Redistributable clients

The IBM® MQ redistributable client is a collection of runtime files that are provided in a .zip or .tar file that can be redistributed to third parties under redistributable license terms, which provides a simple way of distributing applications and the runtime files that they require in a single package.

What are the IBM MQ distributable clients?

From IBM MQ 8.0.0, Fix Pack 4, native redistributable client runtime libraries are provided for Linux® x86-64 and Windows 64-bit platforms to make it simple to distribute both applications and the required IBM MQ runtime libraries. A third package, which is not platform-specific, contains the runtime files that are required for the Java/JMS applications, including theIBM MQ resource adapter for JMS applications that are running under an application server.

The redistributable client that is supplied with IBM MQ, is also a non-installed and relocatable image. Maintenance of a redistributable, non-installed image, is achieved through replacement; that is, you download newer versions of the runtime components when they are shipped.

A redistributable client implies distributing the required runtime with an application both inside and outside of your environment.

A relocatable client implies putting the files somewhere else other than a fixed default location. For example, instead of installing into /opt/ installing into /usr/local.

A non-installed client implies that you are not required to lay down client files, and that these files can be copied as required.

The IBM IPLA license agreement is being extended for IBM MQ to enable you to download a number of additional runtime files from Fix Central.

Supported languages

You can use the files that are contained in the redistributable images to run the following client applications:

C
C++
COBOL
Java
Java JMS
Both fully managed and unmanaged .NET

Limitations

GSKit objects

No new GSKit objects are being shipped. Only the runtime files are shipped, both in a regular installation and with the redistributable client.

IBM JREs

No IBM JREs are being provided with the redistributable client.

If you want to run Java/JMS applications, you must provide your own runtime environment. Your JRE, that applications run under, must meet the current SOE requirements and are bound by any restrictions or limitations that apply.

Developing applications

All other files that support the development and distribution of applications (including copybooks, header files, and sample source code) are not included in the redistributable client and are not licensed for redistribution.

If you need to develop IBM MQ applications, you still need to perform a traditional installation so that you obtain the SDK files that are required to build client applications.

Windows C runtime libraries

You might have these libraries on your machine already, but if you do not, you need to download and install the following Microsoft C/C++ runtime libraries:

Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable 2008
Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable 2012

The download links for the redistributable downloads for each of these libraries can be found at The latest supported Visual C++ downloads .

For more information about installing redistributable clients, see: