How to set up Navigator for AWS ECS (Express, Developer, or Professional editions)

This article contains requirements and instructions on how to launch Navigator on AWS ECS. Three editions are available:

• Navigator for AWS ECS - Express
• Navigator for AWS ECS - Developer
• Navigator for AWS ECS - Professional

Requirements

• Subscribe before creating stack
• An ECS cluster with one instance
• A VPC with at least 2 subnets connected to the ECS cluster (see VPCs and subnets for more information)
• IAM role for ECS task execution
• Amazon EC2 key pair (create keypair)

Run the Cloud Formation Wizard

To create the stack, run the Cloud Formation Wizard by choosing the appropriate link below:

• Navigator for AWS ECS - Express
• Navigator for AWS ECS - Developer
• Navigator for AWS ECS - Professional

It will contain a template which reads from the s3 bucket. Fill all required parameters as explained below:

Parameter descriptions:

ConsolePassword = Enter the password of the default Admin user to log into Navigator.
DesiredCapacity= Number of instances to launch in your ECS cluster. Leave the default value of 1.
InstanceType = EC2 instance type. Leave as the default t2.large.
KeyName = Name of an existing EC2 KeyPair to enable SSH access to the ECS instances.
LbSubnets = Select external ones if you need internet access. Select at least 2 subnets.
Maxsize = Maximum number of instances that can be launched in your ECS cluster. Leave the default value of 1.
SecurityIpCidr = Use 0.0.0.0/0 for open access from the internet at your own risk.
VpcId = Select a VPC that allows instances access to the Internet.

Click the Create stack button when finished. It will typically take around 5-10 minutes for Navigator to be deployed. 

Launch Navigator

The URL of Navigator will be located on the Outputs tab of the stack under the name, ECSALB. Open this URL in a web browser and log in using the administrator password set during installation.

Now add your IBM MQ, TIBCO EMS or Kafka nodes as described below.

Configure Initial Environment

1. When you have logged in, you will be presented with the dashboards WorkSpace, My_Dashboard and Favorites.
   
   My_Dashboard is the default dashboard, but if you expand its viewlets you will notice that there is no data.  You will need to add a queue manager to the WorkSpace dashboard. Proceed to the next step for instructions on how to do this.
2. On the WorkSpace dashboard, click the box next to the workspace and select Create > Remote Queue Manager.
   
   

   The Remote Queue Manager Connections screen opens.  Add one or more queue managers by clicking Add.  

   
   

   Enter the details for the queue manager on the General tab. 
   

   On the Communication and SSL tabs, enter connection and channel information for the queue manager’s particular instance.  Click OK to close this dialog.
   
   Once you have completed adding all desired queue managers, press OK to close the Remote queue Manager Connections window.  You will see a green success message appear on the bottom right corner of the screen.
   
3. Expedite the discovery process by un-managing and then re-managing the queue managers.  Do this by selecting REMOTE_QMGRS within the MQM Node Viewlet, then selecting Manage (you will notice a checkmark next to this option).
   
   
   

   Reselect REMOTE_QMGRS and click Manage again.
   

   This will trigger a complete discovery.  You are now done adding queue managers.

4. Expand the Queue Managers viewlet back on My_Dashboard.  The queue managers you added from the above steps will display (in this example, queue managers QM3 and QM4).  You will see some basic details like Command Level, Node Type and so on.