fteCreateAgent: create an MFT agent

The fteCreateAgent command creates a Managed File Transfer Agent and its associated configuration.

We can control access to the agent. See Restricting user authorities on MFT agent actions for further information. We need to use the -ac parameter, and give permissions to access some queues.

Important: On IBM MQ for Multiplatforms, only users who are IBM MQ administrators (and members of the mqm group) can run this command. If you try to run this command as a user who is not an IBM MQ administrator, we will receive the error message BFGCL0502E: You are not authorized to perform the requested operation. and the command will not run. On z/OS systems, the user must satisfy (at least) one of these conditions in order to run the migrate command:

  • Be a member of the mqm group (if the mqm group is defined on the system).
  • Be a member of the group named in the BFG_GROUP_NAME environment variable (if one is named).
  • Have no value set in the BFG_GROUP_NAME environment variable when the command is run.


Purpose

Use the fteCreateAgent command to create an agent. This command provides you with the MQSC commands that we must run against your agent queue manager to create the following agent queues:

  • SYSTEM.FTE.AUTHADM1.agent_name
  • SYSTEM.FTE.AUTHAGT1.agent_name
  • SYSTEM.FTE.AUTHMON1.agent_name
  • SYSTEM.FTE.AUTHOPS1.agent_name
  • SYSTEM.FTE.AUTHSCH1.agent_name
  • SYSTEM.FTE.AUTHTRN1.agent_name
  • SYSTEM.FTE.COMMAND.agent_name
  • SYSTEM.FTE.DATA.agent_name
  • SYSTEM.FTE.EVENT.agent_name
  • SYSTEM.FTE.REPLY.agent_name
  • SYSTEM.FTE.STATE.agent_name
  • SYSTEM.FTE.HA.agent_name

These queues are internal system queues that we must not modify, delete, or read messages from unless we are deleting the agent. The MQSC commands to run are also supplied in a file in the following location: MQ_DATA_PATH\mqft\config\coordination_qmgr_name\agents\agent_name\agent_name_create.mqsc.

If you later want to delete the agent, this command also provides you with the MQSC commands we must run to clear then delete the queues used by the agent. The MQSC commands are in a file in the following location: MQ_DATA_PATH\mqft\config\coordination_qmgr_name\agents\agent_name\agent_name_delete.mqsc.

Managed File Transfer provides advanced agent properties that help you configure agents. These properties are described in The agent.properties file.

We might need to create a MQMFTCredentials.xml credentials file in order to work with your agent. A sample of this file is located in MQ_INSTALLATION_PATH/mqft/samples/credentials/. For more information and examples, see MFT credentials file format.


Special characters

Take care when we use parameter values that contain special characters so that you avoid the command shell interpreting the characters in a way we do not expect. For example, fully qualified file paths and names that contains such characters as space, quotation mark (single or double), forward-slash or back-slash characters, might be interpreted by the command shell rather than being passed through directly to the command itself. To avoid characters being interpreted by the command shell, enclose the entire parameter in double/single quotation marks or escape the special characters by using the escape sequence of the command shell.


Syntax

fteCreateAgent

fteCreateAgent-agentName agent_name -agentQMgr agent_qmgr_name -agentQMgrHost agent_qmgr_host-agentQMgrPort agent_qmgr_port-agentQMgrChannel agent_qmgr_channel-agentDesc agent_description-ac-authorityChecking-s service_name-su user_name -sp password-sj options-sl options -n-mquseriduserID-mqpasswordpassword-credentialsFilefilePath-p configuration_options -f-x


Parameters

    -agentName (agent_name)
    Required. The name of the agent we want to create. The agent name must be unique to its coordination queue manager.

    For more information about naming agents, see Object naming conventions.

    -agentQMgr (agent_qmgr_name)
    Required. The name of the agent queue manager.

    -agentQMgrHost (agent_qmgr_host)
    Optional. The host name or IP address of the agent queue manager.

    -agentQMgrPort (agent_qmgr_port)
    Optional. The port number used for client connections to the agent queue manager.

    -agentQMgrChannel (agent_qmgr_channel)
    Optional. The channel name used to connect to the agent queue manager.

    -agentDesc (agent_description)
    Optional. A description of the agent, which is displayed in IBM MQ Explorer.

    -ac or -authorityChecking
    Optional. This parameter enables authority checking. If you specify this parameter, the agent checks that users who are submitting requests are authorized to perform the requested action. For more information, see Restricting user authorities on MFT agent actions.

    -s (service_name)
    Optional (Windows only). Indicates that the agent is to run as a Windows service, the command must be run from a Windows administrator user ID. If we do not specify service_name, the service is named mqmftAgentAGENTQMGR, where AGENT is the agent name and QMGR is your agent queue manager name.

    The display name for the service, which is shown in the Windows Services window in the Name column, is always Managed File Transfer Agent AGENT@QMGR.

    Note: If the redistributable agent is going to run as a Windows service, then the BFG_DATA environment variable needs to be set in the system environment for the service to work.

    -su (user_name)
    Optional (Windows only). When the agent is to run as a Windows service, this parameter specifies the name of the account under which the service runs. To run the agent using a Windows domain user account specify the value in the form DomainName\UserName. To run the service using an account from the local built-in domain specify the value in the form UserName.

    The Windows user account that you specify using the -su parameter must have the Log on as a service right. For information about how to grant this right, see Guidance for running an MFT agent or logger as a Windows service.

    Required when -s specified. Equivalent to -serviceUser.

    -sp (password)
    Optional (Windows only). Password for the user account set by -su or -serviceUser parameter.

    This parameter is only valid when -s is specified. Equivalent to -servicePassword. If we do not specify this parameter when you specify the -s parameter, a warning message is produced. This message warns you that we must set the password using the Windows Services tool before the service starts successfully.

    -sj (options)
    Optional (Windows only). When the agent is started as a Windows service, defines a list of options in the form of -D or -X that are passed to the JVM. The options are separated using a number sign (#) or semicolon (;) character. If we must embed any # or semicolon (;) characters, put them inside single quotation marks.

    This parameter is only valid when -s is specified. Equivalent to -serviceJVMOptions.

    -sl (options)
    Optional (Windows only). Sets the Windows service log level. Valid options are: error, info, warn, debug. The default is info. This option can be useful if we are having problems with the Windows service. Setting it to debug gives more detailed information in the service log file.

    This parameter is only valid when -s is specified. Equivalent to -serviceLogLevel.

    -n
    Optional (Windows only). Indicates that the agent is to be run as a normal process. This is mutually exclusive with the -s option. If neither one of the -s parameter and the -n parameter is specified, then the agent is configured as a normal Windows process.

    Equivalent to -normal.

    -p (configuration_options)
    Optional. This parameter determines the set of configuration options that is used to create an agent. By convention use the name of a non-default coordination queue manager as the input for this parameter. The fteCreateAgent command then uses the set of properties files associated with this non-default coordination queue manager.

    Specify the optional -p parameter only if we want to use configuration options different from your defaults. If we do not specify this parameter, the set of configuration options based on the default coordination queue manager is used.

    -mquserid (userID)
    Optional. Specifies the user ID to authenticate with the coordination queue manager.

    -mqpassword (password)
    Optional. Specifies the password to authenticate with the coordination queue manager. We must also specify the -mquserid parameter. If you specify -mquserid, but do not specify -mqpassword, we will be prompted to supply the associated password. The password will not be displayed.

    -credentialsFile (filePath)
    Optional. The full file path of an existing or new credentials file, to which the IBM MQ authentication details are added.

    This command supports the addition of a set of IBM MQ authentication details, to a named Managed File Transfer credentials file. Use this command when IBM MQ connection authentication has been enabled. If you update the existing details, we must use the -f force parameter.

    -credentialPath (credentials_path).
    This command defines the location to migrate the credential information to. This parameter can be a directory path to an existing credential file, or a directory path to a new credential file. On z/OS platforms the credential file can be a pre-existing partitioned data set extended (PDSE). The PDSE can include existing members, or a new member for the credential file. Existing members of the PDSE must be updated to include the credential file. The format of the PDSE must be variable blocked.

    -f
    Optional. Forces the command to overwrite non-matching existing parameters. Specifying this parameter does not force the replacement of an existing Windows service agent.

    -? or -h
    Optional. Displays command syntax.

    -x
    Optional. Creates an agent configuration to run in a high availability mode.
    Specify this parameter adds a new option highlyAvailable to the agent.properties file.


Example

In this example, AGENT3 is created with an agent queue manager QM_NEPTUNE and uses the default coordination queue manager: 
fteCreateAgent -agentName AGENT3 -agentQMgr QM_NEPTUNE
 -agentQMgrHost myhost.ibm.com -agentQMgrPort 1415 -agentQMgrChannel CHANNEL1
In this example, AGHA is created in high availability mode with an agent queue manager QMHA.
fteCreateAgent -agentName AGHA -agentQMgr QMHA -x


Return codes

    0
    Command completed successfully.

    1
    Command ended unsuccessfully.

Parent topic: MFT commands


Related reference


Related information