I spent a long time trying to find what data from a Zowe CLI commands was being sent to the backend. I did traces on the back end – but they did not show me the data. I eventually found traces for the work station end.
Trace the tls setup
export NODE_DEBUG='tls,https'
The tls trace gave me
TLS 18487: client _init handle? true
TLS 18487: client initRead handle? true buffered? false
TLS 18487: client _start handle? true connecting? false requestOCSP? false
TLS 18487: client emit session
TLS 18487: client onhandshakedone
TLS 18487: client _finishInit handle? true alpn false servername false
TLS 18487: client emit secureConnect. rejectUnauthorized: false, authorizationError: SELF_SIGNED_CERT_IN_CHAIN
The https trace gave me the output below. Certificates were used, and these were in the traced data
HTTPS 18509: createConnection [Object: null prototype] {
headers: {
'Content-Type': 'application/json',
'ibm-mq-rest-csrf-token': 'true'
},
hostname: '10.1.1.2',
method: 'POST',
path: null,
port: 9443,
rejectUnauthorized: false,
timeout: 5000,
cert: <Buffer ... 4021 more bytes>,
key: <Buffer 2d ... 1654 more bytes>,
_defaultAgent: Agent {
_events: [Object: null prototype] {
free: [Function (anonymous)],
newListener: [Function: maybeEnableKeylog]
},
_eventsCount: 2,
_maxListeners: undefined,
defaultPort: 443,
protocol: 'https:',
options: [Object: null prototype] {
keepAlive: true,
scheduling: 'lifo',
timeout: 5000,
noDelay: true,
path: null
},
requests: [Object: null prototype] {},
sockets: [Object: null prototype] {
'10.1.1.2:9443:::Certificate:\n
Data:\n
Version: 3 (0x2)\n Serial Number: 683 (0x2ab)\n
Signature Algorithm: ecdsa-with-SHA256
-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
...
-----END CERTIFICATE-----\n
:::-----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY-----
-----END PRIVATE KEY-----\n::false:::::::::::::': []
},
freeSockets: [Object: null prototype] {},
keepAliveMsecs: 1000,
keepAlive: true,
...
},
host: '10.1.1.2',
keepAlive: true,
scheduling: 'lifo',
noDelay: true,
servername: '',
_agentKey: '10.1.1.2:9443:::Certificate:\n' +
' Data:\n' +
' Version: 3 (0x2)\n' +
' Serial Number: 683 (0x2ab)\n' +
' Signature Algorithm: ecdsa-with-SHA256\n'
...
'-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----\n' +
...
'-----END CERTIFICATE-----\n' +
':::-----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY-----\n' +
...
'-----END PRIVATE KEY-----\n' +
'::false:::::::::::::',
encoding: null,
keepAliveInitialDelay: 1000
}
Note: it traces setting up the handshake, it does not trace the application data flow.
Trace the application data
The section above shows the data for the TLS handshake obtained with NODE_DEBUG
To get the application data you need the Zowe CLI trace.
ZOWE_APP_LOG_LEVEL | Zowe CLI logging level | Log4JS log levels (OFF, TRACE, DEBUG, INFO, WARN, ERROR, FATAL) | WARN |
ZOWE_IMPERATIVE_LOG_LEVEL | Imperative CLI Framework logging level | Log4JS log levels (OFF, TRACE, DEBUG, INFO, WARN, ERROR, FATAL) | WARN |
The output is in the directory pointed to by ZOWE_CLI_HOME – which defaults to ~/.zowe/logs on Linux.
ZOWE_APP_LOG_LEVEL
The ZOWE_APP_LOG_LEVEL trace is boring. It is in home/colinpaice/.zowe/logs/zowe.log
[2025/08/02 15:05:37.754] [TRACE] [main.js:40] Init was successful
[2025/08/02 15:05:37.837] [DEBUG] [MQSessionUtils.js:22] Creating an MQ session from arguments
[2025/08/02 15:05:37.845] [INFO] [ConfigAutoStore.js:135] Skipping update of profile properties. Check that config file exists and autoStore is true.
ZOWE_IMPERATIVE_LOG_LEVEL
The ZOWE_IMPERATIVE_LOG_LEVEL=debug trace in logs/imperative.log has
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.162] [TRACE] [AppSettings.js:39] Attempting to load settings file: /home/colinpaice/tmp/settings/imperative.json
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.163] [TRACE] [AppSettings.js:56] Settings were loaded
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.163] [TRACE] [AppSettings.js:57] Loaded Settings:
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.163] [TRACE] [AppSettings.js:58] { overrides: { CredentialManager: '@zowe/cli' } }
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.163] [DEBUG] [ConfigManagementFacility.js:55] ConfigManagementFacility.init() - Start
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.163] [DEBUG] [UpdateImpConfig.js:38] Adding definition = 'config'
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.162] [TRACE] [AppSettings.js:39] Attempting to load settings file: /home/colinpaice/tmp/settings/imperative.json
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.163] [TRACE] [AppSettings.js:56] Settings were loaded
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.163] [TRACE] [AppSettings.js:57] Loaded Settings:
...
Lots of profile information and the schema…
The command entered
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.410] [DEBUG] [CommandYargs.js:75] Defining command: mqsc
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.411] [DEBUG] [CommandYargs.js:174] Building positional string from: mqsc
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.412] [DEBUG] [CommandYargs.js:180] Positional String: [qmgr] [cmd]
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.415] [DEBUG] [CommandYargs.js:94] Defining command builder for: mqsc
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.421] [DEBUG] [CommandYargs.js:105] Handler invoked for: mqsc
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.422] [DEBUG] [CommandYargs.js:118] Executing Handlers: mqsc
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.423] [DEBUG] [CommandYargs.js:136] Executing Handlers (1 total)
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.433] [INFO] [CommandProcessor.js:254] Invoking command "mqsc"...
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.439] [INFO] [CommandProcessor.js:255] Command issued:
zowe --mq-p mq --cert-key-file ./colinpaice.key.pem --cert-file ./colinpaice.pem --host 10.1.1.2 --port 9443 mq run mqsc CSQ9 DIS QMGR ALL
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.439] [TRACE] [CommandProcessor.js:256] Invoke parameters:
{
arguments: {
_: [ 'mq', 'run', 'mqsc' ],
'mq-p': 'mq',
'mq-profile': 'mq',
mqP: 'mq',
mqProfile: 'mq',
'cert-key-file': './colinpaice.key.pem',
certKeyFile: './colinpaice.key.pem',
'cert-file': './colinpaice.pem',
certFile: './colinpaice.pem',
host: '10.1.1.2',
H: '10.1.1.2',
port: '9443',
P: '9443',
version: undefined,
V: undefined,
'available-commands': undefined,
ac: undefined,
availableCommands: undefined,
'response-format-json': undefined,
rfj: undefined,
responseFormatJson: undefined,
help: undefined,
h: undefined,
'help-web': undefined,
hw: undefined,
helpWeb: undefined,
'help-examples': undefined,
helpExamples: undefined,
'reject-unauthorized': undefined,
ru: undefined,
rejectUnauthorized: undefined,
'show-inputs-only': undefined,
showInputsOnly: undefined,
'$0': 'zowe',
qmgr: 'CSQ9',
cmd: 'DIS QMGR ALL'
},
silent: false,
responseFormat: 'default'
}
More stuff
Send the request
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.499] [INFO] [AbstractRestClient.js:339] Setting socket connection timeout ms: 60000
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.500] [TRACE] [AbstractRestClient.js:538] Using PEM Certificate authentication
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.501] [TRACE] [AbstractRestClient.js:807] appendInputHeaders called with options on rest client {"headers":{},"hostname":"10.1.1.2","method":"POST","path":"/ibmmq/rest/v1/admin/action/qmgr/CSQ9/mqsc","port":9443,"rejectUnauthorized":false,
"timeout":60000,
"cert":{"type":"Buffer","data":[67,101,114,...,10]},
"key":{"type":"Buffer","data":[45,45,45,45,45,66,69,71,73,78,32,80,82,...5,10]}
}
MQRestClient
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.501] [TRACE] [AbstractRestClient.js:440] Rest request: POST 10.1.1.2:9443/ibmmq/rest/v1/admin/action/qmgr/CSQ9/mqsc
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.541] [DEBUG] [AbstractRestClient.js:173] will write data for request
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.542] [DEBUG] [AbstractRestClient.js:178] writing JSON for request
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.542] [TRACE] [AbstractRestClient.js:179] JSON body: {"type":"runCommand","parameters":{"command":"DIS QMGR ALL"}}
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.916] [DEBUG] [AbstractRestClient.js:575] Content length of response is: 3299
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.919] [TRACE] [AbstractRestClient.js:626] Data chunk received...
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.924] [DEBUG] [AbstractRestClient.js:668] onEnd() called for rest client MQRestClient
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.934] [INFO] [CommandProcessor.js:476] Handler for command "mqsc" succeeded.
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.937] [INFO] [CommandProcessor.js:824] Command "mqsc" completed with success flag: "true"
[2025/08/02 15:12:02.938] [TRACE] [CommandProcessor.js:825] Command "mqsc" finished.
and finally the response
{
success: true,
exitCode: 0,
message: '',
stdout: <Buffer 52 75 0a ... 1915 more bytes>,
stderr: <Buffer >,
data: {
commandResponse: [
{
completionCode: 0,
reasonCode: 0,
text: [
'CSQN205I COUNT= 3, RETURN=00000000, REASON=00000000',
'CSQM409I %CSQ9 QMNAME(CSQ9 ) DESCR(CSQ9, IBM MQ for z/OS - V9.0.1 )
...
"CSQ9022I %CSQ9 CSQMDRTS ' DIS QMGR' NORMAL COMPLETION"
]
}
],
overallReasonCode: 0,
overallCompletionCode: 0
},
error: undefined
}
ColinPaice 