Enhancing security, productivity and resilience with IBM MQ 9.4.3

Following the momentum of IBM MQ 9.4 Long Term Support (LTS), and the second Continuous Delivery (CD) release (v9.4.2), IBM is excited to announce the availability of IBM MQ 9.4.3, the third CD release for 9.4 LTS stream.

Officially announced on 10 June 2025, and generally available from 17 June 2025, this release packs in a range of enhancements and new features, enabling clients to:

• Enhance security and compliance: Features like authentication events, improved JSON Web Token handling and container audit log compliance provide increased security and adherence to regulatory standards, such as the US Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA).
• Improve productivity: Updates like the MQ-Ansible collection, MQ Console improvements and Kafka Connect framework simplify the deployment and management of MQ, reducing administrative burdens and improving overall efficiency.
• Increase resilience across hybrid cloud: The introduction of MQ Native HA Cross-Region Replication has proved incredibly popular with clients. Currently it's available in kubernetes environments, 9.4.3 introduces new “Add-On parts” so that MQ base clients, who don't have a need for the full suite of MQ Advanced capabilities, can access this amazing new feature to build more resilient and scalable messaging environments, ensuring high availability and disaster recovery capabilities.

1. Add-on Licensing for MQ HA and Cross-Region Replication (CRR): Building on the introduction of CRR in 9.4.2, MQ 9.4.3 now offers add-on licensing options for Native HA and CRR in Kubernetes and OpenShift environments. This provides a cost-effective path for clients to adopt containerized MQ with robust disaster recovery capabilities.

2. Enhanced Observability with OpenTelemetry: IBM MQ Appliance now supports OpenTelemetry tracing to monitor message flows across applications. This enables faster issue resolution and performance tuning and empowers administrators with real-time, actionable insights. Note: OpenTelemetry tracing support is already available on the MQ Distributed software.

3. New Queue Manager Status Dashboard with Improved turnaround time: The MQ Console, now includes a dedicated dashboard for real-time queue manager status. This enhancement helps administrators proactively monitor and maintain optimal performance of queue managers across all MQ form factors.

4. Simplified and cost-effective Kafka Connect Framework Support: IBM MQ Advanced now includes entitlement and support for the Kafka Connect framework, simplifying integration and reducing licensing complexity. This makes it easier and more cost-efficient to deploy Kafka connectors within enterprise messaging pipelines.

5. Simplifying JSON Web Token (JWT) authentication for Java Clients: Java applications connecting to MQ can now automatically retrieve JWTs from authentication services, eliminating the need for custom token retrieval code, which streamlines development and enhances security. Note: This usability feature is available in IBM MQ distributed software for hybrid cloud platforms (Linux and Unix installations only).

6. Federal Compliance and Container Audit Logs: IBM MQ in Containers now generates configurable audit logs for both successful and failed events, providing federal compliance support and enabling detailed security investigations.

7. Federal compliance: IPv6 Dual Stack Support: To support modern networking standards, MQ in Containers now enables dual stack environments, allowing simultaneous use of IPv4 and IPv6 addresses—simplifying testing and migration.

IBM MQ 9.4.3 is evolving to meet your unique business needs, whether you're optimizing for resilience, observability or integration. Contact your IBM representative to learn how MQ 9.4 LTS and the latest CD release can help your business stay secure, agile and built for change.

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