From: Earl D. Lakia [elakia@hotmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, December 19, 2001 10:16 AM
To: Info-VAX@Mvb.Saic.Com
Subject: IQR Released to Public Domain


IPACT is releasing the IPACT Queue and Router product to the public domain.
This product is very similar
to BEA MessageQ/PAMS/DEC Message Q.  Its lineage comes from development of
the Manufacturing
Automation Queuing and Routing services for VAX/VMS developed by Inland
Steel when PAMS was
being developed.  Almost all of the services provided by BEA are provided in
the IQR product (as well
as in the MAQ versions for RSX11M and VAX/VMS).

The router layer protocol is documented that would allow anyone to send
messages to a queue on the
VMS host using TCP/IP (e.g., Billy Boxes).  The software is implemented as a
user written system
service in C.  Biggest problem in porting to Windows 2000 is a replacement
of the lock manager.
Unlike BEA Message Q, this product can have queues that are Cluster wide.

To acquire distribution, send me email l a k i a @ I P A C T .C O M (Remove
anti-spam spaces).
To acquire documentation, visit IPACT's web site
(www.ipact.com) and look under the products button.


The IPACT Queuer and Router Services (IQR) provides a standard Application
Programming Interface (API)
for sending messages.  By using IQR, application programmers are relieved
from trying to develop messaging
methods between applications on the same node or multiple nodes.

IQR provides delivery, recovery, and connectivity between multiple nodes
using a router installed over
DECnet or TCP/IP.  IQR services are provided that allow for the addition of
user supplied routers to
alternate networks.  IPACT has a library of other routers written for
process control devices, SNA,
and other networks.

A link library is provided that interfaces the Manufacturing Automation
Queuing and Routing
Software (available from DECUS).

The need to deliver transactions and events reliably between different
computer systems have been
identified for most process control computer systems.  DECnet does not
guarantee the delivery
of messages at the application layer.  The IQR router and IQR services
provide this end to end
delivery guarantee.  The use of these two mechanisms provides the ability to
deliver information
from one computer system to another in applications where such guarantees
are required (e.g.
the MES environment).  Messages are not deleted or lost until the receiving
process a
cknowledges the message.  This can be thought of in a similar manner as a
database "commit".

The IQR software is designed to provide guaranteed message delivery between
two
different locations.  This is done by creating a messaging hub which
contains message queues.
Each message queue contains actual messages to be read.  Also, the IQR
software provides
a router which will move a message from one hub to another (even across
different nodes).

Earl Lakia
Senior Staff Engineer
l a k i a @ I P A C T .C O M (Remove anti-spam spaces).