What is MQ Series?
MQ Series is a middleware from IBM, which is made up of three products: MQ Series Messaging, MQ Series Integrator and MQ Series Workflow. The purpose of MQ Series is to integrate other applications to work together. Middleware is also known as business integration software.

The three products composing the business integration software have different function. MQ Series Messaging is the responsible for providing communication system between different platforms applications. The MQ Series Integrator is the one that centralizes and employs business operation rules. Lastly, the MQ Series Workflow facilitates the encapsulation, visualization and the business processes automation.

MQ Series is important in a way that it controls the flow of message between systems. Without the middleware, errors between two systems will occur. Errors such as deletion of the file by the sending system may occur just before the receiving end receives the message. There is also the possibility of multiple copies being sent. When this happens, the original copy might be overwritten thus losing the original copy of the file. Moreover, file size and various system settings may cause messages to be possibly sent in an inoperative state due to improper queuing.

With the MQ Series, message flow will be all in order and transfers are all systematically done. The middleware will keep messages in line. The MQ Series will take a hold of the message and waits for the other system to give a signal that it has reached complete transfer. When the transfer has completed, that is the only time the message gets released by the MQ Series. The idea is to keep everything in proper order. The middleware moves messages one at a time and this guarantees the remote client to receive everything.

To be able to make the MQ Series works, there are some requirements that it needs to meet. The MQ Series must be the top layer of all other network protocols. The most important layer is the TCP/IP or the ‘Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol’. The reason why MQ Series needs other queue managing systems is that it is not capable of managing the queue all by itself. It needs to connect to other systems such as Windows NT, AIX, UNIX, OS/2 or MVS/ESA.

When it comes to compatibility issue, MQ Series has no problem about it. Computers or workstations running on different platforms will not have problems in exchanging information. MQ Series is capable of communicating across different platforms. The middleware is designed to communicate and work together with various programming languages. Some of these languages are JMS, C++, Visual Basic, MQI, AMI and Active X.

In business, the use of MQ Series is vital in its operation. Businesses in different geographical locations with different IT infrastructures need to communicate with each other. The purpose of the MQ Series is to connect these different IT infrastructures and establish a seamless connection for an efficient operation. This business integration application brings together different applications to work as if they are all the same applications. As of present, the IBM MQ Series continues to grow its popularity increasing its support from more than 35 different platforms.