Editing configuration files

Edit configuration files using commands or a standard text editor.

Before editing a configuration file, back it up so that we have a copy we can revert to if the need arises.

We can edit configuration files either:

  • Automatically, using commands that change the configuration of queue managers on the node
  • Manually, using a standard text editor

We can edit the default values in the IBM MQ configuration files after installation.

If you set an incorrect value on a configuration file attribute, the value is ignored and an operator message is issued to indicate the problem. (The effect is the same as missing out the attribute entirely.)

When creating a new queue manager:

Comments can be included in configuration files by adding a ; or a # character before the comment text. To use a ; or a # character without it representing a comment, we can prefix the character with a \ character and it will be used as part of the configuration data.


When do we need to edit a configuration file?

Edit a configuration file to recover from backup, move a queue manager, change the default queue manager or to assist IBM support. We might need to edit a configuration file if, for example:

  • You lose a configuration file. (Recover from backup if we can.)
  • We need to move one or more queue managers to a new directory.
  • We need to change your default queue manager; this could happen if you accidentally delete the existing queue manager.
  • You are advised to do so by the IBM Support Center.


Configuration file priorities

The value of an attribute is defined in multiple places. Attributes set in commands take precedence over attributes in configuration files. The attribute values of a configuration file are set according to the following priorities:

  • Parameters entered on the command line take precedence over values defined in the configuration files
  • Values defined in the qm.ini files take precedence over values defined in the mqs.ini file

Parent topic: Change configuration information on UNIX, Linux, and Windows