Protecting IBM MQ log files

Do not touch the log files when a queue manager is running, recovery might be impossible. Use super user or mqm authority to protect log files against inadvertent modification.

Do not remove the active log files manually when an IBM MQ queue manager is running. If a user inadvertently deletes the log files that a queue manager needs to restart, IBM MQ does not issue any errors and continues to process data including persistent messages. The queue manager shuts down normally, but can fail to restart. Recovery of messages then becomes impossible.

Users with the authority to remove logs that are being used by an active queue manager also have authority to delete other important queue manager resources (such as queue files, the object catalog, and IBM MQ executable files). They can therefore damage, perhaps through inexperience, a running or dormant queue manager in a way against which IBM MQ cannot protect itself.

Exercise caution when conferring super user or mqm authority.