IT21338: MQ V9 AMS interceptor does not emulate queue manager blank padding of MQMD format field

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• A discrepancy is observed in the handling of null (0x00) bytes
  in the MQMD format field when AMS interception is enabled.
  
  If an AMS policy is not defined, and the message is not
  protected whilst on the queue, the null bytes in the MQMD format
  field are converted to blank characters (for example, 0x20 in
  ASCII codepages) before being returned to the application during
  MQGET.
  
  If an AMS policy is defined, null byes are not converted, and
  remain present in the MQMD format field returned by MQGET.
  

Local fix

• C sender application needs to be modified to set the md.Format
  to "MQFMT_NONE".
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  USERS AFFECTED:
  All uses of native MQ AMS interceptors, which covers users
  running intercepted native applications and users who have
  configured MCA interception on SVRCONN channels.
  
  All qualities of AMS protection are affected.
  
  
  Platforms affected:
  MultiPlatform
  
  ****************************************************************
  PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:
  AMS protection is intended to be invisible to the target
  application when the message is consumed. However, when AMS
  protection is applied, the queue manager is unable to blank-pad
  the MQMD format field of the message with space characters, as
  is the expected behaviour. In this case, the blank padding
  should be applied by the AMS interceptor when the message is
  unprotected during MQGET processing, but this logic was not
  present in the native AMS interceptor.
  

Problem conclusion

• The native AMS interceptor logic has been updated to blank-pad
  the MQMD format field when the message is unprotected.
  
  ---------------------------------------------------------------
  The fix is targeted for delivery in the following PTFs:
  
  Version    Maintenance Level
  v9.0 LTS   9.0.0.3
  
  The latest available maintenance can be obtained from
  'WebSphere MQ Recommended Fixes'
  http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=171&uid=swg27006037
  
  If the maintenance level is not yet available information on
  its planned availability can be found in 'WebSphere MQ
  Planned Maintenance Release Dates'
  http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=171&uid=swg27006309
  ---------------------------------------------------------------
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

  PI85287

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  IBM MQ AMS V9.0

• Fixed component ID

  5724H7263

Applicable component levels

• R900 PSY

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