MSMQ scalability

Question

We're looking at setting up a MSMQ system with ~8000 clients and one queue per client. On average the system needs to handle ~2000 messages daily from each client, where the message size will range from 1K to MSMQ Max size (4MB).

Is this at all possible with MSMQ?

I know I'm not providing a lot of details here, but I just want feedback on whether or not anyone has been able to run a similar setup.

Nenitanenney

Unless you already know it, perhaps msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms811056.aspx can help – Cordes

Answer 1

Well, broadbrush answer is yes, it will scale out no problem, as its a mature product, on the go for over 10 years.

There are a number of very large implementations out there, banks mostly, like Barclays use it, for I think between 60-90k desktops, but only if it has been correctly designed, and each of your processing boxes has enough memory, and suitable network bandwidth.

As regards messaging throughput, 2k messages a day, is nothing really. I was working in the City a few years ago, where one derivatives f/x app was processing 1600 message/sec.

I can't offer you any advice without specifics, but I hope that helps.

Bob.

Moffitt

Answer 2

In theory you can do this and you would have a maintenance nightmare. Employ one/few customer facing queue(s) and deploy Content Routing and/or Competing Consumers patterns downstream.

Throughput is not an issue with your projected volumes but remember that there are fundamental disk files supporting your queues. If you deploy 8,000 queues you may risk getting disk I/O issues unless you have a RAID solution.

Chatman