Architecture

The basic UMS architecture is shown in the following figure:

Figure 1–1 UMS Architecture

The UMS, which runs in a web server, is language neutral and platform independent. The UMS serves as a gateway between any non-JMS client application and a JMS provider. It receives messages sent using the UMS API, transforms them into JMS messages, and produces them to destinations in the JMS provider by way of the provider's native protocol. Similarly, it retrieves messages from destinations in the JMS provider, transforms them into text or SOAP messages, and sends the messages to non-JMS clients as requested by the clients through the UMS API.

The simple, language-independent, protocol-based UMS API supports both Web-based and non-Web-based applications, and can be used with both scripting and programming languages. The API is offered in two styles: a simple messaging API that uses a Representational State Transfer (REST)-style protocol, and an XML messaging API that embeds the protocol in a SOAP message header. In both cases, however, the API requires only a single http request to send or receive a message.

The simplicity and flexibility of the UMS API means that AJAX, .NET, Python, C, Java, and many other applications can send text message and/or SOAP (with attachment) messages to JMS destinations or receive messages from JMS destinations. For example, Python applications can communicate with .NET applications, iPhone can communicate with Java applications, and so forth.

For Message Queue 4.3, the UMS supports only Message Queue as a JMS provider.