Migrating and upgrading IBM MQ

Migration is the process of updating queue managers, and other objects, such as applications or administrative procedures. To migrate a queue manager to run on a new level of code, you must first upgrade IBM® MQ to install the new code level. When you have verified that the upgrade is successful, migrate the queue manager and all the applications and resources that are associated with it. Before you start this process, create a migration plan, based on the information in this documentation.

Maintenance, migration and upgrading

IBM MQ uses this terminology as follows:
  • Migration is the process of updating queue manager data to match a newer level of code. This occurs the first time a queue manager is started with the newer level of code.
  • Maintenance is the application of a fix pack, interim fix or program Temporary Fix (PTF). The installation can be restored to its previous level and queue managers or applications continue to work. Migration is not required after applying maintenance. However, you should test applications with the new level of IBM MQ code.
  • Upgrading is the process of taking an existing IBM MQ installation and upgrading to a new level of code. Unless the upgrade is applying a fix (and not enabling new function), an upgrade must be followed by migration.
  • Once migration has occurred, the queue manager can no longer be started by an earlier code level. On most platforms, queue manager migration is not reversible. [z/OS]The exception is z/OS®, where you can reverse queue manager migration, but only if you have not enabled new function.

IBM WebSphere MQ / IBM MQ Migration Guides

DistributedThe IBM WebSphere MQ / IBM MQ Migration Guide provides information to help you plan the process of migrating from an older version to a new version of the product on distributed systems.
[z/OS]The IBM WebSphere MQ/ IBM MQ for z/OS Migration Guide provides information to help you plan the process of migrating from an older version to a new version of the product on z/OS.

Where to find information about system requirements and prerequisites

From IBM MQ 8.0, you can use the Software Product Compatibility Reports (SPCR) tool to find information on supported operating systems, system requirements, prerequisites, and optional supported software. For more information about the SPCR tool and links to reports for each supported platform, see the System Requirements for IBM MQ 8.0 web page.

For links to system requirements information for all releases of IBM WebSphere MQ or IBM MQ, see the System Requirements for IBM MQ web page.

For information about limitations and known problems for IBM MQ 8.0 and its maintenance, see the product readme file, which is available from the product readmes web page.

Migrating from a release of IBM WebSphere MQ before Version 7.0

Important: If you are migrating your system from a version of IBM WebSphere MQ before Version 7.0, you must migrate your system to Version 7.0, Version 7.0.1, or Version 7.1 before you migrate to Version 8.0. See the appropriate version of the product documentation for information on how to carry out the task. For links to earlier versions of the product documentation not available in IBM Documentation, see the IBM MQ documentation library page.

Getting started with migrating and upgrading

If you are not familiar with IBM MQ migration, start by reading the following information:
  • The Introduction to IBM MQ migration section: use these topics to find out more about the concepts that you must understand before planning migration tasks, including the difference between maintenance, migration, and upgrading and which migration paths are supported.
  • The IBM WebSphere MQ / IBM MQ Migration Guides: use these guides to find more information about planning the migration process for your release and platform.
For information about new features and changes in this release, see the following topics:

Some of the changes have a migration impact, because they affect the behavior of existing applications or the automation of management tasks. This subset of the changes is listed in Changes that affect migration. Study this list of changes to plan what migration tasks you must perform.

If you prefer to use the IBM MQ 8.0 product documentation offline, you can download it through the links on the IBM MQ documentation library page, either as a downloadable package or as a set of PDF files.