Introducing MSMQ

MSMQ version 1.0 supports the following features:

Connectionless messaging. With store-and-forward message queuing, applications aren't affected by network fluctuations and do not have to establish sessions. Because MSMQ uses a sessionless model at the application level, the sender and receiver don't need to support the same protocol. MSMQ supports Internet Protocol (IP) and Internet Packet eXchange (IPX).
Network traffic prioritization. Message prioritization allows urgent or important traffic to preempt less-important traffic so you can guarantee adequate response time for critical applications at the expense of less important applications.
Guaranteed delivery. Messages can be logged to a disk-based queue to provide guaranteed delivery.
Transactions. Using the MSMQ transaction flag you can implement transaction-based applications, ensure messages are delivered in order, ensure messages are delivered no more than once, and confirm messages reached or were retrieved from the destination queue.
Dynamic queues. Queue information resides in a dynamic/replicated database so administrators can change queue properties without affecting messaging applications. Using MSMQ Explorer, administrators can make these changes from any computer running MSMQ Explorer.
Routing. MSMQ supports smart routing, based on the physical topology of the network, session concentration, and transport connectivity. Session concentration allows efficient usage of slow links.
Security. MSMQ supports privacy and security through access control, auditing, encryption, and authentication. Access control is implemented using Windows NT security and digital signatures. Auditing is implemented through the Windows NT event logging service. Encryption and authentication (using digital signatures) are supported using public and private keys.
Disparate system integration. MSMQ-based applications can be implemented across a wide variety of hardware platforms using MSMQ connectivity products provided by Level 8 Systems. For more information, see the following section, "Supported Platforms."

Dynamic queues, integrated security, manageable scalability, and smart routing differentiate MSMQ from other middleware implementations available today.

For more information on writing MSMQ-based applications that take advantage of these features, see the Microsoft Message Queue Server Software Development Kit (MSMQ SDK) documentation.