Coexistence, compatibility, and interoperability
The definitions of the IBM MQ terms coexistence, compatibility, and interoperability.
- Coexistence
- Is being able to install and run two or more versions of the same program on the same server. For IBM MQ, it normally means installing and running multiple versions of IBM MQ on a server.
- Compatibility
- Is the ability to run applications from one level of queue manager with an earlier, or previous level, of the queue manager.
If we are using a message channel agent (MCA) channel, any version and release of an IBM MQ queue manager can connect, using an MCA channel, to any version and release of another IBM MQ queue manager.
The MCA channel is automatically configured to the latest version of protocol that is supported by both ends of the channel.
- Interoperability
- Is mainly the ability to exchange messages between different versions of IBM MQ. It can also mean the interoperability between others things, such as publish/subscribe brokers, or between components such as the IBM MQ classes for JMS and WebSphere Application Server.
Maintaining the compatibility, coexistence, and interoperability of IBM MQ is important in order to preserve the investment you make in applications and administrative procedures.
Three areas to which this objective does not apply to as rigidly, are:
- GUI interfaces, such as IBM MQ Explorer.
- Information for service, such as FFST files and traces.
- Error messages. The text in an error message might change, to make the wording clearer or more accurate.
- Coexistence
Queue managers, with different names, can coexist on any server as long as they use the same IBM MQ installation. On z/OS, UNIX, Linux, and Windows, different queue managers can coexist on the same server and be associated with different installations. In addition to queue managers coexisting on a server, objects, and commands must work correctly with different queue managers running at different command levels.- Application compatibility and interoperability with earlier versions of IBM MQ
Connecting an application that is built against libraries shipped with a later version of IBM MQ to an earlier version IBM MQ is not supported. Avoid building applications against a later version, and redeploying them to a queue manager running at an earlier version, although some applications do work in practice.- Application compatibility and interoperability with later versions of IBM MQ
IBM MQ applications run against later versions of a queue manager without recoding, recompiling, or relinking. We can connect an application that is built against libraries shipped with an earlier version of IBM MQ to a queue manager running at a later version of IBM MQ.- Compatibility between different versions of an IBM MQ MQI client and a queue manager
Any version and release of an IBM MQ MQI client can connect to any version and release of an IBM MQ queue manager. The MQI channel is automatically configured to the latest version that both the client and server support. If the client and server are different versions, the client application must use only the functions in the earlier version.- GSKit version compatibility
The stash files that you generate with IBM MQ Version 9.0.0, Fix Pack 1, or later must be compatible with any applications and other IBM MQ installations.Parent topic: Migrating IBM MQ