Message Channel

Overview

A Message Channel connects one application to another, enabling asynchronous communication between distributed systems. It acts as a logical pathway through which messages flow from sender to receiver.

Problem

How can one application communicate with another using messaging? Applications need a way to send and receive data without being directly connected or aware of each other's implementation details.

Solution

Connect the applications using a Message Channel. The sending application writes messages to the channel, and the receiving application reads messages from it. The channel handles message transmission, buffering, and delivery.

Key Characteristics

• Decoupling: Sender and receiver don't need to know about each other
• Asynchronous: Sender can continue processing without waiting for receiver
• Buffering: Channel can store messages temporarily if receiver is busy
• Reliability: Channel can ensure message delivery even if receiver is temporarily unavailable

When to Use

• Connecting distributed applications
• Decoupling sender and receiver components
• Implementing asynchronous communication
• Building scalable systems with independent components

Related Patterns

• Point-to-Point Channel
• Publish-Subscribe Channel
• Message
• Message Endpoint