# IBM MQ Source Connector for Confluent Cloud The fully managed IBM MQ Source connector for Confluent Cloud reads messages from an IBM MQ cluster and then writes them to an Apache Kafka® topic. #### NOTE * This Quick Start is for the fully managed Confluent Cloud connector. If you are installing the connector locally for Confluent Platform, see [IBM MQ Source Connector for Confluent Platform](https://docs.confluent.io/kafka-connectors/ibmmq-source/current/). * If you require private networking for fully managed connectors, make sure to set up the proper networking beforehand. For more information, see [Manage Networking for Confluent Cloud Connectors](networking/internet-resource.md#clusters-connect-cloud). ## Features The IBM MQ Source connector provides the following features: * This connector guarantees that records are delivered at-least-once to the Kafka topic. * **Client-side encryption (CSFLE and CSPE) support**: The connector supports CSFLE and CSPE for sensitive data. For more information about CSFLE or CSPE setup, see the [connector configuration](#cc-ibmmq-source-setup-connection). * **Multiple tasks**: The connector supports multiple tasks. More tasks may improve performance. * **JMS message types**: The connector supports [TextMessage](https://docs.oracle.com/javaee/6/api/javax/jms/TextMessage.html) and [BytesMessage](https://docs.oracle.com/javaee/6/api/javax/jms/BytesMessage.html). It does not support [ObjectMessage](https://docs.oracle.com/javaee/6/api/javax/jms/ObjectMessage.html) or [StreamMessage](https://docs.oracle.com/javaee/6/api/javax/jms/StreamMessage.html). For details about how each message type is handled when written to the Kafka topic, see [Message body formats](#cc-ibmmq-source-output-data-format). * **Supports exactly once semantics (EOS)**: The connector supports exactly once semantics. For more information, see [Exactly once semantics](#eos-ibmmq). For more information and examples to use with the Confluent Cloud API for Connect, see the [Confluent Cloud API for Connect Usage Examples](connect-api-section.md#ccloud-connect-api) section. ## Limitations Be sure to review the following information. * For connector limitations, see [IBM MQ Source Connector](limits.md#cc-ibmmq-source-limits) limitations. * If you plan to use one or more Single Message Transformations (SMTs), see [SMT Limitations](single-message-transforms.md#cc-single-message-transforms-limitations). ## Errors and retry attempts The IBM MQ Source connector uses the general retry policy implemented for most Kafka Connect connectors. Additionally, the IBM MQ Source connector uses exponential backoff after each retry attempt. The backoff time is the time between retries and a random value between zero and the exponentially increasing bound. The exponential bound is capped at one minute and the initial backoff time is set to `100` milliseconds (ms). ```bash initialbackoffTime * 2 ^ (retry-1) ``` The following errors will trigger a retry. With the exception of `MQRC_GET_INHIBITED`, all of the listed errors first shut down the connection and then reconnect before retrying. * `MQRC_GET_INHIBITED` * `MQRC_BACKED_OUT` * `MQRC_CHANNEL_NOT_AVAILABLE` * `MQRC_CONNECTION_BROKEN` * `MQRC_HOST_NOT_AVAILABLE` * `MQRC_NOT_AUTHORIZED` * `MQRC_Q_MGR_NOT_AVAILABLE` * `MQRC_Q_MGR_QUIESCING` * `MQRC_Q_MGR_STOPPING` * `MQRC_UNEXPECTED_ERROR` ## Exactly once semantics The connector processes each record exactly once, even through failures or restarts. It uses the state topic to track progress of the records it has processed, allowing it to resume from the last processed record in case of a failure. Consider the following limitations while using exactly once semantics for a connector: - Exactly once semantics is only supported for new connectors. You cannot change an existing connector’s delivery guarantee to or from exactly once semantics. - Offset storage topics are stored in your Kafka cluster. Deleting this topic or modifying its settings may affect the connector’s functionality. - The messages processed metric reflects the total messages handled by the connector, not the final count written to Kafka with EOS. This metric may therefore show a higher record count than expected. #### NOTE When enabling exactly once semantics (EOS), the service account requires the addtional permissions. For more information, see [Exactly once semantics for source connectors](service-account.md#exactly-once-semantics-acls). ## Message body formats The `output.data.format` property controls what the connector writes to the Kafka topic for each IBM MQ message. The available formats fall into two groups. ### Formats with JMS metadata `AVRO`, `JSON_SR`, `PROTOBUF`, and `JSON` write a structured record containing the message body along with its associated JMS metadata, such as the message ID, correlation ID, delivery mode, priority, destination, and message properties. The body itself appears in a `text`, `bytes`, or `map` field, depending on the JMS message type. Use one of these formats when your consumers need the JMS metadata, or when the queue carries `MapMessage` data. `AVRO`, `JSON_SR`, and `PROTOBUF` require Confluent Cloud Schema Registry. For more information, see [Quick Start for Schema Management on Confluent Cloud](../get-started/schema-registry.md#cloud-sr-config). ### Body-only formats `BYTES` and `STRING` write the message body on its own, with no JMS metadata or surrounding structure. A consumer reads exactly what the producing application placed in the message body. * `BYTES` writes the body as raw bytes. This accepts `BytesMessage` and `TextMessage` types only. Other JMS message types are rejected, causing the connector task to fail. * `STRING` writes the body as text. Use it only for queues that carry `TextMessage` data. For other message types, the connector writes a string representation of the message rather than the original payload. If your queue contains a mix of different message types, use `AVRO`, `JSON_SR`, `PROTOBUF`, or `JSON` instead. ## Quick Start Use this quick start to get up and running with the Confluent Cloud IBM MQ source connector. The quick start shows how to attach the connector to an IBM MQ broker, subscribe to the specified queue or topic, and stream data into Apache Kafka®. Prerequisites : - Authorized access to a [Confluent Cloud](https://www.confluent.io/confluent-cloud/) cluster on Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure (Azure), or Google Cloud. - Access to an IBM MQ broker. - The Confluent CLI installed and configured for the cluster. See [Install the Confluent CLI](https://docs.confluent.io/confluent-cli/current/install.html). - [Schema Registry](../get-started/schema-registry.md#cloud-sr-config) must be enabled to use a Schema Registry-based format (for example, Avro, JSON_SR (JSON Schema), or Protobuf). - If using TLS/SSL, you need the appropriate keystore and truststore files. - For networking considerations, see [Networking and DNS](overview.md#connect-internet-access-resources). To use a set of public egress IP addresses, see [Public Egress IP Addresses for Confluent Cloud Connectors](static-egress-ip.md#cc-static-egress-ips).
- Kafka cluster credentials. The following lists the different ways you can provide credentials. - Enter an existing [service account](service-account.md#s3-cloud-service-account) resource ID. - Create a Confluent Cloud [service account](service-account.md#s3-cloud-service-account) for the connector. Make sure to review the ACL entries required in the [service account documentation](service-account.md#s3-cloud-service-account). Some connectors have specific ACL requirements. - Create a Confluent Cloud API key and secret. To create a key and secret, you can use [confluent api-key create](https://docs.confluent.io/confluent-cli/current/command-reference/api-key/confluent_api-key_create.html) *or* you can autogenerate the API key and secret directly in the Cloud Console when setting up the connector. ### Using the Confluent Cloud Console #### Step 1: Launch your Confluent Cloud cluster To create and launch a Kafka cluster in Confluent Cloud, see [Create a kafka cluster in Confluent Cloud](../get-started/index.md#cloud-create-kafka-cluster). #### Step 2: Add a connector In the left navigation menu, click **Connectors**. If you already have connectors in your cluster, click **+ Add connector**. #### Step 3: Select your connector Click the **IBM MQ Source** connector card. ![IBM MQ Source Connector Card](images/ccloud-ibmmq-source-icon.png) #### Step 4: Enter the connector details #### NOTE * Make sure you have all your [prerequisites](#cc-ibmmq-source-prereqs) completed. * An asterisk ( \* ) designates a required entry. At the **Add IBM MQ Source Connector** screen, complete the following: ### Topic selection Select the topic you want to send data to from the **Topics** list. To create a new topic, click **+Add new topic**. ### Kafka access 1. Select the way you want to provide **Kafka Cluster credentials**. You can choose one of the following options: - **My account**: This setting allows your connector to globally access everything that you have access to. With a user account, the connector uses an API key and secret to access the Kafka cluster. This option is not recommended for production. - **Service account**: This setting limits the access for your connector by using a [service account](service-account.md#s3-cloud-service-account). This option is recommended for production. - **Use an existing API key**: This setting allows you to specify an API key and a secret pair. You can use an existing pair or create a new one. This method is not recommended for production environments. #### NOTE Freight clusters support only service accounts for Kafka authentication. 2. Click **Continue**. ### Authentication 1. Configure the authentication properties: **IBM MQ Connection** - **Username**: The username to use when connecting to IBM MQ. - **Password**: The password to use when connecting to IBM MQ. - **MQ configuration mode**: The mode in connector is to configure single mq instance or multiple for HA/DR support - **IBM MQ broker host**: The IBM MQ broker host. - **IBM MQ broker port**: The IBM MQ broker port. - **IBM MQ connection list**: For IBM’s HA/DR support with multiple MQ instances, enter hosts as comma-separated values (for example, host1:port1, host2:port2). Configure the connector with a reasonable value for `max.retry.time` to ensure it has sufficient time to switch over to another instance before failing. **IBM MQ Secure Connection** - **TLS Keystore Type**: The file format of the key store file. This is required only when using secure TLS communication with IBM MQ. - **TLS Keystore file**: Upload your TLS key store file. - **TLS Keystore Password**: The store password for the key store file. This is optional for client and only needed if TLS Keystore file is configured. - **TLS Key Password**: The password of the private key used for secure TLS communication with IBM MQ. - **TLS Truststore Type**: The file format of the trust store file. This is required when using TLS and secure communication with IBM MQ. - **TLS Truststore file**: Upload your TLS trust store file. - **TLS Truststore Password**: The password for the trust store file. If a password is not set access to the truststore is still available, but integrity checking is disabled. This is required only when using secure TLS communication with IBM MQ. - **TLS KeyManager Algorithm**: The algorithm used by key manager factory for SSL connections. Default value is the key manager factory algorithm configured for the Java Virtual Machine. This is required only when using secure TLS communication with IBM MQ. - **TLS TrustManager Algorithm**: The algorithm used by trust manager factory for SSL connections. Default value is the trust manager factory algorithm configured for the Java Virtual Machine. This is required only when using secure TLS communication with IBM MQ. - **TLS Secure Random Implementation**: The SecureRandom PNG implementation to use for SSL cryptography operations. 2. Click **Continue**. ### Configuration - **Output Kafka record key format**: Sets the input Kafka record key format. Valid entries are `AVRO`, `BYTES`, `JSON`, `JSON_SR`, `PROTOBUF`, or `STRING`. #### NOTE You need to have Confluent Cloud Schema Registry configured if you use a schema-based message format like `AVRO`, `JSON_SR`, and `PROTOBUF`. For more information, see [Schema Registry](../get-started/schema-registry.md#cloud-sr-config). **Output messages** - **Select output record value format**: Select the output record value format (data going to the Kafka topic). Valid options are AVRO, JSON, JSON_SR (JSON Schema), or PROTOBUF. Confluent Cloud Schema Registry must be enabled to use a Schema Registry-based format (for example, Avro, JSON Schema, or Protobuf). **IBM MQ Session** - **Destination Name**: The name of the JMS destination (queue or topic) to read from. - **Destination Type**: The type of JMS destination, which is either `queue` or `topic`. **IBM MQ Connection** - **Queue Manager**: The name of the [queue manager](https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/ibm-mq/7.5?topic=configuring-creating-managing-queue-managers). - **Channel**: The [channel name](https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/ibm-mq/7.5?topic=order-channel-name-channel) for client connections. **Data encryption** - Enable **Client-Side Field Level Encryption** for data encryption. Specify a **Service Account** to access the Schema Registry and associated encryption rules or keys with that schema. For more information on CSFLE or CSPE setup, see [Manage encryption for connectors](csfle.md#connect-csfle). ### **Show advanced configurations** - **Schema context**: Select a schema context to use for this connector, if using a schema-based data format. This property defaults to the **Default** context, which configures the connector to use the default schema set up for Schema Registry in your Confluent Cloud environment. A schema context allows you to use separate schemas (like schema sub-registries) tied to topics in different Kafka clusters that share the same Schema Registry environment. For example, if you select a non-default context, a **Source** connector uses only that schema context to register a schema and a **Sink** connector uses only that schema context to read from. For more information about setting up a schema context, see [What are schema contexts and when should you use them?](../sr/faqs-cc.md#faq-schema-contexts). **Additional Configs** - **Value Converter Replace Null With Default**: Specifies whether to replace fields that have a default value and that are null to the default value. When set to `true`, the connector uses the default value; otherwise, it uses `null`. Applies to the `JSON` converter. - **Value Converter Reference Subject Name Strategy**: Sets the subject reference name strategy for values. Valid entries are `DefaultReferenceSubjectNameStrategy` or `QualifiedReferenceSubjectNameStrategy`. You can use this strategy only with `PROTOBUF` format; the default strategy is `DefaultReferenceSubjectNameStrategy`. - **Value Converter Schemas Enable**: Includes schema within each of the serialized values. Input messages must contain `schema` and `payload` fields and must not contain additional fields. For plain `JSON` data, set this to `false`. Applies to the `JSON` converter. - **Errors Tolerance**: Use this property to configure the connector’s error handling behavior. #### WARNING Use this property with caution for sink connectors, as it can lead to data loss. If you set this property to `all`, the connector does not fail on errant records, but logs them (and sends to DLQ for sink connectors) and continues processing. If you set this property to `none`, the connector task fails on errant records. - **Value Converter Ignore Default For Nullables**: When set to `true`, this property ensures that the corresponding record in Kafka is `null`, instead of showing the default column value. Applies to the `AVRO`, `PROTOBUF`, and `JSON_SR` converters. - **Value Converter Decimal Format**: Specifies the `JSON` or `JSON_SR` serialization format for Connect `DECIMAL` logical type values with two allowed literals: `BASE64` to serialize `DECIMAL` logical types as base64 encoded binary data, and `NUMERIC` to serialize `DECIMAL` logical type values in `JSON` or `JSON_SR` as a number representing the decimal value. - **Key Converter Schema ID Serializer**: The class name of the schema ID serializer for keys. This is used to serialize schema IDs in the message headers. - **Value Converter Connect Meta Data**: Enables the Connect converter to add its metadata to the output schema. Applies to Avro converters. - **Value Converter Value Subject Name Strategy**: Determines how to construct the subject name under which the value schema is registered with Schema Registry. - **Key Converter Key Subject Name Strategy**: Determines how to construct the subject name for key schema registration. - **Value Converter Schema ID Serializer**: The class name of the schema ID serializer for values. This is used to serialize schema IDs in the message headers. **Auto-restart policy** - **Enable Connector Auto-restart**: Enables the auto-restart behavior of the connector and its task in the event of user-actionable errors. Defaults to `true`, enabling the connector to automatically restart in case of user-actionable errors. Set this property to `false` to disable auto-restart for failed connectors. If disabled, you must manually restart the connector. **Exactly Once Semantics** - **Exactly Once Enabled**: If set to `true`, enables exactly-once support for this connector. This ensures that each record reaches the destination exactly once. - **Offset Storage Topic**: The topic name used as offset storage topic to store the connector’s offsets. Defaults to `connect-offsets-${connector}`. Within the value, `${connector}` can be used as a placeholder for the logical cluster ID. The designated topic should not pre-exist. - **State Topic Name**: The name of the IBM MQ topic used to guarantee exactly-once message delivery. The connector stores and uses offset data in this topic to ensure delivery across restarts. This topic must be created in IBM MQ before the connector is created, as it will not be auto-created. Since the connector uses a durable subscriber to consume from this topic, it should not be shared with any other connector or consumer. **IBM MQ Session** - **Max pending messages**: The maximum number of messages per task that can be received from JMS brokers and produced to Kafka before the task acknowledges the JMS session/messages. If the task fails and is restarted, this is the maximum number of JMS messages the task may duplicate in Kafka. - **Maximum time to wait for a single poll in milliseconds.**: The maximum amount of time each task can build a batch. The batch is closed and sent to Kafka if not enough messages are read during the time allotted. This helps limit connector lag when the JMS queue/topic has a lower throughput. - **Character Encoding**: The character encoding to use while receiving the message. Defaults to `UTF-8`. - **Durable Subscription**: Whether the connector task subscription to the JMS topic is durable or not. - **Subscription Name**: The name of the JMS subscription. Supported only in durable subscriptions (`jms.subscription.durable = true`) and is applicable only to JMS topics. - **Message Selector**: The [JMS message selector](https://activemq.apache.org/selectors) that should be applied to messages in the destination. - **Initial Poll Wait Time (ms)**: The initial amount of time in milliseconds to wait when polling for new messages before switching to a shorter poll interval. This helps reduce the number of empty poll attempts during startup or when the queue is empty. **IBM MQ Connection** - **SSL Cipher Suite**: The CipherSuite for SSL connections. - **SSL FIPS Required**: Set whether SSL FIPS is required. - **SSL Peer Name**: Sets a distinguished name (DN) pattern. If `sslCipherSuite` is set, this pattern can ensure that the correct queue manager is used. The connection attempt fails if the distinguished name provided by the queue manager does not match this pattern. - **Disable MQCSP Authentication**: Whether to disable MQCSP authentication in the connector. By default, the connector uses MQCSP authentication, the recommended secure authentication method. Disabling MQCSP causes the connector to use legacy authentication mode. #### WARNING Legacy authentication mode is insecure. When MQCSP is disabled on non-SSL/TLS connections, credentials are transmitted in clear text, exposing them to potential interception and unauthorized access. Use MQCSP authentication (default), or if legacy mode is required, configure a secure connection using SSL/TLS with an appropriate cipher suite. **IBM MQ Secure Connection** - **TLS Protocol**: The TLS protocol version for secure connections to IBM MQ. **Transforms** - **Single Message Transformations**: To add a new SMT, see [Add transforms](single-message-transforms.md#cc-single-message-transforms-ui). For more information about unsupported SMTs, see [Unsupported transformations](single-message-transforms.md#cc-single-message-transforms-unsupported-transforms). See [Configuration Properties](#cc-ibmmq-source-config-properties) for all property values and definitions. - Click **Continue**. ### Sizing Based on the number of topic partitions you select, you will be provided with a recommended number of tasks. 1. To change the number of tasks, use the Range Slider to select the desired number of tasks. 2. Click **Continue**. ### Review and Launch 1. Verify the connection details by previewing the running configuration. 2. Once you’ve validated that the properties are configured to your satisfaction, click **Launch**. The status for the connector should go from **Provisioning** to **Running**. #### Step 5: Check the Kafka topic After the connector is running, verify that messages are populating your Kafka topic. For more information and examples to use with the Confluent Cloud API for Connect, see the [Confluent Cloud API for Connect Usage Examples](connect-api-section.md#ccloud-connect-api) section. ### Using the Confluent CLI Complete the following steps to set up and run the connector using the Confluent CLI. #### NOTE Make sure you have all your [prerequisites](#cc-ibmmq-source-prereqs) completed. #### Step 1: List the available connectors Enter the following command to list available connectors: ```none confluent connect plugin list ``` #### Step 2: List the connector configuration properties Enter the following command to show the connector configuration properties: ```none confluent connect plugin describe ``` The command output shows the required and optional configuration properties. #### Step 3: Create the connector configuration file Create a JSON file that contains the connector configuration properties. The following example shows the required connector properties. ```none { "connector.class": " IbmMQSource", "name": "IbmMQSource", "kafka.auth.mode": "KAFKA_API_KEY", "kafka.api.key": "", "kafka.api.secret": "", "kafka.topic" : "data_topic_0", "output.data.format": "AVRO", "jms.destination.name": "", "mq.username": "", "mq.password": "" "mq.hostname": "", "mq.queue.manager": ", "tasks.max" : "1" } ``` Note the following property definitions: * `"name"`: Sets a name for your new connector. * `"connector.class"`: Identifies the connector plugin name. * `"kafka.auth.mode"`: Identifies the connector authentication mode you want to use. There are two options: `SERVICE_ACCOUNT` or `KAFKA_API_KEY` (the default). To use an API key and secret, specify the configuration properties `kafka.api.key` and `kafka.api.secret`, as shown in the example configuration (above). To use a [service account](service-account.md#s3-cloud-service-account), specify the **Resource ID** in the property `kafka.service.account.id=`. To list the available service account resource IDs, use the following command: ```bash confluent iam service-account list ``` For example: ```bash confluent iam service-account list Id | Resource ID | Name | Description +---------+-------------+-------------------+------------------- 123456 | sa-l1r23m | sa-1 | Service account 1 789101 | sa-l4d56p | sa-2 | Service account 2 ``` * `"kafka.topic"`: The Kafka topic name where you want data sent. * `"output.data.format"`: Supports `AVRO`, `JSON`, `JSON_SR`, `PROTOBUF`, `BYTES`, and `STRING`. The `AVRO`, `JSON_SR`, and `PROTOBUF` formats require Schema Registry. For more information, see [Quick Start for Schema Management on Confluent Cloud](../get-started/schema-registry.md#cloud-sr-config). Use `BYTES` or `STRING` to write the message body without JMS metadata. `BYTES` accepts `BytesMessage` and `TextMessage`; use `STRING` for `TextMessage`. For details about what each format writes to the Kafka topic, and how the connector handles each JMS message type, see [Message body formats](#cc-ibmmq-source-output-data-format). * `"jms.destination.name"`: This is the name of the JMS destination (queue or topic) to read from. * `"mq.username"`: Authorized user for the broker host. `mq.password` is required if not using additional connection security. * `"mq.queue.manager"`: The IBM MQ [queue manager](https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/ibm-mq/7.5?topic=configuring-creating-managing-queue-managers). * `"tasks.max"`: Enter the number of [tasks](/platform/current/connect/concepts.html#tasks) in use by the connector. The connector supports multiple tasks. More tasks may improve performance. #### NOTE To enable CSFLE or CSPE for data encryption, specify the following properties: * `csfle.enabled`: Flag to indicate whether the connector honors CSFLE or CSPE rules. * `sr.service.account.id`: A Service Account to access the Schema Registry and associated encryption rules or keys with that schema. For more information on CSFLE or CSPE setup, see [Manage encryption for connectors](csfle.md#connect-csfle). **TLS/SSL Configuration**: For TLS connections, you must supply the keystore file contents, the truststore file contents, or both, along with the file passwords when creating the JSON connector configuration. The truststore and keystore files are binary files. For the keystore and truststore properties, you must do the following: 1. Encode the truststore or keystore file in base64. 2. Take the encoded string and add the `data:text/plain;base64,` prefix. 3. Use the entire string as the property entry. For example: ```json "mq.tls.keystore.location": "data:text/plain;base64,/u3+7QAAAAIAAAACAAAAAQAGY2xpZ...omitted...==", "mq.tls.keystore.password": "", "mq.tls.truststore.location": "data:text/plain;base64,/u3+7QAAAAIAAAACAAAAAQAGY2xpZ...omitted...==", "mq.tls.truststore.password": "" ``` **SMTs**: For details about adding SMTs, see the [Single Message Transformations](single-message-transforms.md#cc-single-message-transforms) documentation. For a list of SMTs that are not supported with this connector, see [Unsupported transformations](single-message-transforms.md#cc-single-message-transforms-unsupported-transforms). See [Configuration Properties](#cc-ibmmq-source-config-properties) for all property values and definitions. #### Step 4: Load the properties file and create the connector Enter the following command to load the configuration and start the connector: ```none confluent connect cluster create --config-file .json ``` For example: ```none confluent connect cluster create --config-file ibmmq-source.json ``` Example output: ```none Created connector IbmMQSource_0 lcc-ix4dl ``` #### Step 5: Check the connector status Enter the following command to check the connector status: ```none confluent connect plugin list ``` Example output: ```none ID | Name | Status | Type +-----------+-------------------+---------+-------+ lcc-ix4dl | IbmMQSource_0 | RUNNING | source ``` #### Step 6: Check the results on the broker. After the connector is running, verify that messages are populating your Kafka topic. For more information and examples to use with the Confluent Cloud API for Connect, see the [Confluent Cloud API for Connect Usage Examples](connect-api-section.md#ccloud-connect-api) section. ## Configuration Properties Use the following configuration properties with the fully managed connector. For self-managed connector property definitions and other details, see the connector docs in [Self-managed connectors for Confluent Platform](/platform/current/connect/kafka_connectors.html). ### How should we connect to your data? `name` : Sets a name for your connector.
* Type: string * Valid Values: A string at most 64 characters long * Importance: high ### Kafka Cluster credentials `kafka.auth.mode` : Kafka Authentication mode. It can be one of KAFKA_API_KEY or SERVICE_ACCOUNT. It defaults to KAFKA_API_KEY mode, whenever possible.
* Type: string * Valid Values: SERVICE_ACCOUNT, KAFKA_API_KEY * Importance: high `kafka.api.key` : Kafka API Key. Required when kafka.auth.mode==KAFKA_API_KEY.
* Type: password * Importance: high `kafka.service.account.id` : The Service Account that will be used to generate the API keys to communicate with Kafka Cluster.
* Type: string * Importance: high `kafka.api.secret` : Secret associated with Kafka API key. Required when kafka.auth.mode==KAFKA_API_KEY.
* Type: password * Importance: high ### Which topic do you want to send data to? `kafka.topic` : Identifies the topic name to write the data to.
* Type: string * Importance: high ### Exactly Once Semantics `exactly.once.enabled` : When set to true, enables exactly-once support for this connector, ensuring each record reaches the destination exactly once.
* Type: boolean * Default: false * Importance: high `offsets.storage.topic` : The topic name used as offset storage topic to store the connector’s offsets. Defaults to `connect-offsets-${connector}`. Within the value, `${connector}` can be used as a placeholder for the logical cluster ID. The designated topic should not pre-exist.
* Type: string * Importance: medium `state.topic.name` : The name of the IBM MQ topic used to guarantee exactly-once message delivery. The connector stores and uses offset data in this topic to ensure delivery across restarts. This topic must be created in IBM MQ before the connector is created, as it will not be auto-created. Since the connector uses a durable subscriber to consume from this topic, it should not be shared with any other connector or consumer.
* Type: string * Importance: medium ### Schema Config `schema.context.name` : Add a schema context name. A schema context represents an independent scope in Schema Registry. It is a separate sub-schema tied to topics in different Kafka clusters that share the same Schema Registry instance. If not used, the connector uses the default schema configured for Schema Registry in your Confluent Cloud environment.
* Type: string * Default: default * Importance: medium ### Output messages `output.data.format` : Sets the output Kafka record value format. Valid entries are AVRO, JSON_SR, PROTOBUF, JSON, BYTES, or STRING. Schema Registry is required for the schema-based formats (AVRO, JSON_SR, PROTOBUF). `AVRO`, `JSON_SR`, `PROTOBUF` and `JSON` write the message body together with the JMS message metadata, such as the message ID, correlation ID and message properties. `BYTES` and `STRING` write only the message body, without that metadata: `BYTES` writes a `BytesMessage` body unchanged and a `TextMessage` body as its UTF-8 bytes, and `STRING` writes a `TextMessage` body as a raw string. A `MapMessage` body cannot be represented this way, so with `BYTES` those records fail with a `DataException`.
* Type: string * Default: JSON * Valid Values: AVRO, BYTES, JSON, JSON_SR, PROTOBUF, STRING * Importance: high `output.key.format` : Sets the output Kafka record key format. Valid entries are AVRO, JSON_SR, PROTOBUF, STRING or JSON. Note that you need to have Confluent Cloud Schema Registry configured if using a schema-based message format like AVRO, JSON_SR, and PROTOBUF
* Type: string * Default: STRING * Valid Values: AVRO, JSON, JSON_SR, PROTOBUF, STRING * Importance: high ### IBM MQ Secure Connection `mq.tls.protocol` : The TLS protocol version for secure connections to IBM MQ. The default is `TLSv1.2`, which should be fine for most cases, though the actual set of allowed values will depend on the JVM. Recent JVMs support `TLSv1.3` and `TLSv1.2`, `TLSv1.1` and `TLS`. Older JVMs may support `SSL`, `SSLv2` and `SSLv3`, but these versions are disabled due to known security vulnerabilities.
* Type: string * Default: TLSv1.2 * Importance: medium `mq.tls.keystore.type` : The file format of the key store file. This is required only when using secure TLS communication with IBM MQ. For MQ on Cloud queue managers of version 9.2.1 revision 2 and above, TLS is enabled by default
* Type: string * Default: JKS * Importance: medium `mq.tls.keystore.location` : The key store file. This is required only when using secure TLS communication with IBM MQ.
* Type: password * Importance: high `mq.tls.keystore.password` : The store password for the key store file. This is optional for client and only needed if `TLS Keystore file` is configured.
* Type: password * Importance: high `mq.tls.key.password` : The password of the private key used for secure TLS communication with IBM MQ.
* Type: password * Importance: high `mq.tls.truststore.type` : The file format of the trust store file. This is required when using TLS and secure communication with IBM MQ.
* Type: string * Default: JKS * Importance: medium `mq.tls.truststore.location` : The trust store file. This is required only when using secure TLS communication with IBM MQ.
* Type: password * Importance: high `mq.tls.truststore.password` : The password for the trust store file. If a password is not set access to the truststore is still available, but integrity checking is disabled. This is required only when using secure TLS communication with IBM MQ.
* Type: password * Importance: high `mq.tls.keymanager.algorithm` : The algorithm used by key manager factory for SSL connections. Default value is the key manager factory algorithm configured for the Java Virtual Machine. This is required only when using secure TLS communication with IBM MQ.
* Type: string * Default: SunX509 * Importance: low `mq.tls.trustmanager.algorithm` : The algorithm used by trust manager factory for SSL connections. Default value is the trust manager factory algorithm configured for the Java Virtual Machine. This is required only when using secure TLS communication with IBM MQ.
* Type: string * Default: PKIX * Importance: low `mq.tls.secure.random.implementation` : The SecureRandom PRNG implementation to use for SSL cryptography operations. By default, tries PKCS11 implementation first. If PKCS11 is not supported, iterates through the provider and returns the first working implementation. This is required only when using secure TLS communication with IBM MQ.
* Type: string * Importance: low ### IBM MQ Session `jms.destination.name` : The name of the JMS destination (queue or topic) to read from.
* Type: string * Importance: high `jms.destination.type` : The type of JMS destination, which is either queue or topic.
* Type: string * Default: queue * Importance: high `max.pending.messages` : Specifies the maximum number of messages per task received from the JMS broker and produced to Kafka before the task acknowledges the JMS session. This value represents the maximum number of duplicate JMS messages that can be produced if a task fails and restarts. In IBM MQ, this property directly controls acknowledgment timing. A higher value increases throughput by buffering more messages before the acknowledgment, but also increases the time to commit transactions. If you encounter MQRC_BACKED_OUT (reason code 2003) errors indicating transaction rollbacks due to acknowledgment timeouts, reduce this value (for example, from 2000 to 500) to decrease the acknowledgment interval.
* Type: int * Default: 2000 * Valid Values: [0,…,20000] * Importance: high `max.poll.duration` : The maximum amount of time each task can build a batch. The batch is closed and sent to Kafka if not enough messages are read during the time allotted. This helps limit connector lag when the JMS queue/topic has a lower throughput.
* Type: int * Importance: low `character.encoding` : The character encoding to use while receiving the message.
* Type: string * Default: UTF-8 * Importance: low `jms.subscription.durable` : Whether the subscription of the connector tasks to a JMS topic is durable or not. Durable subscriptions require a subscription name to be set via `jms.subscription.name`.
* Type: boolean * Importance: medium `jms.subscription.name` : The name of the JMS subscription. Supported only in durable subscriptions (`jms.subscription.durable = true`) and is applicable only to JMS topics.
* Type: string * Importance: medium `jms.message.selector` : The JMS message selector that should be applied to messages in the destination.
* Type: string * Importance: high `initial.poll.wait.time.ms` : The initial amount of time in milliseconds to wait when polling for new messages before switching to a shorter poll interval. This helps reduce the number of empty poll attempts during startup or when the queue is empty.
* Type: int * Default: 5000 (5 seconds) * Importance: low ### IBM MQ Connection `mq.username` : The username to use when connecting to IBM MQ.
* Type: string * Importance: high `mq.password` : The password to use when connecting to IBM MQ.
* Type: password * Importance: high `mq.configuration.mode` : The mode in connector is to configure single mq instance or multiple for HA/DR support
* Type: string * Default: single * Importance: high `mq.hostname` : IBM MQ broker host
* Type: string * Importance: high `mq.port` : IBM MQ broker port
* Type: int * Default: 1414 * Importance: high `mq.connection.list` : For IBM’s HA/DR support with multiple MQ instances, enter hosts as comma-separated values, for example, host1:port1, host2:port2. Configure the connector with a reasonable value for `max.retry.time` to ensure it has sufficient time to switch over to another instance before failing.
* Type: string * Importance: high `mq.queue.manager` : The name of the queue manager.
* Type: string * Importance: high `mq.channel` : The channel for client connections.
* Type: string * Default: “” * Importance: high `mq.ssl.cipher.suite` : The CipherSuite for SSL connections.
* Type: string * Default: “” * Importance: high `mq.ssl.fips.required` : Whether SSL FIPS is required.
* Type: boolean * Importance: high `mq.ssl.peer.name` : Sets a distinguished name (DN) pattern. If sslCipherSuite is set, this pattern can ensure that the correct queue manager is used. The connection attempt fails if the distinguished name provided by the queue manager does not match this pattern.
* Type: string * Default: “” * Importance: high `disable.mqcsp.authentication` : Whether to disable MQCSP authentication in the connector. By default, the connector uses MQCSP authentication, which is the recommended secure authentication method. Disabling MQCSP will make the connector use legacy authentication mode. **WARNING: The legacy authentication mode is inherently insecure and should only be used when absolutely necessary. When MQCSP is disabled on non-SSL/TLS connections, credentials are transmitted in clear text, exposing them to potential interception and unauthorized access. It is strongly recommended to use MQCSP authentication (default) or, if legacy mode is required, configure a secure connection using SSL/TLS with an appropriate cipher suite.**
* Type: boolean * Default: false * Importance: low ### Number of tasks for this connector `tasks.max` : Maximum number of tasks for the connector.
* Type: int * Valid Values: [1,…] * Importance: high ### Additional Configs `header.converter` : The converter class for the headers. This is used to serialize and deserialize the headers of the messages.
* Type: string * Importance: low `producer.override.compression.type` : The compression type for all data generated by the producer. Valid values are none, gzip, snappy, lz4, and zstd.
* Type: string * Importance: low `producer.override.linger.ms` : The producer groups together any records that arrive in between request transmissions into a single batched request. More details can be found in the documentation: [https://docs.confluent.io/platform/current/installation/configuration/producer-configs.html#linger-ms](https://docs.confluent.io/platform/current/installation/configuration/producer-configs.html#linger-ms).
* Type: long * Valid Values: [100,…,1000] * Importance: low `value.converter.allow.optional.map.keys` : Allow optional string map key when converting from Connect Schema to Avro Schema. Applicable for Avro Converters.
* Type: boolean * Importance: low `value.converter.auto.register.schemas` : Specify if the Serializer should attempt to register the Schema.
* Type: boolean * Importance: low `value.converter.connect.meta.data` : Allow the Connect converter to add its metadata to the output schema. Applicable for Avro Converters.
* Type: boolean * Importance: low `value.converter.enhanced.avro.schema.support` : Enable enhanced schema support to preserve package information and Enums. Applicable for Avro Converters.
* Type: boolean * Importance: low `value.converter.enhanced.protobuf.schema.support` : Enable enhanced schema support to preserve package information. Applicable for Protobuf Converters.
* Type: boolean * Importance: low `value.converter.flatten.unions` : Whether to flatten unions (oneofs). Applicable for Protobuf Converters.
* Type: boolean * Importance: low `value.converter.generate.index.for.unions` : Whether to generate an index suffix for unions. Applicable for Protobuf Converters.
* Type: boolean * Importance: low `value.converter.generate.struct.for.nulls` : Whether to generate a struct variable for null values. Applicable for Protobuf Converters.
* Type: boolean * Importance: low `value.converter.int.for.enums` : Whether to represent enums as integers. Applicable for Protobuf Converters.
* Type: boolean * Importance: low `value.converter.latest.compatibility.strict` : Verify latest subject version is backward compatible when use.latest.version is true.
* Type: boolean * Importance: low `value.converter.object.additional.properties` : Whether to allow additional properties for object schemas. Applicable for JSON_SR Converters.
* Type: boolean * Importance: low `value.converter.optional.for.nullables` : Whether nullable fields should be specified with an optional label. Applicable for Protobuf Converters.
* Type: boolean * Importance: low `value.converter.optional.for.proto2` : Whether proto2 optionals are supported. Applicable for Protobuf Converters.
* Type: boolean * Importance: low `value.converter.scrub.invalid.names` : Whether to scrub invalid names by replacing invalid characters with valid characters. Applicable for Avro and Protobuf Converters.
* Type: boolean * Importance: low `value.converter.use.latest.version` : Use latest version of schema in subject for serialization when auto.register.schemas is false.
* Type: boolean * Importance: low `value.converter.use.optional.for.nonrequired` : Whether to set non-required properties to be optional. Applicable for JSON_SR Converters.
* Type: boolean * Importance: low `value.converter.wrapper.for.nullables` : Whether nullable fields should use primitive wrapper messages. Applicable for Protobuf Converters.
* Type: boolean * Importance: low `value.converter.wrapper.for.raw.primitives` : Whether a wrapper message should be interpreted as a raw primitive at root level. Applicable for Protobuf Converters.
* Type: boolean * Importance: low `errors.tolerance` : Use this property if you would like to configure the connector’s error handling behavior. WARNING: This property should be used with CAUTION for SOURCE CONNECTORS as it may lead to dataloss. If you set this property to ‘all’, the connector will not fail on errant records, but will instead log them (and send to DLQ for Sink Connectors) and continue processing. If you set this property to ‘none’, the connector task will fail on errant records.
* Type: string * Default: none * Importance: low `key.converter.key.schema.id.serializer` : The class name of the schema ID serializer for keys. This is used to serialize schema IDs in the message headers.
* Type: string * Default: io.confluent.kafka.serializers.schema.id.PrefixSchemaIdSerializer * Importance: low `key.converter.key.subject.name.strategy` : How to construct the subject name for key schema registration.
* Type: string * Default: TopicNameStrategy * Importance: low `key.converter.replace.null.with.default` : Whether to replace fields that have a default value and that are null to the default value. When set to true, the default value is used, otherwise null is used. Applicable for JSON Key Converter.
* Type: boolean * Default: true * Importance: low `key.converter.schemas.enable` : Include schemas within each of the serialized keys. Input message keys must contain schema and payload fields and may not contain additional fields. For plain JSON data, set this to false. Applicable for JSON Key Converter.
* Type: boolean * Default: false * Importance: low `value.converter.decimal.format` : Specify the JSON/JSON_SR serialization format for Connect DECIMAL logical type values with two allowed literals:
BASE64 to serialize DECIMAL logical types as base64 encoded binary data and
NUMERIC to serialize Connect DECIMAL logical type values in JSON/JSON_SR as a number representing the decimal value.
* Type: string * Default: BASE64 * Importance: low `value.converter.flatten.singleton.unions` : Whether to flatten singleton unions. Applicable for Avro and JSON_SR Converters.
* Type: boolean * Default: false * Importance: low `value.converter.ignore.default.for.nullables` : When set to true, this property ensures that the corresponding record in Kafka is NULL, instead of showing the default column value. Applicable for AVRO,PROTOBUF and JSON_SR Converters.
* Type: boolean * Default: false * Importance: low `value.converter.reference.subject.name.strategy` : Set the subject reference name strategy for value. Valid entries are DefaultReferenceSubjectNameStrategy or QualifiedReferenceSubjectNameStrategy. Note that the subject reference name strategy can be selected only for PROTOBUF format with the default strategy being DefaultReferenceSubjectNameStrategy.
* Type: string * Default: DefaultReferenceSubjectNameStrategy * Importance: low `value.converter.replace.null.with.default` : Whether to replace fields that have a default value and that are null to the default value. When set to true, the default value is used, otherwise null is used. Applicable for JSON Converter.
* Type: boolean * Default: true * Importance: low `value.converter.schemas.enable` : Include schemas within each of the serialized values. Input messages must contain schema and payload fields and may not contain additional fields. For plain JSON data, set this to false. Applicable for JSON Converter.
* Type: boolean * Default: false * Importance: low `value.converter.value.schema.id.serializer` : The class name of the schema ID serializer for values. This is used to serialize schema IDs in the message headers.
* Type: string * Default: io.confluent.kafka.serializers.schema.id.PrefixSchemaIdSerializer * Importance: low `value.converter.value.subject.name.strategy` : Determines how to construct the subject name under which the value schema is registered with Schema Registry.
* Type: string * Default: TopicNameStrategy * Importance: low ### Auto-restart policy `auto.restart.on.user.error` : Enable connector to automatically restart on user-actionable errors.
* Type: boolean * Default: true * Importance: medium ## Troubleshooting ### `MQRC_BACKED_OUT` (2003) Errors **Symptom** : The connector logs show frequent `MQRC_BACKED_OUT` errors (IBM MQ reason code 2003). **Explanation** : This error indicates that a transaction to commit records on the IBM MQ side has been rolled back. This typically occurs when the acknowledgment call to IBM MQ times out. The connector receives messages from IBM MQ and buffers them based on the `max.pending.messages` configuration (default: 2000). If the time to acknowledge these messages exceeds IBM MQ’s transaction timeout, IBM MQ will roll back the transaction, resulting in `MQRC_BACKED_OUT` errors and message redelivery. **Resolution** 1. **Reduce max.pending.messages**: Lower the `max.pending.messages` configuration value to reduce the number of messages buffered before acknowledgment. This decreases the time between message retrieval and acknowledgment. Example: Reduce from the default 2000 to 500: ```json { "max.pending.messages": "500" } ``` To update the configuration in Confluent Cloud: - Navigate to your connector in the Confluent Cloud Console - Click **Settings** > **Configuration** - Locate the **Max pending messages** field - Update the value to 500 (or another appropriate value) - Click **Continue** and then **Launch** to apply the changes 2. **Monitor performance**: After reducing `max.pending.messages`, monitor the connector’s throughput in the Confluent Cloud Console. If performance is impacted, gradually increase the value while watching for `MQRC_BACKED_OUT` errors in the connector logs. 3. **Check IBM MQ transaction logs**: Consult your IBM MQ administrator to review queue manager transaction logs and verify if there are transaction timeout settings that may need adjustment. 4. **View connector logs**: To view connector error logs in Confluent Cloud, navigate to your connector and click the **Logs** tab. Look for `MQRC_BACKED_OUT` entries to monitor the frequency of these errors. For more information, see [IBM MQ Reason Code 2003 Documentation](https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/ibm-mq/9.4.x?topic=codes-2003-07d3-rc2003-mqrc-backed-out) ## Frequently asked questions Find answers to frequently asked questions about the IBM MQ Source connector for Confluent Cloud. ### Why is the connector failing with `Could not connect to the IbmMQ hosts` error? This error indicates the connector cannot establish a connection to your IBM MQ Queue Manager. Verify the following common issues: * **Queue Manager availability**: Verify the IBM MQ Queue Manager is running and listening on the configured host and port. * **Network connectivity**: \* Ensure firewall rules, security groups, or Network Access Control Lists allow traffic from Confluent Cloud to your IBM MQ server. \* Review egress IP addresses for your Confluent Cloud region and whitelist them in your firewall configuration. For more information, see [Public Egress IP Addresses for Confluent Cloud Connectors](static-egress-ip.md#cc-static-egress-ips). * **Connection parameters**: In the connector configuration, confirm the following settings are correct: * `mq.hostname`: The IBM MQ server hostname or IP address. * `mq.port`: The IBM MQ listener port. * `mq.queue.manager`: The exact Queue Manager name (case-sensitive). * `mq.channel.name`: The server connection channel name configured in IBM MQ. * **SSL/TLS configuration**: If using encrypted connections, ensure SSL/TLS certificates are properly configured and valid. * **DNS resolution**: Verify the hostname resolves correctly from the Confluent Cloud environment. Test connectivity from your network using tools like `telnet` or `nc` to verify the IBM MQ port is accessible. ### Why am I seeing duplicate messages in my Kafka topic? Duplicate messages can occur due to connector task failures and restarts. The connector provides at-least-once delivery semantics by default, which means messages may be redelivered in certain failure scenarios. To minimize duplicate messages: * **Enable EOS**: Enable EOS during connector creation. For more information, see [Exactly once semantics](#eos-ibmmq). You cannot enable EOS on existing connectors; you must create a new connector with EOS enabled. * **Use unique message identifiers**: Leverage IBM MQ message IDs as Kafka message keys to enable consumer-side deduplication. ### Why does the connector show messages processed but no data appears in my Kafka topic? If connector metrics show messages being processed but the destination topic appears empty, verify the following: * **Topic configuration**: Confirm `kafka.topic` in your connector configuration matches the topic you are querying. Topic names are case-sensitive. * **SMTs**: Review any configured SMTs to ensure they are not filtering out all messages. Check the connector configuration for `transforms.*` properties. * **Consumer offset**: Verify your consumer is reading from the beginning of the topic or the correct offset. Use `--from-beginning` when testing with the Confluent CLI consumer. * **Topic permissions**: Ensure the connector’s service account has write permissions to the destination topic. Check ACL configurations in the Confluent Cloud Console. * **Connector logs**: Review connector logs for write errors, permission denials, or serialization failures that might prevent messages from being written. ### Why does the connector restart frequently or open multiple connections to IBM MQ? Frequent connector restarts can exhaust IBM MQ connection limits and impact performance. Common causes include: * **Connection timeouts**: Network latency or transient connectivity issues may cause health checks to fail. Review network stability between Confluent Cloud and your IBM MQ server. * **IBM MQ connection limits**: Verify your Queue Manager has sufficient connection limits configured. Check IBM MQ error logs for connection limit errors like `MQRC_MAX_CONNS_LIMIT_REACHED`. * **SSL/TLS handshake failures**: If using SSL/TLS, ensure certificates are valid and properly configured. Check certificate expiration dates and chain validity. * **Authentication issues**: Verify `mq.username` and `mq.password` are correct and the user has appropriate permissions in IBM MQ. * **Resource constraints**: Monitor connector task resource utilization. Insufficient memory or CPU can cause task failures. ### What does error code `JMSWMQ2008` mean and how do I resolve it? Error code `JMSWMQ2008` indicates `Failed to create MQQueueManager for connection`. This error typically occurs when: * **Queue Manager not available**: The IBM MQ Queue Manager is not running or is restarting. Verify the Queue Manager status using IBM MQ commands (`dspmq`). * **Connection limits reached**: The Queue Manager has reached its maximum connection limit. Check the `MaxChannels` and `MaxActiveChannels` settings in your Queue Manager configuration. * **Authentication failures**: User credentials are invalid or the user lacks required permissions. Verify `mq.username` and `mq.password` are correct. * **Channel configuration mismatch**: The `mq.channel.name` specified in the connector configuration does not exist or is not properly defined in IBM MQ. * **Network connectivity issues**: Intermittent network problems between Confluent Cloud and IBM MQ can cause connection failures. ### Why are my messages appearing as JSON strings instead of structured JSON? This issue is caused by incorrect `output.data.format` configuration. To receive properly structured JSON data: * **Use JSON_SR for Schema Registry**: Set `output.data.format` to `JSON_SR` when using Confluent Cloud Schema Registry for schema management and validation. This requires Confluent Cloud Schema Registry to be enabled. See [Quick Start for Schema Management on Confluent Cloud](../get-started/schema-registry.md#cloud-sr-config) for details. * **Use JSON for plain JSON**: Set `output.data.format` to `JSON` if you want JSON format without schema validation. * **Avoid STRING format**: Do not use `output.data.format=STRING` if you need structured JSON data. The STRING format treats message content as plain text. ## Next Steps For an example that shows fully managed Confluent Cloud connectors in action with Confluent Cloud for Apache Flink, see the [Cloud ETL Demo](/platform/current/tutorials/examples/cloud-etl/docs/index.html). This example also shows how to use Confluent CLI to manage your resources in Confluent Cloud. [![image](images/topology.png)](https://docs.confluent.io/platform/current/tutorials/examples/cloud-etl/docs/index.html)