The MSMQ Information Store

The MSMQ information store (MQIS) is a distributed database. MSMQ stores the following information in the MQIS:

Enterprise topology (such as sites, CNs, and InRS/OutRS assignments)
Enterprise settings (such as enterprise name, PEC name, and default-replication intervals)
Computer information
Queue information

MSMQ controller servers (the PEC, PSCs, and BSCs) use a Microsoft SQL Server version 6.5 database to store the MQIS. You can purchase SQL Server 6.5 for each MSMQ controller server, or you can install a limited version of SQL Server 6.5 when you install each controller server.

For information on MSMQ SQL Server requirements, see "Microsoft SQL Server Requirements" in Chapter 2, "Installing MSMQ."

No two computers in your MSMQ network can have the same computer name (also called "friendly" computer names), even if the computers are on separate, non-connected networks.

Everyone has full read access to the MQIS so that all MSMQ users can search for queues within your enterprise. However, access to those queues can still be controlled using a combination of Windows NT security and signed messages.

Note Although the properties of each MSMQ queue reside in the MQIS, the contents of the queues (the messages themselves) reside in memory-mapped files on MSMQ independent clients and servers.

For more information on access control, see "Access Control" in Chapter 5, "Securing Your MSMQ Enterprise." For more information about how MSMQ stores messages, see "Message Delivery" later in this chapter.