Administer Managed File Transfer

Use Managed File Transfer commands to administer Managed File Transfer. We can also use the IBM MQ Explorer for some of the administrative tasks.


Start transfer by placing a message in an agent command queue

We can also start a file transfer by putting a file transfer message on the command queue of the source agent. An example command queue name is SYSTEM.FTE.COMMAND.AGENT01. We must ensure that the message reaches the command queue of the correct source agent; if the message is received by an agent that does not match the source information in the XML, the message is rejected.

The transfer request XML must conform to the FileTransfer.xsd schema and use the <request> element as the root element. See File transfer request message format for information about the structure and content of a transfer request message. How you put the transfer request message on an agent command queue is task-specific. For example, we can use the IBM MQ Java API to put a message on the queue programmatically.

  • Starting an MFT agent
    Before we can use a Managed File Transfer agent for a file transfer, we must first start the agent.
  • Listing MFT agents
    We can list the Managed File Transfer agents registered with a particular queue manager using the command line or the IBM MQ Explorer.
  • Stopping an MFT agent
    We can stop a Managed File Transfer agent from the command line. When you stop an agent, we are quiescing the agent and allowing the agent to complete its current file transfer before stopping. We can also specify the -i parameter at the command line to stop an agent immediately. When the agent has stopped, we cannot use that agent to transfer files until you restart it.
  • Starting a new file transfer
    We can start a new file transfer from the IBM MQ Explorer or from the command line and we can choose to transfer either a single file or multiple files in a group.
  • Create a scheduled file transfer
    We can schedule a new file transfer either from the IBM MQ Explorer, or from the command line. The scheduled transfer can contain single files or multiple files in a group. We can perform a scheduled file transfer once or repeat the transfer multiple times.
  • Work with pending file transfers
    We can view scheduled file transfers that are pending from the IBM MQ Explorer. The Pending Transfers window displays all of the pending transfers registered with the coordination queue manager that we are currently connected to.
  • Triggering a file transfer
    We can set certain trigger conditions on a file transfer that must be true before that transfer can take place. If the triggering conditions are not true, the file transfer does not take place and a log message is optionally submitted to record the fact the transfer did not happen. The file transfer request is then discarded. For example, we can set up a file transfer that takes place only if a named file on the system where the source agent is located is over a specified size, or if a particular named file exists on the system where the source agent is located. We can set up a triggered file transfer from either the IBM MQ Explorer or from the command line.
  • Monitor file transfers that are in progress
    We can monitor a file transfer that is in progress using the Managed File Transfer - Current Transfer Progress tab in IBM MQ Explorer. This file transfer can be one started from either IBM MQ Explorer or the command line. The tab also displays the progress of scheduled transfers at the point the scheduled transfers start.
  • View the status of file transfers in the Transfer Log
    We can view the details of file transfers by using the Transfer Log in IBM MQ Explorer. These can be transfers started from either the command line or the IBM MQ Explorer. We can also customize what is displayed in the Transfer Log.
  • Monitor MFT resources
    We can monitor Managed File Transfer resources; for example, a queue or a directory. When a condition on this resource is satisfied, the resource monitor starts a task, such as a file transfer. We can create a resource monitor by using the fteCreateMonitor command or the Monitors view in the Managed File Transfer plug-in for IBM MQ Explorer.
  • Work with file transfer templates
    We can use file transfer templates to store common file transfer settings for repeated or complex transfers. Either create a transfer template from the command line by using the fteCreateTemplate command or use the IBM MQ Explorer to create a transfer template by using the Create New Template for Managed File Transfer wizard, or save a template while we are creating a file transfer by selecting the Save transfer settings as a template check box. The Transfer Templates window displays all of the transfer templates that we have created in your Managed File Transfer network.
  • Transfer data from files to messages
    We can use the file-to-message feature of Managed File Transfer to transfer data from a file to a single message, or multiple messages, on an IBM MQ queue.
  • Transfer data from messages to files
    The message-to-file feature of Managed File Transfer enables you to transfer data from one or more messages on an IBM MQ queue to a file, a data set (on z/OS ), or a user file space. If we have an application that creates or processes IBM MQ messages, we can use the message-to-file capability of Managed File Transfer to transfer these messages to a file on any system in your Managed File Transfer network.
  • The protocol bridge
    The protocol bridge enables your Managed File Transfer (MFT) network to access files stored on a file server outside your MFT network, either in your local domain or a remote location. This file server can use the FTP, FTPS, or SFTP network protocols. Each file server needs at least one dedicated agent. The dedicated agent is known as the protocol bridge agent. A bridge agent can interact with multiple file servers.
  • The Connect:Direct bridge
    We can transfer files to and from an existing IBM Sterling Connect:Direct network. Use the Connect:Direct bridge, which is a component of Managed File Transfer, to transfer files between MFT and IBM Sterling Connect:Direct.
  • Work with MFT from IBM Integration Bus
    We can work with Managed File Transfer from IBM Integration Bus using the FTEOutput and FTEInput nodes.
  • MFT recovery and restart
    If your agent or queue manager are unavailable for any reason, for example because of a power or network failure, Managed File Transfer recovers as follows in these scenarios:
  • Set a timeout for recovery of stalled transfers
    We can set a transfer recovery timeout for stalled file transfers that applies to all the transfers for a source agent. We can also set a transfer recovery timeout for an individual transfer. If you set a specific amount of time, in seconds, during which a source agent keeps trying to recover a stalled file transfer and the transfer is not successful when the agent reaches the timeout, the transfer fails.

Parent topic: Administer IBM MQ


Related concepts


Related tasks


Related information