IBM MQ messaging provider activation specification settings

Use this panel to view or change the configuration properties of the selected activation specification for use with the IBM MQ messaging provider. These configuration properties control how connections are created to associated queues and topics.

To view IBM MQ activation specification settings, use the administrative console to complete the following steps:
  1. In the navigation pane, click Resources > JMS->Activation specifications to display existing activation specifications.
  2. If appropriate, in the content pane, change the Scope setting to the level at which the activation specifications are defined. This restricts the set of activation specifications displayed.
  3. Select the name of the activation specification that you want to work with.
Under General Properties there are five groups of properties:
Make any required changes to the Administration, Connection, Destination, Advanced, and Security settings groups of properties, and then click Apply to save the configuration before, in the content pane under Additional Properties, you click any of the following links:
  • Advanced properties to display or change the advanced properties of your IBM MQ activation specification.
  • Broker properties to display or change the broker properties of your IBM MQ activation specification.
  • Custom properties to display or change the custom properties of your IBM MQ activation specification. For example, you would use this option to set the custom property WAS_EndpointInitialState for an activation specification. WAS_EndpointInitialState determines whether or not message consumption begins from the JMS destination as soon as the activation specification is used for a message-driven bean to connect with the destination.
  • Client transport properties to display or change the client transport properties of your IBM MQ activation specification. If the selected activation specification was not created using a Client Channel Definition Table (CCDT), follow this link to enter all the information required to connect to IBM MQ. If the selected activation specification was created using a CCDT, you do not need to supply the client transport properties, and so the link is absent.

Under Related Items, you can click JAAS - J2C authentication data to configure authentication information for use with the activation specification.

You can also specify the -localAddress property by using the createWMQActivationSpec IBM MQ administrative command.

Notes: When specifying IBM MQ properties, the following restrictions apply:
  • Names can have a maximum of 48 characters, with the exception of channels, which have a maximum of 20 characters.
  • The property values that you specify must match the values that you specified when configuring IBM MQ for JMS resources. For more information, see the Using Java™ and System Administration sections of the IBM MQ documentation.

If IBM® MQ functionality has been disabled at a scope that affects this IBM MQ messaging provider resource, then an informational message indicating that IBM MQ has been disabled appears. In a single server environment this informational message is only displayed when the server is restarted after IBM MQ functionality has been disabled. In a network deployment environment the informational message is displayed immediately.

An IBM MQ activation specification has the following properties.

Administration

Scope

The level to which this resource definition is visible to applications.

Resources such as messaging providers, namespace bindings, or shared libraries can be defined at multiple scopes, with resources defined at more specific scopes overriding duplicates that are defined at more general scopes.

The scope displayed is for information only, and cannot be changed on this panel. If you want to browse or change this resource (or other resources) at a different scope, change the scope on the IBM MQ activation specification collection panel, then click Apply, before clicking the link for the type of resource.

Information Value
Data type String

Provider

The JMS provider assigned when the activation specification is created.

For all activation specifications created using this panel, the provider is the IBM MQ messaging provider.

The provider is displayed for information only.

Information Value
Data type String

Name

The name by which this activation specification is known for administrative purposes within WebSphere® Application Server.

Information Value
Data type String
Range The name must be unique within the set of activation specifications defined to the cell.

JNDI name

The JNDI name that is used to bind the activation specification into the JNDI namespace.

As a convention, use the fully qualified JNDI name; for example, in the form jms/Name, where Name is the logical name of the resource.

Information Value
Data type String

Description

A description of this activation specification for administrative purposes within WebSphere Application Server.

Information Value
Data type String
Default Null

Connection

The information required to configure a connection depends on whether the selected activation specification was created using a Client Channel Definition Table (CCDT).

If the selected activation specification was created using a CCDT, only the following properties are displayed:
  • Client channel definition table URL
  • Queue manager
  • SSL configuration
If the selected activation specification was not created using a CCDT, the following properties are displayed:
  • Queue manager
  • Transport
  • If Enter host and port information in the form of separate host and port values is selected, the connection name list property cannot be used and the following properties can be used:
    • Host name
    • Port
  • If Enter host and port information in the form of a connection name list is selected, the connection name list property can be used and the following properties cannot be used:
    • Host name
    • Port
  • Server connection channel
  • If you clear the check box for the Use SSL to secure communication with IBM MQ property, the following properties cannot be used:
    • Centrally managed
    • Specific configuration
    • SSL configuration

For more information about setting the SSL properties for IBM MQ, see SSL properties in the IBM MQ Using Java section of the IBM MQ documentation.

Note: There are four IBM MQ connection properties that are used to configure the IBM MQ resource adapter used by the IBM MQ messaging provider. These properties affect the connection pool that is used by activation specifications:
  • maxConnections
  • connectionConcurrency (Setting this property only affects WebSphere Application Server 7 nodes. The property has no effect for WebSphere Application Server Version 8 or later nodes.)
  • reconnectionRetryCount
  • reconnectionRetryInterval
For more information about these four properties, and how to configure them, see Resource adapter properties.

Client channel definition table URL

A URL that specifies the location of an IBM MQ CCDT.

Information Value
Data type String

Queue manager

If the specified activation specification is based on a CCDT, this property is used to select an entry in the CCDT. Otherwise, this property specifies the name of the queue manager or queue-sharing group to connect to. A connection is established to the specified IBM MQ resource to receive messages.

Information Value
Data type String
Range If this activation specification is not based on a CCDT, the value must be a valid queue manager name.
If this activation specification is based on a CCDT, the value must be one of the following:
  • A valid queue manager name
  • An asterisk (*) followed by the name of a queue manager group1
  • An asterisk (*)
  • Blank1
1When you specify the value of the Queue manager property in this form in combination with a CCDT, individual connections established by using the activation specification might connect to different queue managers. Selection from multiple queue managers occurs when the CCDT contains multiple client connection channel definitions with a matching queue manager name (QMNAME) parameter, and these connection channel definitions define the network connection details of different queue managers.
If the specified connection factory is based on a CCDT, and the CCDT can select from more than one queue manager, you might not be able to recover global transactions. Therefore, for connection factories that specify a CCDT, you have two alternatives:
  • Avoid any ambiguity about the target queue manager when specifying the Queue manager property, which means that the specified value of this property must not include an asterisk (*).
  • Avoid using the resources with applications that enlist in global transactions.

Transport

The IBM MQ transport type for the connection. The transport type is used to determine the exact mechanisms used to connect to IBM MQ.

Information Value
Data type Drop-down list
Default Bindings, then client
Range
Client
Use a TCP/IP-based network connection to communicate with the IBM MQ queue manager.
Bindings, then client
Attempt a bindings mode connection to the queue manager. If this is not possible, revert to the client transport.
Bindings
Establish a cross-memory connection to a queue manager running on the same node. The following Client Transport Mode properties are disabled:
  • Host name
  • Port
  • Connection name list
  • Server connection channel
For more information about configuring a transport type of Bindings, then client or Bindings, refer to Configuring the IBM MQ messaging provider with native libraries information.

Enter host and port information in the form of separate host and port values

If this radio button is selected, this means that the connection to the IBM MQ queue manager is made using the information supplied by the host name and port properties.

Selecting this option enables the host name and port properties, and disables the connection name list property. To enter connection name list information, click Enter host and port information in the form of a connection name list.

This radio button is only available if the scope property specifies a cell or cluster, or if the scope property specifies a node or server and that node or server is running WebSphere Application Server Version 8.0 or later.

Information Value
Data type Radio button

Hostname

The host name, IPv4, or IPv6 address of the IBM MQ queue manager to connect to.

Information Value
Data type String

Port

The port number on which IBM MQ is listening.

Information Value
Data type Integer
Default 1414
Range The value must be in the range 1 to 65536 (inclusive).

Enter host and port information in the form of a connection name list

If this radio button is selected, this means that the connection to the IBM MQ queue manager is made using the information supplied by the connection name list property.

Connection name lists can be used to connect to a single queue manager or to a multi-instance queue manager. For more information on using a multi-instance queue manager, see the IBM MQ information centre. Selecting this option enables the connection name list property and disables the host name and port properties. To enter separate host and port information, click Enter host and port information in the form of separate host and port values.

This radio button is only available if the scope property specifies a cell or cluster, or if the scope property specifies a node or server and that node or server is running WebSphere Application Server Version 8.0 or later.

Information Value
Data type Radio button

Connection name list

The connection name list specifying the host name and port details to use when you want the activation specification to connect to a multi-instance queue manager.

This property must only be used to allow connection to a multi-instance queue manager. It must not be used to allow connections to non-multi-instance queue managers as that can result in transaction integrity issues.

Information Value
Data type String
Default Unset
Range This field must be set to a string in the following form:

host[(port)][,host(port)]

The port information is optional, and if not specified, defaults to 1414.

host must be a valid TCP/IP host name or IPv4 or IPv6 address.

port must be an integer value in the range 1 to 65536 (inclusive).

For example: localhost(1234),remotehost1(1234),remotehost2

When the connection name list property is specified, the host name or port properties are automatically set to the host name and port number of the first entry in the connection name list. So if you specified localhost(1234),remotehost1(1234),remotehost2, the host name would be set to localhost and port would be set to 1234.

This property is only available if the scope property specifies a cell or cluster, or if the scope property specifies a node or server and that node or server is running WebSphere Application Server Version 8.0 or later.

When used in a mixed cell environment, the information in the connection name list property, for cluster or cell scope activation specifications, is available to WebSphere Application Server Version 7.0 nodes. The exact behaviour depends on the fix pack level of the node:
  • For nodes running at a fix pack level of WebSphere Application Server Version 7.0 Fix Pack 7 or later, the connection name list property can be used to connect to multi-instance queue managers.
  • For nodes running at a fix pack level earlier than Version 7.0, the connection name list property is not recognized, and a warning message similar to the following example is output: 
    [29/09/10 12:15:27:468 BST] 00000018 J2CUtilityCla W   
J2CA0008W: Class com.ibm.mq.connector.inbound.ActivationSpecImpl used by resource 
cells/L3A3316Node01Cell/resources.xml#J2CResourceAdapter_1284547647859 did not contain 
method setConnectionNameList. Processing continued.
    In this case the information in the host name and port properties are used to connect to a queue manager.

Server connection channel

The IBM MQ server connection channel name used when connecting to IBM MQ.

Information Value
Data type String
Default SYSTEM.DEF.SVRCONN
Range The value must be a server connection channel defined to the IBM MQ queue manager that is being connected to.

Use SSL to secure communications with IBM MQ

This option determines whether the SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) protocol is used to secure network communications with the IBM MQ queue manager or queue-sharing group.

When using an IBM MQ messaging provider activation specification in the application server environment, the application server manages SSL configuration. To change SSL configuration parameters, use the administrative console to navigate to the Security > SSL certificate and key management panel.

You can only use one cipher suite in the SSL configuration for a IBM MQ messaging provider activation specification. If you specify more than one cipher suite, only the first one is used.

Information Value
Data type Check box. If this check box is cleared, the following SSL properties are disabled:
  • Centrally managed
  • Specific configuration
  • SSL configuration

Centrally managed

When the SSL protocol is used to communicate with IBM MQ, select this radio button to specify that the SSL configuration is taken from the centrally managed WebSphere Application Server SSL configuration.

When you select this radio button, the host name and port attributes from the IBM MQ messaging provider activation specification are used to select an appropriate SSL configuration. If host and port information has been supplied to the activation specification by a connection name list this means that the host name and port information of the first element in the list are used to select an appropriate SSL configuration. To provide the SSL configuration which will be matched to the activation specification, see the Dynamic outbound endpoint SSL configuration settings topic listed under related reference.

Information Value
Data type Radio button

Specific configuration

Select this radio button when you want to specify a particular SSL configuration for use when SSL is to be used to secure network communications with the IBM MQ queue manager or queue-sharing group.

Information Value
Data type Radio button

SSL configuration

The SSL configuration to use when SSL is to be used to secure network communications with the IBM MQ queue manager or queue-sharing group.

This property is disabled if the Centrally managed radio button is selected and the IBM MQ messaging provider resource has been explicitly defined.

This property is always enabled if the IBM MQ messaging provider resource is based on a CCDT.

If this IBM MQ messaging provider resource is based on a CCDT, this parameter is only used if the relevant entries in the CCDT have been configured to use SSL.

Additionally, if an SSL configuration of none is selected, the default centrally managed WebSphere Application Server SSL configuration for the IBM MQ messaging provider is used.

Information Value
Data type Drop-down list

Destination

Note: The property WAS_EndpointInitialState is a custom property. This property determines whether or not message consumption begins from the JMS destination as soon as the activation specification is used for a message-driven bean to connect with the destination. To set custom properties, when you have completed your changes in this content pane and clicked Apply to save the configuration, then click the link Custom properties in the content pane under Additional Properties.

Destination JNDI name

The JNDI name for the JMS destination from which messages are consumed for delivery to a message-driven bean (MDB) that is configured to use this activation specification.

Information Value
Data type String

Message selector

A message selector expression specifying which messages are to be delivered.

Information Value
Data type String

Destination type

The type of destination (queue or topic) from which to consume messages.

Information Value
Data type Drop-down list
Range
Queue
The Destination JNDI name refers to a JMS destination that is a queue.
Topic
The Destination JNDI name refers to a JMS destination that is a topic.

Durable subscription

An option to specify whether a durable or nondurable subscription is used to deliver messages to an MDB subscribing to the topic.

Information Value
Data type Check box
Default Cleared (nondurable)
Range
Cleared
Nondurable.
Selected
Durable.

Subscription name

The name of a durable subscription. This is available only when the Durable subscription check box is selected.

Information Value
Data type String

Advanced

Client ID

The client identifier to specify when connecting to the IBM MQ messaging provider.

Information Value
Data type String

Allow cloned durable subscriptions

An option that determines whether multiple instances of a durable subscription can be accessed concurrently by different servers.

Information Value
Data type Check box
Default Cleared
Range
Selected
Multiple instances of a durable subscription can be accessed concurrently by different servers.
Cleared
Multiple instances of a durable subscription cannot be accessed concurrently by different servers.

Provider version

The IBM MQ messaging provider version. This is used to determine whether to connect to a particular version of a queue manager. It is also used to determine the type of functions required by the client.

Information Value
Data type String
Range The value entered must either be the empty string or be in one of the following formats:
  • n.n.n.n
  • n.n.n
  • n.n
  • n
where n is a numeric value greater than or equal to zero.

For example 6.0.0.0.

Security settings

Authentication alias

The user name and password to use when connecting to IBM MQ.

Information Value
Data type Drop-down list
Default (none)
Range All authentication aliases defined to the cell and the value "(none)", which specifies that no credentials are passed to IBM MQ.