MQSeries.net :: View topic - Incremental migration of v5 to v6

tez_i

We have a fairly typical WAS/WMB system with a set of dispatcher servers, a set of DMZ servers, and a broker hub. We're migrating the whole lot to v6, but the edict has come down that we will do it incrementally. Phase 1 will be to upgrade WAS6 and WMQ6 on the dispatcher and DMZ servers only. I can't see any major issue with this - except that we have a config manager which is HEAVILY used for support, using MQExplorer to check queues, therefore, I see three possible options:

A) Config manager box remains wholey at v5, and we attempt to use a v5 MQExplorer on the box to support v6 queues on dispatcher/dmz. As far as I can see this will 'probably' work, but is a highly unsupported config, with lots of potential for unseen 'gotchas' - therefore not recommended

B) Config manager box is upgraded to WMQ6, but the broker components are left at v5. We then have a v6 MQExplorer to support v5 and v6 queues which is ok - and leave v5 config manager to manage v5 broker. As v5 config manager and v6 config managers can co-exist, I assume that this means v5 config manager works with WMQ v6? But I haven't tested.

C) We upgrade everything on the config manager box to v6. This would leave the config manager in a fully supported configuration. MQExplorer 6 being used for WMQ 5 & 6, which is supported. And v6 config manager is a supported and suitable way for deploys & management of the v5 broker. The main downside to this being that we are "messing" with upgrading the config manager before schedule - and management would prefer to reduce the number of components upgraded in phase 1, not to mention licencing issues.

Please ignore the fact there are other ways to support the v6 queues without upgrading explorer...... I've been down that route and been overruled! Would anyone mind giving their opinions on the three options - which would you do? And if anyone has any experience of any of these arangements, then the ups and downs of each would be appreciated too.

Thanks