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WebSphere MQ headers

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This topic only applies to BAW, and is located in the BAW repository. Last updated on 2025-03-13 12:15
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WebSphere® MQ headers incorporate certain conventions for conversion to the service component architecture (SCA) messages.

WebSphere MQ messages consist of a system header (the MQMD), zero or more other MQ headers (system or custom), and a message body. If multiple message headers exist in the message, the order of the headers is significant.

Each header contains information describing the structure of the following header. The MQMD describes the first header.

Limitations

For an MQ import, if you clear Override the reply to queue of the request message you must handle the response message by using another MQ consumer to listen the queue. You specify another queue name by using the ReplyToQ property in the MQ message.

How MQ headers are parsed

An MQ Header data binding is used to parse MQ headers. The following headers are supported automatically:
  • MQRFH
  • MQRFH2
  • MQCIH
  • MQIIH

Headers that start with MQH are handled differently. Specific fields of the header are not parsed; they remain as unparsed bytes.

For other MQ headers, you can write custom MQ header data bindings to parse those headers.

How MQ headers are accessed

MQ headers can be accessed in the product in one of two ways:
  • Through the service message object (SMO) in a mediation
  • Through the ContextService API
MQ headers are represented internally with the SMO MQHeader element. MQHeader is a container of header data that extends MQControl but contains a value element of anyType. It contains the MQMD, MQControl (MQ message body control information), and a list of other MQ headers.
  • MQMD represents the contents of the WebSphere MQ message description, except for information determining the structure and encoding of the body.
  • MQControl contains information determining the structure and encoding of a message body.
  • MQHeaders contain a list of MQHeader objects.

The MQ header chain is unwound so that, inside the SMO, each MQ header carries its own control information (CCSID, Encoding, and Format). Headers can be added or deleted easily, without altering other header data.

Setting fields in the MQMD

You can update the MQMD using the Context API or through the service message object (SMO) in a mediation. The following fields are automatically propagated to the outbound MQ message:
  • Encoding
  • CodedCharacterSet
  • Format
  • Report
  • Expiry
  • Feedback
  • Priority
  • Persistence
  • CorrelId
  • MsgFlags
Configure the MQ binding on an Import or Export to propagate the following properties to the outbound MQ message:
MsgID
Set Request Message ID to copy from SCA message.
MsgType
Clear the Set message type to MQMT_DATAGRAM or MQMT_REQUEST for request-response operation check box.
ReplyToQ
Clear the Override reply to queue of request message check box.
ReplyToQMgr
Clear the Override reply to queue of request message check box.
From version 7.0 onwards, context fields can be overridden using a custom property on the JNDI destination definition. Set the custom property MDMSGCTX with value SET_IDENTITY_CONTEXT on the send destination to propagate the following fields to the outbound MQ message:
  • UserIdentifier
  • AppIdentityData
Set the custom property MDMSGCTX with value SET_ALL_CONTEXT on the send destination to propagate the following properties to the outbound MQ message:
  • UserIdentifier
  • AppIdentityData
  • PutApplType
  • PutApplName
  • ApplOriginData
Some fields are not propagated to the outbound MQ message. The following fields are overridden during the send of the message:
  • BackoutCount
  • AccountingToken
  • PutDate
  • PutTime
  • Offset
  • OriginalLength