The MFT credentials file

The MFT credentials file, MQMFTCredentials.xml, is used to hold user ID and password information. We can have one MFT credentials file for the coordination queue manager, one for the command queue manager, one for each agent, and one for each logger.

The credentials files are optional, but it is easier to define the file, or files, that you require before you customize the environment, and if you have credentials files, you receive fewer warning messages.

The warning messages inform you that Managed File Transfer considers that queue manager security is off, and therefore we are not supplying authentication details.

If you do have queue manager security enabled, what we can do without an MQMFTCredentials.xml file is limited to actions that allow you to specify an IBM MQ user ID on the command line.

The credentials file can be in USS, but we can make this more secure by using a member in a data set. We can then use your security manager to protect the data set.

Create a PDSE with format VB and logical record length (Lrecl) 200.

Create a member within the data set, make a note of the data set and member, and add the following code to the member:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="IBM-1047"?>
<tns:mqmftCredentials xmlns:tns="http://wmqfte.ibm.com/MQMFTCredentials"
xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xsi:schemaLocation="http://wmqfte.ibm.com/MFTCredentials MQMFTCredentials.xsd">
</tns:mqmftCredentials>

There is a sample file, MQMFTCredentials.xml, in the installdirectory/mqft/samples/credentials/ directory. For more information, see MFT credentials file format.

If you edit the member of a data set, we can use the copy edit command to copy from the USS file. We can update this member at any time. Note that any job or service using this process needs to be restarted to pick up any changes.

For more information about how to create a credentials file, see Create an MFT credentials file.

There are two other credentials files, in addition to the MFT file, that are used for similar purposes:

• The Protocol bridge credentials file. For more information, see Protocol bridge credentials file format.
• The Connect:Direct credentials file. For more information, see Connect:Direct credentials file format.

• Create an MFT credentials file
  We can use an MFT credentials file for storing user ID and password information, for connection to IBM MQ and to Db2, and have a credentials file for each agent.

Parent topic: Configure Managed File Transfer for z/OS

Related concepts

• Common MFT for z/OS configurations
• Editing member BFGCUSTM

Related information

• Enable MQCSP authentication mode