Chapter 2. Introduction

JBoss Messaging provides an open source and standards-based messaging platform that brings enterprise-class messaging to the mass market.

JBoss Messaging implements a high performance, robust messaging core that is designed to support the largest and most heavily utilized SOAs, enterprise service buses (ESBs) and other integration needs ranging from the simplest to the highest demand networks. JBoss Messaging includes a JMS front-end to deliver messaging in a standards-based format. Additionally, the JBoss Messaging core is also designed to be able to support other messaging protocols in the future.

JBoss Messaging will soon become an integral component of the JBoss Enterprise Middleware Suite (JEMS). Currently it is available for embedded use within the JBoss Application Server (JBossAS), and as a JBoss Microkernel-based stand-alone server. Work to integrate JBoss Messaging with the new JBoss Microcontainer is under way.

The large and vibrant JEMS developer community fosters its continued innovation and enterprise quality. JBoss Messaging enables more agile applications in a wide range of scenarios from simple messaging needs to an enterprise-wide messaging foundation.

JBoss Messaging adds flexibility to any SOA initiative.

2.1. JBoss Messaging 1.0.1 Features

JBoss Messaging provides:

  • A fully compatible and Sun certified JMS 1.1 implementation, that currently works with a standard JBossAS 4.x installation and also as a JBoss Microkernel-based standalone deployment.

  • A strong focus on performance, reliability and scalability with high throughput and low latency. JBoss Messaging already exceeds JBoss MQ in a number of measured performance metrics. Full results will follow.

  • A foundation for JBoss ESB for SOA initiatives; JBoss ESB, due in late 2006, will use JBoss Messaging as its foundation.

JBoss Messaging consists of two major parts:

  • JBoss Messaging Core – a transactional, reliable messaging transport system.

    • Supports generalized messages (not just JMS)

    • Enables other messaging protocol façades to be added

    • Distributed, transactional and reliable

  • JMS Façade – the JMS "personality" of JBoss Messaging.

Other JBoss Messaging features include:

  • Publish-subscribe and point-to-point messaging models

  • Topics that feed multiple message queues

  • Persistent and non-persistent messages

  • Guaranteed message delivery that ensures that messages arrive once and only once

  • Transactional and reliable - supporting ACID semantics

  • Customizable security framework based on JAAS

2.2. Compatibility with JBossMQ

JBossMQ is the JMS implementation currently shipped within JBossAS. Since JBoss Messaging is JMS 1.1 and JMS 1.0.2b compatible, the JMS code written against JBossMQ will run with JBoss Messaging without any changes.

Important

Even if JBoss Messaging deployment descriptors are very similar to JBoss MQ deployment descriptors, they are not identical, so they will require some simple adjustments to get them to work with JBoss Messaging.