Defining MQI channels

To create a new channel, we have to create two channel definitions, one for each end of the connection, using the same channel name and compatible channel types. In this case, the channel types are server-connection and client-connection.


User defined channels

When the server does not automatically define channels there are two ways of creating the channel definitions and giving the IBM MQ application on the IBM MQ MQI client machine access to the channel.

These two methods are described in detail:

  1. Create one channel definition on the IBM MQ client and the other on the server.

    This applies to any combination of IBM MQ MQI client and server platforms. Use it when you are getting started on the system, or to test your setup.

    See Creating server-connection and client-connection definitions on different platforms for details on how to use this method.

  2. Create both channel definitions on the server machine.

    Use this method when you are setting up multiple channels and IBM MQ MQI client machines at the same time.

    See Creating server-connection and client-connection definitions on the server for details on how to use this method.


Automatically defined channels

IBM MQ products on platforms other than z/OS® include a feature that can automatically create a channel definition on the server if one does not exist.

If an inbound attach request is received from a client and an appropriate server-connection definition cannot be found on that queue manager, IBM MQ creates a definition automatically and adds it to the queue manager. The automatic definition is based on the definition of the default server-connection channel SYSTEM.AUTO.SVRCONN. You enable automatic definition of server-connection definitions by updating the queue manager object using the ALTER QMGR command with the CHAD parameter (or the PCF command Change Queue Manager with the ChannelAutoDef parameter).