Java Message Service providers for clients

Client applications can use messaging resources from three main types of Java Message Service (JMS) providers in WebSphere Application Server: The WebSphere Application Server default messaging provider (which uses service integration as the provider), the WebSphere MQ messaging provider (which uses the WebSphere MQ system as the provider) and third-party messaging providers (which use another company's product as the provider).

IBM WAS supports asynchronous messaging through the use of a JMS provider and its related messaging system. JMS providers must conform to the JMS specification version 1.1. To use message-driven beans the JMS provider must support the optional Application Server Facility (ASF) function defined within that specification, or support an inbound resource adapter as defined in the JCA specification version 1.5.

Default messaging provider

If we mainly want to use messaging between applications in WebSphere Application Server, perhaps with some interaction with a WebSphere MQ system, the default messaging provider is the natural choice. This provider is based on service integration technologies and is fully integrated with the WAS runtime environment.

WebSphere MQ messaging provider

If the business also uses WebSphere MQ, and to integrate WebSphere Application Server messaging applications into a predominately WebSphere MQ network, choose the WebSphere MQ messaging provider, which allows us to define resources for connecting to any queue manager on the WebSphere MQ network.

Third-party messaging provider

We can configure any third-party messaging provider that supports the JMS Version 1.1 unified connection factory. We might want to do this, for example, because of existing investments.

WebSphere applications can use messaging resources provided by any of these JMS providers. However the choice of provider is most often dictated by requirements to use or integrate with an existing messaging system. For example, you may already have a messaging infrastructure based on WebSphere MQ. In this case you may either connect directly using the included support for WebSphere MQ as a JMS provider, or configure a service integration bus with links to a WebSphere MQ network and then access the bus through the default messaging provider.

Related concepts

Types of messaging providers

Related tasks

Use application clients