, credentials) securely
• Use encrypted connections when possible
• Regularly rotate credentials
• Follow the principle of least privilege when setting up permissions

Support

For issues and support:

• Submit issues to the project repository
• Contact the development team
• Check the documentation for updates

Version History

• v0.1.0: Initial release
  • Basic bidirectional message transfer
  • Configuration via YAML
  • Docker container support