WebSphere MQ configuration files

WebSphere MQ stores its configuration information in text files, except on Windows where it historically stored such information in the Windows registry. However, WebSphere MQ V7.0.1 and later releases have begun migrating data out of the Windows registry and into text files.

Accessing the Windows Registry

In order to view, add, or modify registry keys and values on Windows, use the regedit.exe program which is part of the operating system.

WebSphere MQ ships a program called amquregn.exe which will display the values of all the WebSphere MQ registry entries. The amquregn.ctl file, located in the WebSphere MQ bin directory, tells it what registry keys to display. Run the amquregn program from the bin directory as suggested, or pass the full path to its control file:

C:\Program  Files  (x86)\IBM\WebSphere  MQ\bin>  amquregn  amquregn.ctl

WebSphere MQ Installations

WebSphere MQ V7.1 and later releases on platforms other than IBM i allow multiple installations on a single operating system. The location and attributes of each installation is stored as follows:

• IBM i does not support multiple installations.
  
  
• Linux & UNIX:
  
  /etc/opt/mqm/mqinst.ini
  
  
• Windows:
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\IBM\WebSphere MQ\Installation
  or else HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\IBM\WebSphere MQ\Installation
  

Queue Managers

The location of queue managers and some defaults for new queue managers are stored as follows:

• IBM i:
  
  /QIBM/UserData/mqm/mqs.ini
  
  
• Linux & UNIX:
  
  /var/mqm/mqs.ini
  
  
• Windows:
  
  
  If you have only WebSphere MQ V7.1 or later, you must find the WebSphere MQ WorkPath by looking at its registry value or using amquregn. Note that "WorkPath" is case-sensitive:
  
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\IBM\WebSphere MQ\WorkPath
  or else HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\IBM\WebSphere MQ\WorkPath
  
  amquregn amquregn.ctl | findstr WorkPath
  
  
  

  Use the WorkPath value (ignoring doubled backslashes) to find the mqs.ini file, for example:
  
  C:\Program Files (x86)\IBM\WebSphere MQ\mqs.ini
  
  

  If you have WebSphere MQ V7.0 or older installed, then queue manager information is still held in the Windows registry. Later versions co-existing with WebSphere MQ V7.0.1 will store their information in the registry until WebSphere MQ V7.0.1 is removed:
  
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\IBM\MQSeries\CurrentVersion\Configuration
  or else HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\IBM\MQSeries\CurrentVersion\Configuration
  

Queue Manager Configuration and Status

Each queue manager has its own configuration which describes information such as the size, type, number, and location of its log files, tuning parameters, security information, and runtime status information. The location of this information depends on the mqs.ini values and whether your queue manager was created for multi-instance operation.

The sample mqs.ini stanzas below show normal and multi-instance queue managers from several different platforms. Multi-instance queue managers have an extra "DataPath" value, which directly gives the queue manager location. For other queue managers, you must start with the "Prefix" location, add a subdirectory named "qmgrs", then append the "Directory" value to the end:

1. A queue manager on Linux or UNIX:

   QueueManager:
         Name=UNIX.QMGR
         Prefix=/var/mqm
         Directory=UNIX!QMGR
         InstallationName=Installation1

   /var/mqm/qmgrs/UNIX!QMGR/qm.ini
   /var/mqm/qmgrs/UNIX!QMGR/qmstatus.ini

2. A multi-instance queue manager on Linux or UNIX:

   QueueManager:
         Name=MULTI/INSTANCE/QMGR
         Prefix=/var/mqm
         Directory=MULTI&INSTANCE&QMGR
         DataPath=/var/prod/shared/qmgrs/MULTI&INSTANCE&QMGR
         InstallationName=Production

   /var/prod/shared/qmgrs/MULTI&INSTANCE&QMGR/qm.ini
   /var/prod/shared/qmgrs/MULTI&INSTANCE&QMGR/qmstatus.ini

3. A queue manager on IBM i:

   QueueManager:
         Name=IBM_I.QMGR
         Prefix=/QIBM/UserData/mqm
         Library=QMIBM_I.QM
         Directory=IBM_I.QMGR

   /QIBM/UserData/mqm/qmgrs/IBM_I.QMGR/qm.ini
   /QIBM/UserData/mqm/qmgrs/IBM_I.QMGR/qmstatus.ini

4. A queue manager on Windows:

   QueueManager:
         Name=WINDOWS.QMGR
         Prefix=C:\Program Files (x86)\IBM\WebSphere MQ
         Directory=WINDOWS!QMGR
         InstallationName=QADev

   C:\Program Files (x86)\IBM\WebSphere MQ\qmgrs\WINDOWS!QMGR\qm.ini
   C:\Program Files (x86)\IBM\WebSphere MQ\qmgrs\WINDOWS!QMGR\qmstatus.ini

WebSphere MQ V7.0.1 on Windows may store information about multi-instance queue managers in qm.ini and qmstatus.ini files. Otherwise, older releases of WebSphere MQ on Windows store their queue manager configuration and status information in the Windows registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\IBM\MQSeries\CurrentVersion\Configuration\QueueManager\QMGRNAME
or else HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\IBM\MQSeries\CurrentVersion\Configuration\QueueManager\QMGRNAME

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\IBM\MQSeries\CurrentVersion\Status\QueueManager\QMGRNAME
or else HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\IBM\MQSeries\CurrentVersion\Status\QueueManager\QMGRNAME

Client Configuration

WebSphere MQ clients also have a configuration file which can control information such as the client channel table location, network options, and handling of message properties. This file may exist in several different places (or not at all) as described in the WebSphere MQ Information Center.

• IBM i:
  
  /QIBM/UserData/mqm/mqclient.ini
  
  
• Linux & UNIX:
  
  /var/mqm/mqclient.ini
  
  
• Windows:
  
  

  In WebSphere MQ V7.1 and later, the mqclient.ini location comes from the WorkPath value:
  
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\IBM\WebSphere MQ\WorkPath
  or else HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\IBM\WebSphere MQ\WorkPath
  

  amquregn amquregn.ctl | findstr WorkPath
  
  

  In WebSphere MQ V7.0 only, the mqclient.ini location comes from the FilePath value:
  
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\IBM\WebSphere MQ\FilePath
  or else HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\IBM\WebSphere MQ\FilePath
  

  amquregn amquregn.ctl | findstr FilePath
  
  

  Use the WorkPath (or FilePath) and ignore doubled backslahes, for example:
  
  C:\Program Files (x86)\IBM\WebSphere MQ\mqclient.ini
  
  
  

In releases before WebSphere MQ V7.0, the mqclient.ini file did not exist. WebSphere MQ clients could read a limited number of parameters (like the WebSphere MQ "KeepAlive" setting) as follows:

• IBM i did not support client applications prior to WebSphere MQ V7.1.
  
  
• Linux & UNIX:
  
  /var/mqm/qm.ini
  
  
• Windows:
  
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\IBM\MQSeries\CurrentVersion\Configuration
  or else HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\IBM\MQSeries\CurrentVersion\Configuration