Java Message Service providers for clients

This topic describes the different ways client applications can use Java Message Service (JMS) providers with WebSphere Application Server.

IBM WebSphere Application Server 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.

The service integration technologies of IBM WebSphere Application Server can act as a messaging system when you have configured a service integration bus that is accessed through the default messaging provider. This support is installed as part of WebSphere Application Server, administered through the administrative console, and is fully integrated with the WebSphere Application Server runtime.

WebSphere Application Server also includes support for the following JMS providers:

WebSphere MQ: Provided for use with supported versions of WebSphere MQ.
Generic: Provided for use with any 3rd party messaging system which supports ASF.

For backwards compatibility with earlier releases, WebSphere Application Server also includes support for the V5 default messaging provider which enables you to configure resources for use with the WebSphere Application Server version 5 Embedded Messaging system. The V5 default messaging provider can also be used with a service integration bus.

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.

The service integration bus also provides access to a default messaging provider. This is a J2EE 1.4 compliant JMS messaging provider which is fully integrated with WebSphere Application Server. You can use it in multiple server configurations for messaging interactions with a WebSphere MQ network.