[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): Run and test AI agents locally with azd
New azd ai agent run and invoke commands let you start and test AI agents from your terminal—locally or in the cloud. The post Azure Developer...
Microsoft Purview compliance portal: Endpoint DLP classification support for Azure RMS–protected Office documents
Microsoft Purview Endpoint DLP will soon classify Azure RMS–protected Office documents, enabling consistent DLP policy enforcement on encrypte...
Introducing the Azure Cosmos DB Plugin for Cursor
We’re excited to announce the Cursor plugin for Azure Cosmos DB bringing AI-powered database expertise, best practices guidance, and liv...
Azure DevOps Remote MCP Server (public preview)
When we released the local Azure DevOps MCP Server, it gave customers a way to connect Azure DevOps data with tools like Visual Studio and Vis...
Azure Cosmos DB at FOSSASIA Summit 2026: Sessions, Conversations, and Community
The FOSSASIA Summit 2026 was an incredible gathering of developers, open-source contributors, startups, and technology enthusiasts from across...
Azure Cosmos DB at FOSSASIA Summit 2026: Sessions, Conversations, and Community
The FOSSASIA Summit 2026 was an incredible gathering of developers, open-source contributors, startups, and technology enthusiasts from across...
Dataverse: Avoid Concurrency issues by using Azure Service Bus Queue and Azure Functions
Another blog post to handle the concurrency issue. Previously, I shared how to do concurrency via a plugin in this blog post and also how to f...
March Patches for Azure DevOps Server
We are releasing patches for our self‑hosted product, Azure DevOps Server. We strongly recommend that all customers stay on the latest, most s...