Managing the import and export of connection objects

The Import/Export function lets you export IBM WebSphere MQ objects to a file from a source queue manager, and import object definitions to other queue managers. It also lets you import objects with specific tags, or export tags to a file or another connection. You can also create a backup of existing object definitions.

To import IBM WebSphere MQ objects

1. Expand the connection to the required IBM Websphere MQ queue manager in the Navigation Panel.
2. Select Import/Export from the Navigation Panel.
3. In the displayed Import/Export Object Definitions screen, select the Import Action.
4. From the list of Available Connections, select the relevant connection(s) and click < (or click << to Add All). The selected connections are listed in the Selected Connections box.
5. Select the file format from XML or MQSC, and then click Select File to browse to the relevant file.
   
   
6. In the Object Tagging section, select from one of the following:
   • Do Not Tag Imported Objects: Select this option (it is selected by default) if you do not want to tag any of the imported objects.
   • Tag Imported Objects Using: Select this option to display a drop-down list of available tags that you can tag the imported objects with. Select the relevant tag. Note that you can also enter a new tag name into the field to assign the objects to that new tag.
7. Click the Next icon in the Import/Export Object Definitions toolbar.
8. In the displayed confirmation screen, review the details of the file you imported and then click the Execute icon to import the file to the specified queue manager, or click the calendar icon to schedule the import for a later time (repeated imports can be automatically scheduled as required). See Scheduling tasks for further information on scheduling.
9. The Action Results screen is displayed, indicating the result of the actions you reviewed in Step 8.

To export IBM WebSphere MQ objects to a file

1. In the displayed Import/Export Object Definitions screen, select the Export Action. 
2. Select from one of the following:
   • Connection: If you want to export objects from (or by) a connection, select Connection and then select the relevant connection from the drop-down list. By default, the current connection is selected. 
   • Tag: If you want to select objects from (or by) a specific tag to export, select Tag and then select the relevant tag from the drop-down list.

3. In the To drop-down list, select File. This option enables you to export objects into a downloadable file. To export objects to a connection, see the following procedure.

   Note

   Because one tag may reference objects for multiple connections, exporting tagged objects supports exporting from all source connections referenced by the tag - but only when the selected target is a file. In this case, the file provided will be an archive (zip) of the export files created for each connection in the selected target format (XML or MQSC).

4. In the Objects section, select the output format as XML or MQSC.  
5. Select the objects to be exported by selecting the relevant checkboxes and entering a Name Pattern. Note that you can only use character strings followed by an asterisk * ; for example ABC*. 
6. You can also select Include System Objects, but selecting it alone is not enough to apply the definition. A specific object type from the generic objects list is also required. For example, select Include System Objects and Subscriptions.
   
   In addition, you can select the Include Authority Records checkbox to collect the authority records for any objects you select in the Object Types list. The Authority Records checkbox located in the Object Types list, when selected, will gather authority records for all object types. 
   
   
7. Click the Next icon in the Import/Export toolbar.
8. In the displayed confirmation screen, review the details of the objects you want to export and then click the Execute icon to export the file, or click the calendar icon to schedule the export for a later time (repeated exports can be automatically scheduled as required). See Scheduling tasks for further information on scheduling. Note that you can also click the Back arrow icon to return to the previous export screen or click the Cancel icon to exit the export process.
9. The Action Results screen is displayed, indicating the result of the actions you reviewed in Step 8.

To export IBM WebSphere MQ objects to a connection

1. In the Import/Export Object Definitions screen, select the Export Action. 
2. Select from one of the following:
   • Connection: If you want to export objects from (or by) a connection, select Connection and then select the relevant connection from the drop-down list.
   • Tag: If you want to select objects from (or by) a specific tag to export, select Tag and then select the relevant tag from the drop-down list.
3. In the To drop-down list, select Connection(s). The Selected Connections and Available Connections list boxes are displayed. If you selected Tag in the previous step, an additional connection list box is displayed, from which you must select the relevant connection referenced by the tag.
   
4. Repeat Steps 4 - 9 from the above procedure for exporting objects to a file.
   
   

   You can also define whether or not to tag the exported objects by selecting the relevant option from the Object Tagging section: 

   • Do Not Tag Imported Objects: Select this option (it is selected by default) if you do not want to tag any of the imported objects.
   • Tag Imported Objects Using: Select this option to display a drop-down list of available tags that you can tag the imported objects with. Select the relevant tag. Note that you can also enter a new tag name into the field to assign the objects to that new tag.