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| Visualizing a Queue Manager and Queue |
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| RogerLacroix |
 Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 2:36 pm Post subject: Visualizing a Queue Manager and Queue |
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Jedi Knight
Joined: 15 May 2001
Posts: 3264
Location: London, ON Canada
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And now for something completely different. The following comments are for your 'right-brain'.
When you create documentation or presentations, how do you draw MQ queue managers and queues?
We all know what IBM uses for a queue manager – a yellow square with a single 'U' inside the square and for a queue, IBM uses a 'U' with an envelope inside.
I tend to draw a light blue colored square box with many 'U's inside the square and for a queue, I draw a 'U' with a ridge (i.e. like a bowl with a ridge or lip). Personally, I don't like this design for a queue. I prefer the open box with many envelopes in it but it is hard to get many of those pictures in inside the square box for the queue manager. And when I am creating a small picture (of a queue manager), it is impossible to draw an 'open boxed queue' inside it.
So, close your eyes and let your right-brain speak. How do you visualize a queue managers and queues?
Also, how do you differentiate queue managers in different environments. A company can have different environment where they run MQ. i.e. Sandbox, DEV, TEST, QA, UAT, PrePROD, PROD, etc.. Do you draw a queue manager for DEV differently than PROD? Or do you color-code them differently?
I have to create lots of document for products, this blog and presentations for MQTC, so I would like to hear from everyone about how they visualize or draw queue managers and queues across the different environments.
Regards,
Roger Lacroix
Capitalware Inc.
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| bruce2359 |
| Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 4:13 pm Post subject: |
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Poobah
Joined: 05 Jan 2008
Posts: 9469
Location: US: west coast, almost. Otherwise, enroute.
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Ouch. One side of my brain hurts.
I like the visual of a message as an envelope (seen from the back (flap) side . I refer to the stuff on the outside of the envelope as the MQMD - about the content of the message inside the envelope.
I like the visual of a queue as an open (shoe box) with messages (see above) nicely lined up waiting for consumption. I'm less fond of IBM's use of what looks to be a horseshoe as a queue. It's ok, but a horseshoe?. In IBM's graphics (some of 'em) messages in the horseshoe look like bars of soap. One client asked me if queues actually looked like horseshoes in virtual storage. 
I like to differentiate non-QLocal queue definitions as grayed-out open shoe boxes - obviously with no messages (or bars of soap) in them. Envelopes in horseshoes make little sense.
I still use a yellow rectangle to depict the qmgr footprint in virtual storage, with shoe boxes with envelopes in them. I refer to it as the qmgr server, AND/OR I make an analogy to a database server.
As I begin a presentation, I remind the audience that graphics depict concepts; and I explain each one as they appear in the graphics.
I'm a bit more of an aural learner; others are more visual. Apologies to the tactile learners - I can't give them a queue to touch.
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| mqjeff |
| Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 4:10 am Post subject: |
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Grand Master
Joined: 25 Jun 2008
Posts: 17447
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I don't really like the shoebox with envelopes. It's great for presentations, but not great for technical documentation. It's overly complicated and, well, busy.
Technical documentation should make immediate sense at first glance (more or less). And in my opinion, be black and white (white background with black objects/text).
I used to use the very old notion of a queue as a flat U with a brim, and a dotted one for remote queues. Then some kind of arrows for channels. This was from a very old supportPac that had Visio templates in it (Michael Dag's ? )
I don't really do technical documentation for MQ these days, so. A less busy option for 'queue with envelopes' would be a U with -- in it for messages. And greyed out or dashed U's for remote objects. Maybe dashed for qremotes and greyed out for qclusters ?
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| RogerLacroix |
| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 12:23 pm Post subject: |
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Jedi Knight
Joined: 15 May 2001
Posts: 3264
Location: London, ON Canada
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Hi,
I use the 'U' (horseshoe) for my queues but I don't like it. When I see a 'U' with lines inside to represent messages, all my brain sees is a large serving bowl with a stack of pancakes.
I'm not joking. For 20 years, when I see it, my brain immediately thinks of a stack of pancakes and then my brain quickly follows with, 'how can a stack of pancakes implement FIFO?'. Sure, LIFO (last in first out) with a stack of pancakes makes sense but you can't do FIFO, and if my kids tried to do FIFO with a stack of pancakes, they would get yelled at and told to take from the top.
See that's the problem with symbols, it means something different to each person. Why do I think of a stack of pancakes when I see a 'U' with lines inside it? I haven't the foggiest idea but that is where my brain goes every time.
Candle used the open box with envelopes inside it to represent a queue with messages, which to me, always made perfect sense.
Regards,
Roger Lacroix
Capitalware Inc.
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| mqjeff |
| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 12:52 pm Post subject: |
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Grand Master
Joined: 25 Jun 2008
Posts: 17447
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If it's a flat box with lines in it, instead of a U... is that still a stack of pancakes?
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| RogerLacroix |
| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 2:37 pm Post subject: |
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Jedi Knight
Joined: 15 May 2001
Posts: 3264
Location: London, ON Canada
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| mqjeff wrote: |
| If it's a flat box with lines in it, instead of a U... is that still a stack of pancakes? |
If you want me to comment on a picture then you have to give me a picture.
When I see the following 'U' (horseshoe) with lines inside, all I can think of is a large serving bowl with pancakes:
Here is my preferred picture style to represent a queue with messages:
Regards,
Roger Lacroix
Capitalware Inc.
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| PeterPotkay |
| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 3:07 pm Post subject: |
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Poobah
Joined: 15 May 2001
Posts: 7722
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Turn the pancakes on end in the horseshoe and FIFO is easier to accept.
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| bruce2359 |
| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 3:32 pm Post subject: |
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Poobah
Joined: 05 Jan 2008
Posts: 9469
Location: US: west coast, almost. Otherwise, enroute.
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Kinda resembling a 4-slice toaster now.
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Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi, Lex Vivendi. As we Worship, So we Believe, So we Live. |
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| mqjeff |
| Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2016 4:02 am Post subject: |
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Grand Master
Joined: 25 Jun 2008
Posts: 17447
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Right, I knew what you meant by the U with pancakes.
I was suggesting turning the arms of the U 180 degrees, making a box instead.
Then it might look like a loaf of sliced bread.
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