32-bit and 64-bit files

 

This section provides you with information that will help you identify where you will need to replace your 32-bit files with 64-bit versions.

 

Executable files and libraries

For WebSphere MQ for AIX, WebSphere MQ for HP-UX,WebSphere MQ for Sun Solaris, and WebSphere MQ for Linux, V6.0 (POWER™ platform), the majority of WebSphere MQ V6.0 files are built as 64-bit files.

All the executable files in /xxx/mqm/bin and /xxx/mqm/samp/bin are 64-bit.

Most of the WebSphere MQ V6.0 libraries are 64-bit and put into /xxx/mqm/lib64 as the Version 5.2 and 5.3 64-bit client SupportPac™ libraries have been. Like the 64-bit client SupportPacs, there are no symbolic links to the /xxx/mqm/lib64 directory. Any existing 64-bit client applications will continue to work.

The few libraries that are required by 32-bit applications are installed as usual in /xxx/mqm/lib and any current customer 32-bit applications will continue to work (subject to changes needed to exits and switches. See below.) after upgrading to WebSphere MQ V6.0.

If you are using 64-bit applications, you might encounter problems if your LIBPATH or LD_LIBRARY_PATH variable includes the /usr/lib directory. The /usr/lib directory contains symbolic links to the 32-bit WebSphere MQ libraries, which do not work with 64-bit applications. Either remove /usr/lib from your library path or remove the symbolic links from /usr/lib. For more information, see the Quick Beginnings guide for your platform.

 

Exits and switch load files

When using 32-bit applications with a 64-bit queue manager, some types of exit and XA switch load files will also need to have a 64-bit version available for use by the queue manager. If the 64-bit version of the exit or XA switch load file is required and is not available, then the relevant MQ API or command will fail.

Two attributes are supported in the mqs.ini and qm.ini files for ClientExitPath. These are ExitsDefaultPath=/var/mqm/exits and ExitsDefaultPath64=/var/mqm/exits64. Using these ensures that the appropriate library can be found. If an exit is used in a WebSphere MQ cluster, this will also ensure that the appropriate library on a remote system will be found.

Where you have used your own directory and use a fully qualified path, you are advised to create a symbolic link from the ExitsDefaultPath and ExitsDefaultPath64 to the appropriate library. If this not provided, WebSphere MQ V6.0 will search for the library and use the first matching library in the search path. If the library is still not found an error message is generated.

The following table lists the different types of Exit and Switch load files and notes whether 32-bit or 64-bit versions, or both, are required, according to whether 32-bit or 64-bit applications are being used:

File types 32-bit applications 64-bit applications
API crossing exit 32-bit and 64-bit 64-bit
Data conversion exit 32-bit 64-bit
Server Channel exits (all types) 64-bit 64-bit
Client Channel exits (all types) 32-bit 64-bit
Installable service exit 64-bit 64-bit
Service trace module 32-bit and 64-bit 64-bit
Cluster WLM exit 64-bit 64-bit
Pub/Sub routing exit 64-bit 64-bit
Database switch load files 32-bit and 64-bit 64-bit
External Transaction Manager AX libraries 32-bit 64-bit

 

Communications protocols

The only supported communications protocols for 64-bit applications are TCP and LU 6.2. Applications will require the appropriate communications libraries to be available to them.

With TCP, SSL is available for both 32-bit and 64-bit applications.

 

Internal Transactional Manager XA support

WebSphere MQ V6.0 no longer supports versions of databases that do not include 64-bit support. You will need to rebuild your switch load files for these databases to support 64-bit processing as well as upgrading the databases to 64-bit versions. If you fail to do this, you will get an error when you start the queue manager and your application will fail to do any work with the database.

 

Parent topic:

64-bit queue manager migration information


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