I was testing my IMS Bridge code on another platform and discovered that my understanding of how MQ processes the md.ReplyToQMgr and ReplyToQ fields was deficient. I naively assumed that if I left the ReplyToQMgr field blank, and specified the ReplyToQ, the target queue manager would resolve the ReplyToQ and send the reply message along it's merry way.
I discovered that, in fact, the local queue manager processes these fields. If I specify the ReplyToQ, the local QM looks for a definition, and if he can't find it, he fills in his own name in the ReplyToQMgr field. If he does find a remote queue definition, he not only fills in the ReplyToQMgr field with the Remote Queue Manager name from that definition, he also REPLACES the ReplyToQ field with the Remote Queue Name from that definition. It strikes me that this design increases the administrative burden if I am designing a 'hub-and-spoke' application where I might want reply messages to be processed on some 3rd queue manager. If I want to be able to change the system processing the reply messages, I don't want to have to touch the other spokes. (I understand that defining the ReplyToQ on QMSpoke1 as a Remote Queue pointing to the QMHub system and it's associated transmission queue is a one-time step - the hub will then find that the ReplyToQ is a remote queue on QMSpoke2, and send it along). It just seems to me that it's a better design to have the ReplyTo fields resolved by the queue manager that actually has to send the replies. "Late binding" provides more flexibilty, IMHO and reduces administrative work. I don't expect this behavior to change. Change would probably break some existing applications... Anybody have any thoughts on this? Bill Beinert Systems Programming Con Edison (212) 460-4853 When they took the fourth amendment, I was quiet because I didn't deal drugs! When they took the sixth amendment, I was quiet because, I was innocent. When they took the second amendment, I was quiet because I didn't own a gun! Now they've taken the first amendment, and I can say (or do) nothing about it. The Second Amendment is in place in case they ignore the others. MODWN DAbE Instructions for managing your mailing list subscription are provided in the Listserv General Users Guide available at http://www.lsoft.com Archive: http://vm.akh-wien.ac.at/MQSeries.archive
