[Azure Service Bus] JMS messages getting dead-lettered
![[Azure Service Bus] JMS messages getting dead-lettered](https://cdn.techcommunity.microsoft.com/assets/Azure/BlogPreview_default-blue.png "[Azure Service Bus] JMS messages getting dead-lettered")
The article discusses a problem where numerous messages end up in the dead letter queue (DLQ) when the JMS service bus consumer connects to the Azure Service Bus using Qpid jars. The reason for the messages being dead-lettered is that they have reached the maximum delivery count.
The fundamental issue stems from Apache Qpid's message handling. Qpid utilizes a local buffer to prefetch messages from the Azure Service Bus, storing them prior to delivery to the consumer. The complication occurs when Qpid prefetches an excessive number of messages that the consumer is unable to process within the lock duration. Consequently, the consumer is unable to acknowledge or finalize the processing of these messages before the lock expires, leading to an accumulation of messages in the Dead Letter Queue (DLQ).
To address this problem, it is crucial to either turn off Qpid's local buffer or modify the prefetch count. Disabling prefetching is achievable by setting jms.prefetchPolicy.all=0 in the JMS URL. This configuration allows the JMS client to directly consume messages from the Azure Service Bus, circumventing Qpid's local buffer. Consequently, the consumer can process messages at a suitable pace, guaranteeing smooth processing and issue-free completion.
Why is Prefetch not the default option in Microsoft .NET/Java/Python libs?
Published on:
Learn moreRelated posts
Azure Developer CLI (azd) Dec 2025 – Extensions Enhancements, Foundry Rebranding, and Azure Pipelines Improvements
This post announces the December release of the Azure Developer CLI (`azd`). The post Azure Developer CLI (azd) Dec 2025 – Extensions En...
Unlock the power of distributed graph databases with JanusGraph and Azure Apache Cassandra
Connecting the Dots: How Graph Databases Drive Innovation In today’s data-rich world, organizations face challenges that go beyond simple tabl...
Azure Boards integration with GitHub Copilot
A few months ago we introduced the Azure Boards integration with GitHub Copilot in private preview. The goal was simple: allow teams to take a...
Microsoft Dataverse – Monitor batch workloads with Azure Monitor Application Insights
We are announcing the ability to monitor batch workload telemetry in Azure Monitor Application Insights for finance and operations apps in Mic...
Copilot Studio: Connect An Azure SQL Database As Knowledge
Copilot Studio can connect to an Azure SQL database and use its structured data as ... The post Copilot Studio: Connect An Azure SQL Database ...
Retirement of Global Personal Access Tokens in Azure DevOps
In the new year, we’ll be retiring the Global Personal Access Token (PAT) type in Azure DevOps. Global PATs allow users to authenticate across...
Azure Cosmos DB vNext Emulator: Query and Observability Enhancements
The Azure Cosmos DB Linux-based vNext emulator (preview) is a local version of the Azure Cosmos DB service that runs as a Docker container on ...
Azure Cosmos DB : Becoming a Search-Native Database
For years, “Database” and “Search systems” (think Elastic Search) lived in separate worlds. While both Databases and Search Systems oper...