Generating and configuring a trace-route message

A trace-route message comprises specific message descriptor and message data parts. To generate a trace-route message, either create the message manually or use the IBM MQ display route application.

A trace-route message consists of the following parts:

    Message descriptor
    An MQMD structure, with the Format field set to MQFMT_ADMIN or MQFMT_EMBEDDED_PCF.

    Message data
    One of the following combinations:

    • A PCF header (MQCFH) and trace-route message data, if Format is set to MQFMT_ADMIN
    • An embedded PCF header (MQEPH), trace-route message data, and additional user-specified message data, if Format is set to MQFMT_EMBEDDED_PCF

The trace-route message data consists of the TraceRoute PCF group and one or more Activity PCF groups.


Manual generation

When generating a trace-route message manually, an Activity PCF group is not required. Activity PCF groups are written to the message data of the trace-route message when an MCA or user-written application performs an activity on its behalf.


The IBM MQ display route application

Use the IBM MQ display route application, dspmqrte, to configure, generate and put a trace-route message into a queue manager network. Set the Format parameter in the message descriptor to MQFMT_ADMIN. We cannot add user data to the trace-route message generated by the IBM MQ display route application. Restriction: dspmqrte cannot be issued on queue managers before IBM WebSphere MQ Version 6.0 or on IBM MQ for z/OS queue managers. If we want the first queue manager the trace-route message is routed through to be a queue manager of this type, connect to the queue manager as a IBM WebSphere MQ Version 6.0 or later client using the optional parameter -c.

  • Mimicking the original message
    When using a trace-route message to determine the route another message has taken through a queue manager network, the more closely a trace-route message mimics the original message, the greater the chance that the trace-route message will follow the same route as the original message.
  • The TraceRoute PCF group
    Attributes in the TraceRoute PCF group control the behavior of a trace-route message. The TraceRoute PCF group is in the message data of every trace-route message.

Parent topic: Trace-route messaging