Message broker
A message broker accepts messages and routes them to recipients according to defined rules.
An intermediary for messages
A message broker is an infrastructure component between sending and receiving applications. It accepts messages and forwards them according to rules. Depending on the product and setup, it also handles storage and delivery management. A queue, by contrast, is the waiting structure for messages; a broker can manage multiple queues or topics.
In a fictional example, it distributes shipment notifications to warehouse management and reporting. Those applications must still understand and process the contents themselves. A broker's acceptance acknowledgement does not automatically confirm completion of their tasks. Clarify routing, access rights, retention, error paths and monitoring. The broker itself becomes part of the system that must be operated.
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Related terms
- Message queueA message queue buffers messages until a consumer takes them for processing.
- Publish-subscribePublish-subscribe distributes published messages to interested subscribers without requiring the sender to contact each one directly.
- Event-driven architectureIn event-driven architecture, components report events that other components can respond to independently.
- Transactional inboxA transactional inbox uses durable message records to protect local processing against duplicate deliveries.
- Message acknowledgementA message acknowledgement tells the broker that a delivery has been received or processed according to the agreed rule.
- Retry jitterRetry jitter varies waiting times randomly to spread retries and reduce simultaneous requests from many clients.
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