Using MQSeries to Support a Global Infrastructure

1. Using MQSeries to Support a Global Infrastructure Gerry Fitzgerald Manager, Global Messaging System SmithKline Beecham

2. Business Background • Highly Regulated Industry • Over 400 products in 160 countries, US$12.8b in Sales 1997 • Task: Integrate Accounting, MRP, and Financial transfers between all business units • Allow adaptation to local law, regulation, and business custom (Confederation) • Meet Year 2000 requirements • Minimal disruption of existing systems: JDE, BPCS, LIMS, Software Answers

3. Business Background • It took us 15 years to get it all into place, now we had 15 months to replace it all. • This is not just a technology undertaking. This will involve changing working practices at nearly every sales and marketing office, and every plant. • Documentation and Testing of every change for regulatory compliance would be a major cost

4. EDI… Plus • We could use an EDI transaction set for MOST transactions. • Difficult to map many “intramural” transactions onto the EDI transaction set • No EDI transactions for updating master files • No EDI transactions for posting internal measures • We created our own transaction set, based on EDIFACT, but extended.

5. Simple Routing • All messages go to a hub, which routes the message • Messages contain source and destination information • All messages are in a “dialogue group” • All messages have a specific type • All messages have a mode, e.g. Production, Test

6. Hub Hierarchy

7. Project Management • Used Logica to manage the project • Borrowed their development methodology • Leveraged their technology expertise • Adopted much of the development methodology • Trained in-house staff, but Logica still backstops us on technical questions & major upgrades

8. Messaging Technology Selection • High Reliability • Multiple Platform Support : AS/400, NT, AIX, HP/UX, OpenVMS • Track Record • Reasonable performance… probably not a challenging application • Reasonable cost • Quick to implement

9. Rollout • Eight months, shipping 2-3 kits per week on average • Coordinated shipping of hubs, MQ Series for application platforms, and queue set-up • Minimal training due to central management of infrastructure • Integration with existing system management infrastructure

10. System Management • BMC Patrol monitoring NT, MQ Series, TDM • Compaq tools • Remedy for Problem Management • PC Anywhere for Remote Login (and out of band management) • Configuration Database • Message Locator Facility

11. Current Status • All 34 hubs shipped, all but one installed • Kits shipped to all 78 WAN connected business units • 34 business units installed and operating on messaging • 20 IP Dial Kits shipped • Did not miss a single project milestone • Delivered on budget • All Y2K milestones met

12. Extended to External Suppliers • Extra net connection for logistics / warehousing carries 3000 messages per day • EDI link has first user • Developing Web interface for small suppliers in Europe

13. Issues to Resolve • Site installation and understanding • 24 x 7 support • Redirecting our EDI efforts • “Late” and “Required” upgrades to key software • Automated software distribution and updates • Further Help Desk Automation

14. Questions and Answers