Using the Postcard application to verify a server-to-server installation

You can use two instances of the Postcard application to verify that a server-to-server installation is working.

Before you begin

You can use the Postcard application on two servers, one instance of the Postcard application on each server, to verify that a server-to-server installation is working. Successful sending and receiving of messages verifies that IBM® MQ is successfully installed, and that communication between the two servers is working correctly.
Note:
  • If the system has multiple IBM MQ installations, ensure that Postcard has not been run before on any installations on that server. As the default configuration can only exist on one IBM MQ MQ installation per system, the Default Configuration wizard and Postcard can not be used for verification of a second or any subsequent installation.
  • The two server installations must be on different systems to do a server-to-server verification using the postcard application. To verify a server-to-server installation on the same machine, you can use the command line. See Verifying a server-to-server installation using the command line
  • Make sure that TCP/IP and IBM MQ are installed on both servers.
  • Make sure that your systems are able to view a graphical display.
  • Make sure that you are a member of the IBM MQ administrators group ( mqm ) on each server.
  • Check that one of the following scenarios applies:
    • Neither server has had any queue managers created.
    • Use the Default Configuration wizard to create default queue managers on each server and link them to the default cluster.

      Details on how to use the Default Configuration wizard are provided in this topic.

    • Both servers have existing queue managers and these queue managers are in the same cluster.

      If your queue managers are not in the same cluster, create new queue managers on both servers. Then create a cluster, and ensure that the queue managers that you create on each server belong to that cluster.

    • You have configured channels to communicate between the two servers.

      For instructions on how to set up the channels, see Verifying a server-to-server installation using the command line. After you have set up the channels, follow the instructions in this topic to verify your server-to-server installation.

Procedure

  1. On the first server, if you are verifying an installation on UNIX or Linux® systems, log on as a user in group mqm.
  2. Start the postcard application in one of the following ways:
    1. From the command line:
      1. Change the directory to MQ_INSTALLATION_PATH/java/bin. MQ_INSTALLATION_PATH represents the high-level directory in which IBM MQ is installed.
      2. Run the postcard application by entering one of the following commands:
        • UNIX and Linux systems: 
          
./postcard
        • Windows systems: 
          
postcard
    2. From the IBM MQ Explorer: On Windows and Linux systems (x86-64 platforms), you can start MQ Explorer by using the system menu, the MQExplorer executable file, or the strmqcfg command.
      1. If the Welcome to IBM MQ Explorer Content view page does not show, click IBM MQ in the Navigator view to show the Welcome page.
      2. Click Launch Postcard to start the Postcard.
  3. At the Postcard - Sign On window, type a nickname to use to send messages within the Postcard application. For example, User1 for the first server, and User2 for the second server.
  4. When you have completed the wizard, you are taken back to the Postcard - Sign On window.
  5. Select the queue manager to use as the mailbox:
    • If you do not have any queue managers, you are prompted to either launch the Default Configuration or close the Postcard application. Work through the Default Configuration wizard. When you get to the option to join the queue manager to the default cluster, tick the check box. On the next screen:
      • For the first server, select yes, make it the repository for the cluster.
      • For the second server, select No another computer has already joined the cluster as a repository. When requested, enter the location of the repository, by typing the name of the sender server.
    • If the only queue manager on your server is the default queue manager, this queue manager is used automatically for the postcard application. The default queue manager is created by running the Default Configuration wizard
    • If you have created your own queue managers, but you have not run the Default Configuration wizard, select an appropriate queue manager from the list.
    • If you have run the Default Configuration wizard and you want to use the default queue manager, but there are other queue managers on your server, select the Advanced check box. Then select Use Default Configuration as mailbox.
    • If you have run the Default Configuration wizard and also created your own queue managers, and you do not want to use the default queue manager, select the Advanced check box. Then select Choose queue manager as mailbox, and then select the appropriate queue manager from the list.
    When your selection is complete, click OK.
  6. Complete steps 1 - 5 for the second server.
  7. In the Postcard on the first server:
    1. Enter the nickname ( user2) for the Postcard application on the second server in the To: field.
    2. Enter the queue manager on the second server in the On: field.
    3. Type a message in the Message: field and click Send.
  8. In the Postcard on the second server:
    1. In the Postcards sent and received, double-click the message marked as received to view the message from the first server.
    2. Optional: Send a postcard to the first server by adapting the instructions in step 7. You must enter details of the first server in the To: field and the On: field.
    The messages verify that IBM MQ is correctly installed and that your communication link between the two servers is working correctly.