Messaging resources

WebSphere Application Server supports asynchronous messaging as a method of communication based on the Java Message Service (JMS) and Java Connector Architecture (JCA) programming interfaces. WebSphere Application Server also supports the use of message-driven beans as asynchronous message consumers.

The Java Message Service (JMS) and Java Connector Architecture (JCA) programming interfaces provide a common way for Java programs (clients and J2EE applications) to create, send, receive, and read asynchronous requests as messages. The application explicitly polls the destination for messages whereas a message-driven bean is invoked by the EJB container when a message arrives at a pre-configured destination.

To handle non-JMS requests inbound to WebSphere Application Server from enterprise information systems, message-driven beans use a Java Connector Architecture (JCA) 1.5 resource adapter written for that purpose. In the JCA 1.5 specification, such message-driven beans are commonly called message endpoints or simply endpoints. You use a J2C activation specification to configure such message-driven beans as JCA 1.5 resources.

Message-driven beans that implement the javax.jms.MessageListener interface can be used for JMS messaging. For JMS messaging, message-driven beans can use a JCA-based messaging provider such as the default messaging provider that is part of WebSphere Application Server. You use a J2C activation specification to configure such message-driven beans as JCA 1.5 resources. For compatibility with WebSphere Application Server V5, you can configure JMS message-driven beans against a listener port.

You can use the WebSphere Application Server administrative console to administer the WebSphere Application Server support for asynchronous messaging. For example, you can configure JCA resource, adapters, J2C activation specifications, JMS providers, and JMS resources, and can control the activity of messaging services. Tools for working with messaging include the following:

• Rational Application Developer for developing and packaging J2EE applications that use JMS, message-driven beans, and other programming techniques for messaging.

• Assembly tools for working with the packaging and deployment descriptors for WebSphere Application Server applications, as described in Assembling applications

• Product system administration tools for installing and managing WebSphere Application Server applications, as described in Introduction: System administration

For more information about implementing enterprise applications that use asynchronous messaging, see the following topics:

• Learning about messaging with WebSphere

• Installing a messaging provider

• Using the default messaging provider

• Maintaining V5 default messaging resources

• Using JMS resources of WebSphere MQ

• Using JMS resources of a generic provider

• Administering listener ports and activation specifications for message-driven beans

• Programming to use asynchronous messaging

• Troubleshooting WebSphere messaging