IT12682: MFT BFGPC0008E error 'another instance...is already running' gives insufficient information for problem identification

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• Following a security update on a Windows system, an attempt is
  made to start a WebSphere MQ v7.5 Managed File Transfer agent,
  and the agent fails to start.  The process controller logs
  contains the the following error message:
  
  BFGPC0008E: Another instance of the WebSphere MQ Managed File
  Transfer process controller is already running.
  
  However no instance of the process controller is currently
  running.  The error persists even after a restart of the Windows
  operation system.
  

Local fix

• Check that the directory modify permissions on the agent
  directory is sufficient for the process controller to be able to
  write and modify existing files.  If not - add these permissions
  and start the agent.
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  USERS AFFECTED:
  Users of WebSphere MQ Managed File Transfer v7.5, v8.0 and v9.0,
  who have a system which has had its directory permissions
  modified from those created during the installation of the
  product.
  
  
  Platforms affected:
  MultiPlatform
  
  ****************************************************************
  PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:
  A Managed File Transfer (MFT) agent is started using the
  command:
  
    fteStartAgent <AGENT_NAME>
  
  When this is run on a distributed platform, by default a
  component called "process controller" is run to start the agent.
   During the initalization of the process controller, access to a
  file is requested in order to determine if the process
  controller is already running on the system.
  
  If the directory where this lock file is created does not have
  the appropriate permissions to grant the user access to the
  file, then the process controller fails to start and outputs an
  error message of the following form:
  
  $ fteStartAgent AGENT_NAME
  5724-H72 Copyright IBM Corp.  2008, 2013.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
  BFGCL0315E: Agent startup failed.
  BFGCL0031I: Agent log files located at:
  /var/mqm/mqft/logs/QMGR_NAME/agents/AGENT_NAME/logs
  
  
  The process controller event log file, located for the above
  agent at the UNIX filesystem location:
  
  /var/mqm/mqft/logs/QMGR_NAME/agents/AGENT_NAME/logs/pcevent0.log
  
  the following error message is output:
  
  BFGPC0008E: Another instance of the WebSphere MQ Managed File
  Transfer process controller is already running.
  
  
  This gives the user no indication as to what the real problem is
  - incorrectly identifying the problem as the process controller
  already being in the running state.
  

Problem conclusion

• The error message written to the process controller event log
  log file has been updated to include the name of the lock file
  which the process controller is attempting to access.  The new
  error message is of the form:
  
  BFGPC0053E: Unable to obtain exclusive access on a process
  controller lock file.  The error reported was: 'BFGNV0054E:
  Failed to open file
  /var/mqm/mqft/logs/QMGR_NAME/agents/AGENT_NAME/mqmftpc.lck.
  Reason: Permission denied'.  Check if another instance of the
  WebSphere MQ Managed File Transfer process controller is already
  running.
  
  ---------------------------------------------------------------
  The fix is targeted for delivery in the following PTFs:
  
  Version    Maintenance Level
  v7.5       7.5.0.8
  v8.0       8.0.0.6
  v9.0 CD    9.0.1
  v9.0 LTS   9.0.0.1
  
  The latest available FTE maintenance can be obtained from
  'Fix List for WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition 7.0'
  http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27015313
  
  The latest available MQ maintenance can be obtained from
  'WebSphere MQ Recommended Fixes'
  http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=171&uid=swg27006037
  
  If the maintenance level is not yet available information on
  its planned availability can be found in 'WebSphere MQ
  Planned Maintenance Release Dates'
  http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=171&uid=swg27006309
  ---------------------------------------------------------------
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  WMQ MFT

• Fixed component ID

  5724H7242

Applicable component levels

• R750 PSY

     UP