Foreign Computers and Sites

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

Foreign computers and sites

Message Queuing clients can communicate with foreign computers using a connector application. Foreign computers run operating systems that do not support Message Queuing or use other messaging systems. Connector applications run on Message Queuing servers and enable foreign computers to communicate with Message Queuing clients. A Message Queuing server running a connector application typically has two additional queues, called connector queues: one used for transactional messages and one used for non-transactional messages. For a definition of transactional messages, see Transactional Messaging. When a Message Queuing client sends a message to a foreign computer, the message is first routed to a connector queue on the Message Queuing server and is then forwarded to the foreign computer.

Examples of connector applications are Microsoft MSMQ-MQSeries Bridge, which allows connectivity with computer platforms running IBM MQSeries.

Microsoft MSMQ-MQSeries Bridge extends the functionality of Message Queuing to provide seamless, transactional connectivity with IBM MQSeries Version 2.x and Version 5.x platforms. Microsoft MSMQ-MQSeries Bridge currently ships as part of Microsoft Host Integration Server 2000. For more information about Microsoft Host Integration Server 2000, refer to the Microsoft Host Integration Server Web site.

Foreign sites

To communicate with foreign computers, you must first create a foreign site, add the foreign computers to the foreign site, and create queues on the foreign computers. All of these are Message Queuing objects in Active Directory Domain Services whose existence in the physical world is not essential. Then, you must create a routing link between the foreign site and a family, Windows Server 2003 family or Windows 2000 Message Queuing (non-foreign) site that contains a Message Queuing server running a connector application, define this Message Queuing server as a site gate for the routing link, and add the foreign site to the list of sites where this computer resides.

Foreign computers can be assigned to the same foreign site if the computers are all serviced by the same connector application. Connector applications run on Message Queuing servers and enable foreign computers to communicate with other Message Queuing computers in your network.. When a Message Queuing computer sends a message to a foreign computer, the message is routed to the Message Queuing server running the connector application in the foreign site because this server is also a site gate in the routing link connecting to the foreign site. When the server identifies the message destination as a queue on a foreign computer, it places it in a connector queue. The message is subsequently processed by the connector application, which communicates with the foreign computer.

You must create a routing link between the foreign site and each Windows Server 2008 family, Windows Server 2003 family or Windows 2000 site that will communicate with the foreign site. The Message Queuing routing server that runs the connector application in the foreign site must also function as a site gate in each routing link connecting to the foreign site. Site gates are always associated with a particular routing link. Note that if the routing server running the connector application, and functioning as a site gate, is unavailable, site gates in other sites cannot route messages to the applicable connector queue for transmission to computers in the foreign site.

For information about how to create a foreign site, see Create Foreign Sites.

For information about how to add foreign computers to a foreign site and how to add a Message Queuing server running a connector application to a foreign site, see Add Foreign Computers to a Site.

For information about how to create and configure a routing link, see Routing Links.