Deprecated, stabilized and removed features

A number of features are deprecated, stabilized or removed from IBM MQ Version 9.0.

Deprecation of compatibility mode for RPG and COBOL applications on IBM i

From Version 9.0, IBM MQ no longer provides support for RPG or COBOL applications that use dynamic linkage known as compatibility mode. This mode of operation was needed for applications that are written before MQSeries® Version 5.1, and subsequent versions of the product provided a compatible runtime environment for these applications, even though the copybooks needed for compiling them were removed in IBM WebSphere MQ Version 6.0. Dynamic linkage (compatibility mode) was provided by the following programs in library QMQM, which are removed at IBM MQ Version 9.0:

From Version 9.0, applications that use this compatibility mode of operation need to be recompiled to use the static bound MQ calls that are provided by the LIBMQM and LIBMQM_R service programs. Sample programs, such as AMQ3PUT4 and AMQ3GET4, show you how to use this programming model. For more information about using these MQ calls, see IBM i Application Programming Reference (ILE/RPG).Notes:

  • You need to recode applications, currently using the CALL 'QMQM' interface, to use the LIBMQM service program instead.

    The program objects and service programs in the preceding list, for example, QMQM, MQCONN, MQPUT, AMQVSTUB, and AMQZSTUB, are removed in Version 9.0, and applications that were coded to use compatibility mode cease to work.

  • If applications are bound to the LIBMQM service program at Version 8.0, you should not need to recompile or relink those applications at Version 9.0.
  • It is not possible to install more than one version of IBM MQ for IBM i on the same partition.
To find out whether your RPG or COBOL program uses compatibility mode, use the DSPPGMREF (Display Program References) command to display the external programs called by the application program. If there are references to the programs listed in this section, the program will not run at Version 9.0. The following example of DSPPGMREF output shows three program objects that are deprecated, MQCONN, MQOPEN, MQCLOSE:
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :  MYAPPPGM
Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :    MYLIB
Text 'description'. . . . . . . . . . . . . :     ILE/COBOL SAMPLE PUT TO QUEUE (MQPUT)
Number of objects referenced  . . . . . . . :        5
Object  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :    MQCONN
Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :      *LIBL 
Object type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :        *PGM
Object  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :    MQOPEN
Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :      *LIBL 
Object type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :        *PGM
Object  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :    MQCLOSE
Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :      *LIBL 
Object type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :        *PGM
Such programs must be recompiled using the Bound Procedural Call method described in Preparing COBOL programs in IBM i.

If you attempt to run an application program at Version 9.0 that uses compatibility mode, the most commonly seen first error is an MCH3401 trying to call program MQCONN or QMQM.


Deprecation of IBM MQ transport for SOAP

From Version 9.0, the IBM MQ transport for SOAP is deprecated. This includes the following product features:

  • IBM MQ Java Listener
  • IBM MQ .NET 1 and 2 Listener
  • IBM MQ Java Axis2 Client
  • IBM MQ Java client (deprecation already announced in Version 8.0)
  • IBM MQ .NET 1 and 2 clients (deprecation already announced in Version 8.0)
  • IBM MQ bridge for HTTP (deprecation already announced in Version 8.0)


Deprecation of useJNDI activation specification property

The useJNDI property is deprecated at IBM MQ Version 9.0 as the DestinationLookup property is equivalent and is the JMS 2.0 specification defined way of implementing the same function. For more information, see Configure the resource adapter for inbound communication.


Deprecation of IBM MQ support for MicrosoftActive X and Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0

IBM MQ support for MicrosoftActive X and Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 is deprecated. IBM MQ classes for .NET are the recommended replacement technology. See Use the Component Object Model Interface (IBM MQ Automation Classes for ActiveX) and Coding in Visual Basic.


Stabilization of IBM MQ classes for Java

IBM will make no further enhancements to the IBM MQ classes for Java and they are functionally stabilized at the level shipped in IBM MQ Version 8.0. Existing applications that use the IBM MQ classes for Java will continue to be fully supported, but this API is stabilized, so new features will not be added and requests for enhancements rejected. Fully supported means that defects will be fixed together with any changes necessitated by changes to IBM MQ System Requirements.


Removal of Managed File Transfer Web Gateway support

Before Version 9.0, the Managed File Transfer Web Gateway allowed you to transfer files to Managed File Transfer agents and retrieve transfer status using a HTTP client. The Web Gateway was deprecated at IBM MQ Version 8.0, and is removed at Version 9.0.

The fteCreateWebAgent command is removed at Version 9.0. If you attempt to migrate a web agent from an earlier release to Version 9.0, an error message is displayed to explain that the migration of a web agent is not supported (see fteMigrateAgent (migrate a WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition Version 7.0 agent to IBM WebSphere MQ Version 7.5 or later).


Removal of IBM Cloud Product Insights support

The IBM Cloud Product Insights service is no longer available. Therefore IBM MQ support for this service is no longer relevant. For more information, see this blog post: Service Deprecation: IBM Cloud Product Insights.