Msmq component is bundled with the OS. We need to install it as a separate cab file from the following link :

 

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=cdfd2bb2-fa13-4062-b8d1-4406ccddb5fd&DisplayLang=en 

 

In my blog post titled 'Message Queues in .net CF' ,I mentioned the steps that need to be followed to install the msmq cab file manually.

 

Here's a wrapper class that will do the same through code. What I have done is call the processes that are required to be called to install,register,start and stop msmq. Also we can enable srmp and binary protocols through this wrapper.

 

using System;

using

System.Diagnostics;

using

System.IO;

using

System.Runtime.InteropServices;

namespace MessagingQueueWrapper

{

public class MessagingQueueWrapperClass

{

[

DllImport("CoreDll.dll")]

private extern static

Int32 GetLastError();

[

DllImport("CoreDll.dll")]

private extern static

Int32 CloseHandle(IntPtr hProcess);

[

DllImport("CoreDll.dll")]

private extern static

IntPtr ActivateDevice(

string lpszDevKey,

Int32 dwClientInfo);

//Execute commands on the MSMQAdm.exe utility

public static bool ExecuteMSMQAdm(String CmdLine)

{

Process prc = Process.Start(@"\windows\msmqadm.exe", CmdLine);

if (prc == null)

throw new ApplicationException("Process already running");

prc.WaitForExit();

if (prc.ExitCode != 0)

return false;

else

return true;

}

//This is the MSMQAdm.exe utility we’ll be using

private const String MSMQ_ADM = @"\windows\msmqadm.exe";

private const String MSMQ_DRIVER_REG = @"Drivers\BuiltIn\MSMQD";

private const string MsmqLogFilePath = @"\windows\MsmqLogFile";

public enum MsmqErrorCodes

{

Success,

RegisterInstallFailed,

RegisterFailed,

EnableBinaryFailed,

EnableSrmpFailed,

StartFailed,

StatusFailed

};

 

public static MsmqErrorCodes StartMSMQ()

{

//Check status of MSMQ (is it installed and running yet?

if (!(ExecuteMSMQAdm("status")))

{

//Deletes the MSMQ registry key and store directory.

//All messages are lost.

ExecuteMSMQAdm(

"register cleanup");

//Installs MSMQ as device drivers.

if (!ExecuteMSMQAdm("register install"))

{

return MsmqErrorCodes.RegisterInstallFailed;

}

//Creates the MSMQ Configuration in Registry

if (!ExecuteMSMQAdm("register"))

{

return MsmqErrorCodes.RegisterFailed;

}

//Enables the native MSMQ protocol

if (!ExecuteMSMQAdm("enable binary"))

{

return MsmqErrorCodes.EnableBinaryFailed;

}

//Starts the MSMQ service

if (!ExecuteMSMQAdm("start"))

{

//This is one additional step that is needed for PocketPCs

//The Device Drivers have to be loaded before the service

//can be started

//ActivateDevice will load the device drivers

IntPtr handle = ActivateDevice(MSMQ_DRIVER_REG, 0);

CloseHandle(handle);

//Let us check if MSMQ is running

if (!ExecuteMSMQAdm("status"))

{

return MsmqErrorCodes.StatusFailed;

}

return MsmqErrorCodes.StartFailed;

}

return MsmqErrorCodes.Success;

}

else

return MsmqErrorCodes.Success;

}

public static MsmqErrorCodes EnableSrmp()

{

//Check status of MSMQ (is it installed and running yet?

if (!(ExecuteMSMQAdm("status")))

{

MessagingQueueWrapper.

MessagingQueueWrapperClass.StartMSMQ();

}

//Starts the MSMQ service

ExecuteMSMQAdm(

"stop");

//Enables the native MSMQ protocol

if (!ExecuteMSMQAdm("enable srmp"))

{

return MsmqErrorCodes.EnableSrmpFailed;

}

if (!ExecuteMSMQAdm("start"))

{

return MsmqErrorCodes.StartFailed;

}

else

return MsmqErrorCodes.Success;

}

}

}

 

How to use :

 Create a class library and copy-paste this code in that,

build it and add a reference to this dll (MessageQueueWrapper) in ur project.

In the FormLoad method, you can call the install and enable methods like this:

if

(MessagingQueueWrapper.MessagingQueueWrapperClass.StartMSMQ() == MessagingQueueWrapper.MessagingQueueWrapperClass.MsmqErrorCodes.Success)

MessageBox.Show("Success in installing");

if (MessagingQueueWrapper.MessagingQueueWrapperClass.EnableSrmp() == MessagingQueueWrapper.MessagingQueueWrapperClass.MsmqErrorCodes.Success)

MessageBox.Show("Success in enabling srmp");

And lo ! MSMQ is installed on ur device !

Hope that helps :)..I spent quite a few days trying to figure out how to enable srmp manually...this should save us all the trouble :).

 

 

The coolest features of MSMQ 3.0 is the ability to send messages over HTTP - right through firewalls. For this to be possible, we need to have the MSMQ over HTTP component installed. (under Add/Remove Programs->Windows Components->Application Server->Message Queueing->).

 

 

@"FormatName:DIRECT=http://172.30.189.xxx/msmq/Private$/myqueue" with my machine's ip address.

That does the trick :)..more on msmq over http in .net cf in the next post. cya !

 

 

 

I have been researching on message queues in .net cf, and its cool stuff :) !

 

MSMQ is a Microsoft message queueing technology that allows disparate applications, not necessarily running in the same machine, to send messages to one another.Message Queuing provides built-in enhanced security, transaction support, and other features.

MSMQ is useful when custom applications need to communicate reliably across potentially unreliable or occasionally connected networks. MSMQ is also useful as a persistent storage mechanism for a list of items. For example, a server-based application could use MSMQ to store queued orders that would be submitted as a batch to an order-processing system at the end of the day. Now what I did not know was that MSMQ is also the underpinning infrastructure for reliable messaging in Windows Communication Foundation, first available in Windows Vista, the next version of the client operating system.

Now how do I use MSMQ in my CF code ?

Go to Microsoft Mobile Development Center and follow the link "Redistributable Server Components for Windows Mobile 5.0" to download the package. We need the msmq.ARM.CAB file in the package.

1. After downloading, extract the msmq.ARM.CAB file (under msmq folder in the downloaded package). This is the cab file that installs the MSMQ service in the device.
2. Back in Visual Studio, right-click on your project in Solution Explorer and add msmq.ARM.CAB to your project (use Add-> Existing Item...). Then click on msmq.ARM.CAB in Solution Explorer and change its "Copy to Output Directory" property to "Copy if newer". This will ensure that the cab file is copied over to the program folder in the device.
3. In your form code, import the namespaces:

   using System.IO;
   using System.Messaging;
   using System.Runtime.InteropServices
   

But just doing the above will not install the cab file (and the associated msmq isntallables) on the device/emulator. To do that, we manually have to install the cab file on the device /emulator. THis is howI did it on the emulator:

1.Place the msmq.ARM.CAB file in a folder

2.Open the File->'Configure'->Shared Folders-> Add the folder which contains the msmq.ARM.CAB file.

3.In the emulator Navigate to Start->Programs->File Explorer (Select the My Device option from the drop down on the top here ) -> StorageCard->YourFolderName->msmq.arm. Click on install-and bingo ! MSMQ is installed on your device/emulator now !

I spent a couple of exceptional (PUN INTENDED) hours trying to figure why MSMQ was not getting installed on my emulator, inspite of having the cab files added to my project.

Once we are done with the above steps, we are ready to use MSMQ !

Now to write code to send and receive messages frm using MSMQ, you can check out the following link (the one i referred to myself :) ) :

http://netcf2.blogspot.com/2006/01/msmq-message-queueing-in-compact.html

More on MSMQ in the next post..till then-Keep Messaging ! :)