Allowing non-expert users to be able to set up and manage their own middleware objects within parameters controlled by experts.
The problem.
A global bank that uses middleware extensively within its business applications needed to find ways of reducing the time it was taking its experts to manage tasks associated with MQ and Tibco. They needed to allow non-expert users to be able to set up and manage their own middleware objects within parameters controlled by experts. They were looking for three specific improvements:
- Self-service: Allowing non-expert users to be able to set up and manage their own middleware objects within parameters controlled by experts.
- Configuration management and migration management: A common method of managing all their middleware systems and automating migrations.
- Monitoring and operation: Simplify the process of operating their middleware systems.
Overview.
Building a self-service solution.
The company contacted several vendors who were asked to demonstrate and prove the viability of their technology offering, using a proof of concept (POC) approach, which meshIQ subsequently won.
meshIQ Navigator (SaaS) was tested and found to be the ideal solution.
meshIQ Navigator (formerly known as meshIQ AutoPilot On Demand) provided solid solutions to the three needs the customer has asked for. Using meshIQ Navigator, the customers’ middleware experts were able to define what tasks could be managed directly by the users, ensuring security and business integrity were maintained while allowing tasks that would have taken a significant amount of the expert’s days to be delegated down to the users.
meshIQ Navigator provided a simple, automated method – delivering a graphical user interface (GUI) and a command line facility – for middleware configuration and migration management.
meshIQ Navigator delivered automated intelligent monitoring with alerting to ensure optimum system uptime and rapid root cause analysis where needed.
Migration.
Migrating legacy queue managers to current release levels used to be an administrative headache for middleware administrators; this has now been solved for this customer.
Legacy.
Of the 1,200 IBM MQ queue managers being used, over a thousand were running on versions that were either no longer supported or about to have support withdrawn, which would have created an unacceptable risk and could have led to compliance issues. This has now been solved. Through the implementation of self-service and a cross-platform management solution, the burden on their experts has now been reduced so that more time can be spent on more valuable tasks.