Selecting the version of a core group protocol

There are two major categories or groups of high availability manager protocols. Both of these protocol groups can be independently configured to use newer versions of the protocols.

Before you begin

Before you change the version of a core group protocol for a particular core group member, make sure that:

  • You are familiar with the content of the Core group protocol versions topic. This topic contains information that is helpful in identifying:
    • Which protocol category you want to configure.
    • The custom property that you must use to configure this protocol category.
  • You use the tables that are included in the Core group protocol versions topic to determine in which releases or service packs each protocol version was added to the product.
  • You verify that each member of the core group is running at a product code level (VRM) that supports the new protocol version. The code level must be equal to or greater than the code level in which this protocol version was added to the product. All core group members with which the new protocol version is associated must support that protocol version.

About this task

Note: This topic references one or more of the application server log files. As a recommended alternative, you can configure the server to use the High Performance Extensible Logging (HPEL) log and trace infrastructure instead of using SystemOut.log , SystemErr.log, trace.log, and activity.log files on distributed and IBM® i systems. You can also use HPEL in conjunction with your native z/OS® logging facilities. If you are using HPEL, you can access all of your log and trace information using the LogViewer command-line tool from your server profile bin directory. See the information about using HPEL to troubleshoot applications for more information on using HPEL.

The high availability manager can use any supported core group protocol versions. However, to ensure that proper communication continues between all core group members, you must make sure that all member of a particular core group use the same version of a core group protocol.

To change the version of a core group protocol complete the following steps.

Procedure

  1. In the administrative console, click Servers > Core Groups > Core group settings and select an existing core group.
  2. Under Additional Properties, click Custom properties.
  3. Change the value of either the IBM_CS_WIRE_FORMAT_VERSION or IBM_CS_HAM_PROTOCOL_VERSION custom property.

    If you are updating the lower-level protocols, which are also referred to as the lower-level wire format protocols, change the value of the IBM_CS_WIRE_FORMAT_VERSION custom property.

    If you are updating the higher level protocols, which are also referred to as the high availability manager protocols, change the value of the IBM_CS_HAM_PROTOCOL_VERSION custom property.

    To update either of these custom properties, complete one of the following substeps:

    1. If the property that you want to update does not already exist, click New and then specify either IBM_CS_WIRE_FORMAT_VERSION or IBM_CS_HAM_PROTOCOL_VERSION in the Name field and the appropriate version ID in the Value field.
    2. If the property that you need to update already exists, click on the property name, and specify the appropriate version ID in the Value field.
  4. Click OK, and then click Review.
  5. Select Synchronize changes with nodes, and then click Save.

Results

After synchronization completes, the high availability manager automatically detects the configuration changes and starts to use the new core group protocol version with these core group members.

What to do next

You can check your SystemOut.log file or, for z/OS, either SYSOUT or SYSPRINT, for DCSV0005I and HMGR0226I messages.

Whenever the value specified for the IBM_CS_WIRE_FORMAT_VERSION custom property changes, a DCSV0005I message, similar to the following example, is sent to the SystemOut.log file, or, for the z/OS platform, to either SYSOUT or SYSPRINT: 
DCSV0005I: DCS Stack DefaultCoreGroup at Member
   DIAMONDCell01\DIAMONDCellManager01\dmgr: Started.
   Stack version information: DCSBV_WAS6_1_20060409.
   Stack protocol information: 61002.

The Stack protocol information value at the end of this message indicates the protocol version that is being used. For example, a value of 51001 means the 6.0.0 version is being used. A value of 61002 means the 6.1.0 version is being used.

Whenever the value specified for the IBM_CS_HAM_PROTOCOL_VERSION custom property changes, a HMGR0226I message, similar to the following message, is sent to the SystemOut.log file, or, for the z/OS platform, to either SYSOUT or SYSPRINT:
HMGR0226I: The core stack configuration parameter IBM_CS_HAM_PROTOCOL_VERSION 
   has been set to 6.0.2.31.

This message indicates that the high availability manager protocol version 6.0.2.31 is being used.