What Is Message Queuing?

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

Message Queuing (also known as MSMQ) is a messaging infrastructure and a development tool for creating distributed messaging applications for Microsoft Windows operating systems. Applications developed for Message Queuing send messages to queues, which are temporary storage locations, from which messages can proceed to their final destination as conditions permit. Such applications can communicate across heterogeneous networks and can send messages between computers that may be temporarily unable to connect to one another. Message Queuing provides guaranteed message delivery, efficient routing, security, support for sending messages within transactions, and priority-based messaging. Software products with these features are often referred to in the industry as message-queuing software, store and forward software, or message-oriented middleware.

Message Queuing is not a database and does not provide database functionality, but can be used together with a database, for example for message storage.

With Message Queuing, end users can communicate across networks and computers that may be offline, regardless of the current state of the network and computers. System administrators can use Message Queuing to efficiently manage large, complex networks of computers and message queues. Through Message Queuing, MIS decision makers get more reliable communication and more efficient use of network resources. Developers can focus on business logic instead of networking issues because Message Queuing effectively provides guaranteed network communication.

The current version of Message Queuing introduces several new features. For more details, see Message Queuing Features.

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