ZeroMq (ØMQ)

ØMQ (also spelled ZeroMQ, 0MQ or ZMQ) is a high-performance asynchronous messaging library aimed at use in scalable distributed or concurrent applications.

It provides a message queue, but unlike message-oriented middleware, a ØMQ system can run without a dedicated message broker. The library is designed to have a familiar socket-style API.

Distributed Computing Made Simple

• The socket library that acts as a concurrency framework.

• Carries messages across inproc, IPC, TCP, and multicast.

• Connect N-to-N via fanout, pubsub, pipeline, request-reply.

• Asynch I/O for scalable multicore message-passing apps.

• Large and active open source community.

• 40+ languages including C, C++, Java, .NET, Python.

• Most OSes including Linux, Windows, OS X.

• Free software with full commercial support.

The basic ØMQ patterns are:

• Request-reply: Connects a set of clients to a set of services. This is a remote procedure call and task distribution pattern.

• Publish-subscribe: Connects a set of publishers to a set of subscribers. This is a data distribution pattern.

• Push-pull (pipeline): Connects nodes in a fan-out / fan-in pattern that can have multiple steps, and loops. This is a parallel task distribution and collection pattern.

• Exclusive pair: Connects two sockets in an exclusive pair. (This is an advanced low-level pattern for specific use cases.)