Changing the primary installation

You can use the setmqinst command to set or unset an installation as the primary installation.

About this task

This task applies to AIX®, Linux®, and Windows.

The primary installation is the installation to which required system-wide locations refer. For more information about the primary installation, and considerations for choosing your primary installation, see Choosing a primary installation.

If an installation of IBM® WebSphere® MQ 7.1 or later is coexisting with an installation of IBM WebSphere MQ 7.0.1, the IBM WebSphere MQ 7.0.1 installation must be the primary. It is flagged as primary when the IBM WebSphere MQ 7.1 or later version is installed, and the IBM WebSphere MQ 7.1 or later installation cannot be made primary.

[Windows] During the installation process on Windows, you can specify that the installation is to be the primary installation.

[AIX] [Linux] On AIX and Linux systems, you must issue a setmqinst command after installation to set the installation as the primary installation.

Procedure

To set an installation as the primary installation, complete the following steps:
1. Check if an installation is already the primary installation by entering the following command:
```
 MQ_INSTALLATION_PATH/bin/dspmqinst
```
  where MQ_INSTALLATION_PATH is the installation path of an IBM WebSphere MQ 7.1 or later installation.
2. If an existing IBM WebSphere MQ 7.1 or later installation is set as the primary installation, unset it before continuing with the next step.
  
  If IBM WebSphere MQ 7.0.1 is installed on the system, the primary installation cannot be changed.
3. Make sure that you are logged on with the appropriate authority:
  - As root on AIX and Linux.
  - As a member of the Administrators group on Windows systems.
4. Enter one of the following commands:
  - To set the primary installation using the path of the installation you want to be the primary installation:
```
 MQ_INSTALLATION_PATH/bin/setmqinst -i -p MQ_INSTALLATION_PATH
```
  - To set the primary installation using the name of the installation you want to be the primary installation:
```
 MQ_INSTALLATION_PATH/bin/setmqinst -i -n installationName
```
5. On Windows systems, restart the system.
To unset an installation as the primary installation, complete the following steps:
1. Check which installation is the primary installation by entering the following command:
```
 MQ_INSTALLATION_PATH/bin/dspmqinst
```
  where MQ_INSTALLATION_PATH is the installation path of an IBM WebSphere MQ 7.1 or later installation.
  If IBM WebSphere MQ 7.0.1 is the primary installation, you cannot unset the primary installation.
2. Make sure that you are logged on with the appropriate authority:
  - As root on AIX and Linux.
  - As a member of the Administrators group on Windows systems.
Enter one of the following commands:
- To unset the primary installation using the path of the installation you no longer want to be the primary installation:
```
 MQ_INSTALLATION_PATH/bin/setmqinst -x -p MQ_INSTALLATION_PATH
```
- To unset the primary installation using the name of the installation you no longer want to be the primary installation:
```
 MQ_INSTALLATION_PATH/bin/setmqinst -x -n installationName
```