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Environment variables

A list of server and client environment variables intended for customer use.


Examples of use

  • On UNIX and Linux systems use: export [environment variable]=value.
  • On Windows Systems, use: Set [environment variable]=value.
  • On IBM i systems use: ADDENVVAR ENVVAR(environment variable) VALUE(xx)

    AMQ_ALLOWED_CIPHERS
    From IBM MQ Version 9.1.1, we can use this environment variable to specifiy a custom list of CipherSpecs that are enabled for use with IBM MQ channels on Multiplatforms. The environment variable takes the same values as the AllowedCipherSpecs SSL stanza attribute of the .ini file:

    • A single CipherSpec name, or
    • A comma separated list of IBM MQ CipherSpec names to re-enable, or
    • The special value of ALL, representing all CipherSpecs (not recommended).

    Note: Enabling ALL CipherSpecs is not recommended as this will enable SSL 3.0 and TLS 1.0 protocols and a large number of weak cryptographic algorithms.

    For more information, see Providing a custom list of enabled CipherSpecs on Multiplatforms in Enable CipherSpecs.

    AMQ_CONVEBCDICNEWLINE
    From IBM MQ Version 9.1.0, Fix Pack 2 and IBM MQ Version 9.1.2, you can use this environment variable to specify how IBM MQ is to convert an EBCDIC NL character into ASCII format. The environment variable takes the same values as the ConvEBCDICNewline attribute of the mqs.ini, that is, NL_TO_LF, TABLE, or ISO (see All queue managers). You can, for example, use the AMQ_CONVEBCDICNEWLINE environment variable instead of the ConvEBCDICNewline stanza attribute to provide ConvEBCDICNewline functionality on the client side in situations where the mqs.ini file cannot be used.
    If both the stanza attribute and the environment variable are set, the stanza attribute takes precedence.

    AMQ_DIAGNOSTIC_MSG_SEVERITY
    From IBM MQ Version 9.1, if the environment variable AMQ_DIAGNOSTIC_MSG_SEVERITY is set to 1 for an IBM MQ process, this causes the message severity to be appended to the message number as a single uppercase alphabetic character when the IBM MQ process writes a message to an error log or to the console.
    The behavior that AMQ_DIAGNOSTIC_MSG_SEVERITY enables is set by default. We can turn off this behavior by setting the environment variable to 0.

    AMQ_DMPMQCFG_QSGDISP_DEFAULT
    From IBM MQ Version 9.1.0, Fix Pack 5 and IBM MQ Version 9.1.5 we can use the dmpmqcfg command to inquire the disposition of a queue manager in a queue sharing group.
    See dmpmqcfg for details of the values we can use with this environment variable.

    AMQ_LICENSING_METRIC
    From IBM MQ Version 9.1.1, setting the environment variable AMQ_LICENSING_METRIC=VPCMonthlyPeak causes the queue manager to upload data relating to monthly VPC license types, instead of the default behavior of uploading data related to hourly container-based licenses. See Configuring IBM MQ for use with the IBM Cloud Private metering service.

    AMQ_LDAP_TRACE
    From IBM MQ Version 9.1.0, Fix Pack 4 and IBM MQ Version 9.1.4, if the environment variable AMQ_LDAP_TRACE is set to a non-null value, it is possible to switch LDAP client trace on and off without also stopping or starting the queue manager. For more information, see Enable dynamic tracing of LDAP client library code.

    AMQ_MQS_INI_LOCATION
    On UNIX and Linux systems, we can alter the location that is used for the mqs.ini file by setting the location of the mqs.ini file in this variable. This variable must be set at the system level.

    AMQ_REVERSE_COMMIT_ORDER
    This variable configures a queue manager so that in an XA transaction the IBM MQ queue manager change is committed after the corresponding database update is completed.
    Do not set AMQ_REVERSE_COMMIT_ORDER without reading and understanding the scenario that is described in the following topic: Isolation level.

    AMQ_SSL_ALLOW_DEFAULT_CERT
    From IBM MQ Version 9.0.0, Fix Pack 1 and IBM MQ Version 9.0.2, when the AMQ_SSL_ALLOW_DEFAULT_CERT environment variable is not set, an application can connect to a queue manager with a personal certificate in the client keystore only when the certificate includes the label name of ibmwebspheremquserid. When the AMQ_SSL_ALLOW_DEFAULT_CERT environment variable is set, the certificate does not require the label name of ibmwebspheremquserid. That is, the certificate that is used to connect to a queue manager can be a default certificate, provided that a default certificate is present in the queue repository, and the key repository does not contain a personal certificate with the prefix ibmwebspheremquserid. For more information, see the technote Specify the userid in the SSL certificate label for an MQ client.
    A value of 1 enables the use of a default certificate.
    From IBM MQ Version 8.0, instead of using the AMQ_SSL_ALLOW_DEFAULT_CERT environment variable, an application can use the CertificateLabel setting of the SSL stanza in the mqclient.ini file. For more information, see Digital certificate labels, understanding the requirements and SSL stanza of the client configuration file.

    AMQ_SSL_LDAP_SERVER_VERSION
    This variable can be used to ensure that either LDAP v2 or LDAP v3 is used by IBM MQ cryptographic components in cases where CRL servers require that a specific version of the LDAP protocol be used.
    Set the variable to appropriate value in the environment that is used to start the queue manager or channel. To request that LDAP v2 is used, set AMQ_SSL_LDAP_SERVER_VERSION=2. To request that LDAP v3 is used, set AMQ_SSL_LDAP_SERVER_VERSION=3.
    This variable does not affect LDAP connections established by the IBM MQ queue manager for user authentication or user authorization.

    HOME
    This variable contains the name of the directory that is searched for the mqclient.ini file. This file contains configuration information that is used by IBM MQ MQI clients on the following platforms:

    • IBM i
    • UNIX
    • Linux

    HOMEDRIVE and HOMEPATH
    To be used both of these variables must be set. They are used to contain the name of the directory that is searched for the mqclient.ini file. This file contains configuration information that is used by IBM MQ MQI clients on Windows systems.

    LDAP_BASEDN
    The required environment variable for running an LDAP sample program. It specifies the base Distinguished Name for the directory search.

    LDAP_HOST
    An optional variable for running an LDAP sample program. It specifies the name of the host where the LDAP server is running; it defaults to the local host if it is not specified.

    LDAP_VERSION
    An optional variable for running an LDAP sample program. It specifies the version of the LDAP protocol to be used, and can be either 2 or 3. Most LDAP servers now support version 3 of the protocol; they all support the older version 2. This sample works equally well with either version of the protocol, and if it is not specified it defaults to version 2.

    MQAPI_TRACE_LOGFILE
    The sample API exit program generates an MQI trace to a user-specified file with a prefix that is defined in the MQAPI_TRACE_LOGFILE environment variable.

    MQAPPLNAME
    If the application name has not yet been chosen, we can use this variable as the name to identify the connection to the queue manager. Only the first 28 characters are used, and they must not be all blanks or nulls.

    MQCCSID
    Specifies the coded character set number to be used and overrides the native CCSID of the application.

    MQCERTVPOL
    Determines the type of certificate validation used:

      ANY
      Use any certificate validation policy that is supported by the underlying secure sockets library. This setting is the default setting.

      RFC5280
      Use only certificate validation that complies with the RFC 5280 standard.

    MQCHLLIB
    Specifies the directory path to the file that contains the client channel definition table (CCDT). The file is created on the server, but can be copied across to the IBM MQ MQI client workstation.

    MQCHLTAB
    MQCHLTAB specifies the name of the file that contains the client channel definition table (ccdt). The default file name is AMQCLCHL.TAB.

    MQS_IPC_HOST
    When sharing IBM MQ files and the generated value of myHostName creates a problem set myHostName using the environment variable MQS_IPC_HOST.

    MQCLNTCF
    Use this environment variable to modify the mqclient.ini file path.

    MQ_CHANNEL_SUPPRESS_INTERVAL
    Specifies the time interval, in seconds, during which the messages defined with MQ_CHANNEL_SUPPRESS_MSGS are to be suppressed from being written to the error log, together with the number of times that a message will be allowed to occur during the specified time interval before being suppressed. The default value is 60,5 which means any further occurrences of a given message are suppressed after the first five occurrences of that message in a 60 second interval. For more information, see Suppressing channel error messages from error logs on Multiplatforms.
    The environment variable MQ_CHANNEL_SUPPRESS_INTERVAL is comparable to SuppressInterval in the qm.ini file.

    MQ_CHANNEL_SUPPRESS_MSGS
    Specifies IBM MQ channel error messages that are to be written to the error log only for the specified number of times that these messages are allowed to occur during the time interval defined in MQ_CHANNEL_SUPPRESS_INTERVAL before being suppressed until that time interval expires. For more information, see Suppressing channel error messages from error logs on Multiplatforms.
    The environment variable MQ_CHANNEL_SUPPRESS_MSGS is comparable to SuppressMessage in the qm.ini file, although it is specified differently.

    MQ_CONNECT_TYPE
    On the following platforms, use this environment variable in combination with the type of binding specified in the Options field of the MQCNO structure that is used on an MQCONNX call. See MQCONNX environment variable.

    • Windows
    • UNIX and Linux
    • IBM i

    MQ_CROSS_QUEUE_ORDER_ALL
    When you set the MQ_CROSS_QUEUE_ORDER_ALL environment variable to a non-zero value, the message put order is maintained in a unit of work. This means that, if messages in a Unit of Work (UoW) are put onto multiple queues (for example, Q1, then Q2), when an MQCMIT is issued, the messages are delivered and made available in the same queue order in which they were PUT.

    In a multi-queue manager environment, MQ_CROSS_QUEUE_ORDER_ALL must exist and have a non-empty value on both the sending and receiving side before each queue manager is started.

    MQ_EPHEMERAL_PREFIX
    Specifies the path to the queue managers ephemeral directory, within which ephemeral queue manager data is kept, while the queue manager is running.
    As an alternative to changing the ephemeral prefix, we can use the environment variable MQ_EPHEMERAL_PREFIX to override the EphemeralPrefix for the crtmqm command.

    MQ_FILE_PATH
    During the installation of the runtime package on the Windows platform, a new environment variable that is called MQ_FILE_PATH is configured. This environment variable contains the same data as the following key in the Windows Registry:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\IBM\WebSphere MQ\Installation\InstallationName\FilePath
    

    MQIPADDRV
    MQIPADDRV specifies which IP protocol to use for a channel connection. It has the possible string values of "MQIPADDR_IPv4" or "MQIPADDR_IPv6". These values have the same meanings as IPv4 and IPv6 in ALTER QMGR IPADDRV. If it is not set, "MQIPADDR_IPv4" is assumed.

    MQ_JAVA_DATA_PATH
    Specifies the directory for log and trace output.

    MQ_JAVA_INSTALL_PATH
    Specifies the directory where IBM MQ classes for Java are installed, as shown in IBM MQ classes for Java installation directories.

    MQ_JAVA_LIB_PATH
    Specifies the directory where the IBM MQ classes for Java libraries are stored. Some scripts that are supplied with IBM MQ classes for Java, such as IVTRun, use this environment variable.

    MQNAME
    MQNAME specifies the local NetBIOS name that the IBM MQ processes can use.

    MQNOREMPOOL
    When you set this variable, it switches off channel pooling and causes channels to run as threads of the listener.

    MQPSE_TRACE_LOGFILE
    Use when you Publish the Exit Sample Program. In the application process to be traced, this environment variable describes where the trace files must be written to. See The Publish Exit sample program.

    MQSERVER
    MQSERVER environment variable is used to define a minimal channel. We cannot use MQSERVER to define a TLS channel or a channel with channel exits. MQSERVER specifies the location of the IBM MQ server and the communication method to be used.

    MQ_SET_NODELAYACK
    When you set this variable, it switches off TCP delayed acknowledgment
    When you set this variable on AIX, the setting switches off TCP delayed acknowledgment by calling the operating system's setsockopt call with the TCP_NODELAYACK option. Only AIX supports this function, so the MQ_SET_NODELAYACK environment variable only has an effect on AIX.

    MQSNOAUT
    When you set this variable to any value it disables the object authority manager (OAM) and prevents any security checking. The MQSNOAUT variable only takes effect when a queue manager is created.
    To enable the OAM, we must delete the queue manager, delete the environment variable, and then recreate the queue manager without specifying MQSNOAUT.

    MQSPREFIX
    As an alternative to changing the default prefix, we can use the environment variable MQSPREFIX to override the DefaultPrefix for the crtmqm command.

    MQSSLCRYP
    MQSSLCRYP holds a parameter string used to configure the cryptographic hardware present on the system. The permitted values are the same as for the SSLCRYP parameter of the ALTER QMGR command.

    MQSSLFIPS
    MQSSLFIPS specifies whether only FIPS-certified algorithms are to be used if cryptography is carried out in IBM MQ. The values are the same as for the SSLFIPS parameter of the ALTER QMGR command.

    MQSSLKEYR
    MQSSLKEYR specifies the location of the key repository that holds the digital certificate belonging to the user, in stem format. Stem format means that it includes the full path and the file name without an extension. For full details, see the SSLKEYR parameter of the ALTER QMGR command.

    MQSSLPROXY
    MQSSLPROXY specifies the host name and port number of the HTTP proxy server to be used by GSKit for OCSP checks.

    MQSSLRESET
    MQSSLRESET represents the number of unencrypted bytes sent and received on a TLS channel before the TLS secret key is renegotiated.

    MQS_TRACE_OPTIONS
    Use the environment variable MQS_TRACE_OPTIONS to activate the high detail and parameter tracing functions individually.

    MQTCPTIMEOUT
    This variable specifies how long IBM MQ waits for a TCP connect call.

    MQSUITEB
    This variable specifies whether Suite B compliant cryptography is to be used. In the instance that Suite B cryptography is used we can specify the strength of the cryptography by setting MQSUITEB to one of the following:

    • NONE
    • 128_BIT, 192_BIT
    • 128_BIT
    • 192_BIT

    ODQ_MSG
    If we use a dead-letter queue handler that is different from RUNMQDLQ the source of the sample is available for you to use as your base. The sample is like the dead-letter handler provided within the product but trace and error reporting are different. Use the ODQ_MSG environment variable to set the name of the file containing error and information messages. The file provided is called amqsdlq.msg.

    ODQ_TRACE
    If we use a dead-letter queue handler that is different from RUNMQDLQ the source of the sample is available for you to use as your base. The sample is like the dead-letter handler provided within the product but trace and error reporting are different. Set the ODQ_TRACE environment variable to YES or yes to enable tracing.

    ONCONFIG
    The name of the Informix server configuration file. For example, on UNIX and Linux systems, use:
    export ONCONFIG=onconfig.hostname_1
    
    On Windows systems, use:
    set ONCONFIG=onconfig.hostname_1
    

    WCF_TRACE_ON
    Two different trace methods are available for the WCF custom channel, the two trace methods are activated independently or together. Each method produces its own trace file, so when both trace methods have been activated, two trace output files are generated. There are four combinations for enabling and disabling the two different trace methods. As well as these combinations to enable WCF trace, the XMS .NET trace can also be enabled using the WCF_TRACE_ON environment variable.

Parent topic: Configuration reference


Related information

Last updated: 2020-10-04