WebSphere MQ

Overview

IBM WebSphere MQ, formerly known as MQSeries, is a messaging integration product that provides reliable, secure and, optionally, transactional message delivery. Enterprise Server for .NET uses the WebSphere MQ .NET managed code client to allow application programs to interact with an MQ server. However, as the WebSphere MQ .NET managed code client only provides a class library interface and not the traditional MQI (MQ programming interface), the MQI is implemented within Enterprise Server for .NET to allow applications that use the MQI to be able to run unchanged.

Supported Versions of the WebSphere MQ .NET Managed Code Client

WebSphere MQ 7.5.0.3 or later
WebSphere MQ 8.0 or later

Note: If two or more versions of the WebSphere MQ .NET managed code client have been installed side-by-side, Enterprise Server for .NET will load and use the most recent version.

The following features are not available to a WebSphere MQ .NET managed code client (please see IBM documentation for more details):

Channel compression
SSL support (now available in WebSphere MQ 8.0)
Channel exit chaining

MQI

The following MQI verbs, with some parameter restrictions, are supported by Enterprise Server for .NET:

Verb	Parameter	Support
MQBACK	`Hconn`	Full
	`CompCode`	Full
	`Reason`	Full
MQBEGIN	`Hconn`	Full
	`BeginOptions`	Ignored
	`CompCode`	Full
	`Reason`	Full
MQCLOSE	`Hconn`	Full
	`CompCode`	Full
	`Hobj`	Full
	`Options`	Full
	`Reason`	Full
MQCMIT	`Hconn`	Full
	`CompCode`	Full
	`Reason`	Full
MQCONN	`QMgrName`	Full
	`Hconn`	Full
	`CompCode`	Full
	`Reason`	Full
MQCONNX	`QMgrName`	Full
	`ConnectOpts`	`ClientConnOffset` and `ClientConnPtr` fields used to address MQCD structure. The MQCD `StrucId`, `Version`, `ChannelName`, `ChannelType` and `ConnectionName` fields are honored, all other MQCD fields are ignored All other fields ignored
	`Hconn`	Full
	`CompCode`	Full
	`Reason`	Full
MQDISC	`Hconn`	Full
	`CompCode`	Full
	`Reason`	Full
MQGET	`Hconn`	Full
	`Hobj`	Full
	`MsgDesc`	Full
	`GetMsgOpts`	`StrucId`, `Version`, `Options`, `WaitInterval`, `ResolvedQName`, `MatchOptions`, `GroupStatus`, `SegmentStatus` and `Segmentation` fields are honored All other fields are ignored
	`BufferLength`	Full
	`Buffer`	Full
	`DataLength`	Full
	`CompCode`	Full
	`Reason`	Full
MQINQ	`Hconn`	Full
	`Hobj`	Full
	`SelectorCount`	Full
	`Selectors`	Full
	`IntAttrCount`	Full
	`IntAttrs`	Full
	`CharAttrLength`	Full
	`CharAttrs`	Full
	`CompCode`	Full
	`Reason`	Full
MQOPEN	`Hconn`	Full
	`ObjDesc`	`StrucId`, `Version`, `ObjectName`, `ObjectQmgrName`, `DynamicName` and `AlternateUserId` fields are honored `ObjectType` of type MQOT_Q (i.e. queue) supported. All other object types are unsupported All other fields are ignored
	`Options`	Full
	`Hobj`	Full
	`CompCode`	Full
	`Reason`	Full
MQPUT	`Hconn`	Full
	`Hobj`	Full
	`MsgDesc`	Full
	`PutMsgOpts`	`StrucId`, `Version`, `Options`, `Context`, `KnownDestCount`, `UnknownDestCount`, `InvalidDestCount`, `ResolvedQname` and `ResolvedQmgrName` fields are honored All other fields are ignored
	`BufferLength`	Full
	`Buffer`	Full
	`CompCode`	Full
	`Reason`	Full
MQPUT1	`Hconn`	Full
	`ObjDesc`	`StrucId`, `Version`, `ObjectName`, `ObjectQmgrName`, `DynamicName` and `AlternateUserId` fields are honored `ObjectType` of type MQOT_Q (i.e. queue) supported. All other object types are unsupported All other fields are ignored
	`MsgDesc`	Full
	`PutMsgOpts`	`StrucId`, `Version`, `Options`, `Context`, `KnownDestCount`, `UnknownDestCount`, `InvalidDestCount`, `ResolvedQname` and `ResolvedQmgrName` fields are honored All other fields are ignored
	`BufferLength`	Full
	`Buffer`	Full
	`CompCode`	Full
	`Reason`	Full
MQSET	`Hconn`	Full
	`Hobj`	Full
	`SelectorCount`	Full
	`Selectors`	Full
	`IntAttrCount`	Full
	`IntAttrs`	Full
	`CharAttrLength`	Full
	`CharAttrs`	Full
	`CompCode`	Full
	`Reason`	Full

Note: The level of MQI support listed above is for the verbs and their interfaces as defined by the IBM documentation for the WebSphere MQ 7.5.0.3 and 8.0 releases. Any changes or extensions to these verbs made by IBM in later versions of WebSphere MQ are not currently supported.

Configuration

Both CICS and JES regions can be fully configured for MQ using the Enterprise Server for .NET Administration UI. If necessary, you can configure the MQ client externally via environment variables and/ or app.config files. However, if the MQ client is configured externally, you should bear the following in mind:

External configuration will apply to all regions
Each machine in a scale-out will require the environment variables set with the same MQ configuration for the seelistener.exe, w3wp.exe and seesep.exe (used when debugging) processes
Each machine in a scale-out will require the app.config files for seelistener.exe and seesep.exe (used when debugging) and web.config for w3wp.exe set with the same MQ configuration

A CICS region requires an MQ XA resource definition to be created using the XA Resource Definitions Editor, and its name specified in the region start-up file using the Region Startup File Editor. The MQ XA resource definition allows the MQ queue manager name, channel name and connection name to be specified. If trigger monitors are to be used, a listener channel for each trigger monitor needs to be configured using the Listener Configuration Editor. Each trigger monitor configuration requires the name of the MQ initiation queue to be specified.

A JES region requires the MQ channel and connection names, used when an application attempts to connect to a queue manager using the MQCONN or MQCONNX APIs, to be specified in the region start-up file using the Region Startup File Editor.