Hi Leonard,

This is all highly dependant on the type of channel. If your channel is a Sender channel, then this does indeed sound wrong. You should look in your queue manager's AMQERR01.LOG to see what error messages have been written to describe the problem about why the Sender channel was unable to start. However, I would also expect in this case for the Sender channel to go into "Retrying" status rather than remaining in "Inactive" status.

I suspect actually that you are talking about a Server-Connection (SVRCONN) channel. The fact that you mention the channels are to be used with the RFHUtil program and an administrative tool to create object definitions, suggests very strongly that this is the queue manager end of a client channel.

For a Server-Connection (SVRCONN) channel, it will only be in "Running" status when the client application does an MQCONN(X) and will stay that way until the client application disconnects. All you are doing when using the START CHANNEL command against such a channel is to "Enable it to be used". This is only necessary if you have previously got the channel into a disabled state (Status = "Stopped") through using the manual STOP CHANNEL command.

In short, if your Server-Connection (SVRCONN) channel has Status="Inactive" (or is not mentioned as having any status - depending on how the tool you are using conveys it) then you are good to go - client applications will be able to use it and make their connection to the queue manager through that channel.

Have you tried running the client application to see what happens?

P.S. If this is your first time using MQ in a while, you may discover that your client channels can't connect for security reasons - these days MQ has a "secure by default" policy for remote connections. Pay attention to the MQRC that the client application reports, and if it is 2035, take a good look at your queue manager AMQERR01.LOG. You may find the following articles helpful with your next steps (or ask on here of course).

• Getting going without turning off IBM MQ Security
• A non-privileged MQ administrator
• I'm being blocked by CHLAUTH – how can I work out why?
• CHLAUTH – Allow some privileged admins

Hi Leonard,

This is all highly dependant on the type of channel. If your channel is a Sender channel, then this does indeed sound wrong. You should look in your queue manager's AMQERR01.LOG to see what error messages have been written to describe the problem about why the Sender channel was unable to start. However, I would also expect in this case for the Sender channel to go into "Retrying" status rather than remaining in "Inactive" status.

I suspect actually that you are talking about a Server-Connection (SVRCONN) channel. The fact that you mention the channels are to be used with the RFHUtil program and an administrative tool to create object definitions, suggests very strongly that this is the queue manager end of a client channel.

For a Server-Connection (SVRCONN) channel, it will only be in "Running" status when the client application does an MQCONN(X) and will stay that way until the client application disconnects. All you are doing when using the START CHANNEL command against such a channel is to "Enable it to be used". This is only necessary if you have previously got the channel into a disabled state (Status = "Stopped") through using the manual STOP CHANNEL command.

In short, if your Server-Connection (SVRCONN) channel has Status="Inactive" (or is not mentioned as having any status - depending on how the tool you are using conveys it) then you are good to go - client applications will be able to use it and make their connection to the queue manager through that channel.

Have you tried running the client application to see what happens?

P.S. If this is your first time using MQ in a while, you may discover that your client channels can't connect for security reasons - these days MQ has a "secure by default" policy for remote connections. Pay attention to the MQRC that the client application reports, and if it is 2035, take a good look at your queue manager AMQERR01.LOG. You may find the following articles helpful with your next steps (or ask on here of course).

• Getting going without turning off IBM MQ Security
• A non-privileged MQ administrator
• I'm being blocked by CHLAUTH – how can I work out why?
• CHLAUTH – Allow some privileged admins