Configuring the Connect:Direct bridge

Configure the Connect:Direct® bridge to transfer files between a Managed File Transfer network and a Connect:Direct network. The components of the Connect:Direct bridge are a Connect:Direct node and a Managed File Transfer agent that is dedicated to communicating with that node. This agent is referred to as the Connect:Direct bridge agent.

Before you begin

The agent and node that make up the Connect:Direct bridge must be on the same system, or have access to the same file system, for example through a shared NFS mount. This file system is used to temporarily store files during file transfers that involve the Connect:Direct bridge, in a directory defined by the cdTmpDir parameter. The Connect:Direct bridge agent and the Connect:Direct bridge node must be able to address this directory using the same path name. For example, if the agent and node are on separate Windows systems, the systems must use the same drive letter to mount the shared file system. The following configurations allow the agent and the node to use the same path name:
  • The agent and node are on the same system, which is either running Windows or Linux® for x86-64
  • The agent is on Linux for x86-64, and the node is on UNIX
  • The agent is on one Windows system, and the node is on another Windows system
The following configurations do not allow the agent and the node to use the same path name:
  • The agent is on Linux for x86-64, and the node is on Windows
  • The agent is on Windows, and the node is on UNIX
Consider this restriction when planning your installation of the Connect:Direct bridge.

For more details of the operating system versions supported for the Connect:Direct bridge, see the web page System Requirements for IBM® MQ.

About this task

A Connect:Direct bridge agent is a Managed File Transfer agent that is dedicated to communicating with a Connect:Direct node.

By default, the Connect:Direct bridge agent uses the TCP/IP protocol to connect to the Connect:Direct node. If you want a secure connection between your Connect:Direct bridge agent and the Connect:Direct node, you can use the SSL protocol or the TLS protocol.

Procedure

  1. Choose the operating systems for the Connect:Direct bridge agent and node:
    1. Choose a system running either Windows or Linux on x86-64 to install the Connect:Direct bridge agent on.
    2. Choose an operating system that is supported by Connect:Direct for Windows or Connect:Direct for UNIX to install the Connect:Direct bridge node on.
  2. Choose and configure a Connect:Direct node:
    You must have a Connect:Direct node installed before following these instructions.
    1. Choose a Connect:Direct node for the Managed File Transfer agent to communicate with.
    2. Check the network map for your chosen Connect:Direct node. If the network map contains any entries for remote nodes running on a Windows operating system, you must ensure that these entries specify that the nodes are running on Windows.
      [Windows]If the Connect:Direct node that you have selected for the Connect:Direct bridge is running on Windows, use the Connect:Direct Requester to edit the network map. Ensure that the Operating System field for any remote nodes that are running on Windows is set to Windows.
  3. Create and configure a Connect:Direct bridge agent:
    1. Create a Connect:Direct bridge agent using the fteCreateCDAgent command.
      • You must provide a value for the cdNode parameter. This parameter specifies the name that the agent uses for the Connect:Direct node that is part of the Connect:Direct bridge. Use the name of the Connect:Direct node that you chose in the previous section.
      • Provide values for the cdNodeHost and cdNodePort parameters, which define the Connect:Direct node that the agent communicates with.

        If you do not provide a value for the cdNodeHost parameter, the host name or IP address of the local system is used. If you do not provide a value for the cdNodePort parameter, the value 1363 is used.

      • Optionally, use the information in fteCreateAgent to determine whether you need to specify a value for the cdTmpDir parameter.
    2. Map the user credentials used by Managed File Transfer to user credentials on a Connect:Direct node. You can map credentials by using one of the following methods:
  4. Configure the ConnectDirectNodeProperties.xml file to include information about the remote Connect:Direct nodes:
    You must have created a Connect:Direct bridge agent before following these instructions.
    Edit the template ConnectDirectNodeProperties.xml in the Connect:Direct bridge agent configuration directory. For each Connect:Direct node or group of nodes that you want to define information about, perform the following steps:
    1. Inside the nodeProperties element, create a node element.
    2. Add a name attribute to the node element. Specify the value of this attribute as a pattern to match the name of one or more remote Connect:Direct nodes.
    3. Optional: Add a pattern attribute to the node element that specifies what type of pattern the value in the name attribute is. Valid values are regex and wildcard. The default option is wildcard.
    4. Add a type attribute to the node element that specifies the operating system that the remote Connect:Direct nodes specified by the name attribute run on.
      The following values are valid:
      • Windows - the node runs on Windows
      • UNIX - the node runs on UNIX or Linux
      • [z/OS]z/OS, zos, os/390, or os390 - the node runs on z/OS®
      The value of this attribute is not case sensitive. Transfers to remote nodes on other operating systems are not supported by the Connect:Direct bridge.
  5. Configure a secure connection between the Connect:Direct bridge agent and the Connect:Direct node.
    For an example of how to do this, see Configuring SSL or TLS between the Connect:Direct bridge agent and the Connect:Direct node.