Solace¶

Overview¶

Solace is a complete event streaming and management platform providing high-performance messaging, event routers, and message brokers. It accommodates many protocols and APIs, supporting event-driven applications, microservices, and IoT use cases.

Data Model¶

Core Concepts¶

graph TB
    subgraph "Solace Message Broker"
        LL[Line Layer]
        VLAN[Virtual LAN]
        QNET[Queue Network]
        QUEUES[Queues]
    end

    subgraph "Protocols"
        AMQP[AMQP 1.0]
        MQTT[MQTT 3.1.1]
        REST[HTTP REST]
        WS[WebSocket]
        JMS[JMS]
    end

    subgraph "Publishers"
        PUB[Publishers]
    end

    subgraph "Subscribers"
        SUB[Subscribers]
    end

    PUB --\ AMQP 1.0, MQTT 3.1.1, REST, HTTP, JMS --\ LL
    LL --\ VLAN
    VLAN --\ QNET
    QUEUES --\ SUB

Message Structure¶

Header: Routing, destination, and metadata
Body: Payload and serialization format
Properties: Key-value pairs for custom attributes
Replies: Destination queue and correlation

Message Format¶

{
  "destination": "order/queue",
  "headers": {
    "priority": "5",
    "correlationId": "abc-123",
    "expiration": "2025-01-11T16:56:59Z",
    "replyTo": "response/queue"
  },
  "properties": {
    "businessProcess": "order-fulfillment",
    "userId": "user-987",
    "version": "1.2"
  },
  "body": {
    "orderId": "order-123",
    "customerId": "cust-456",
    "products": [
      {
        "productId": "prod-321",
        "quantity": 1
      }
    ],
    "total": 199.99
  }
}

Architecture Overview¶

Single Broker Architecture¶

graph TB
   subgraph "Solace Broker"
      ROUTER[Message Router]
      VIRT[Virtual Routers]
      PROXY[Proxy Services]
      TENANT[Multi-Tenant Nats]
   end

   subgraph "Edge Services"
      MQTT[MQTT Gateways]
      AMQP[AMQP Gateways]
      REST[HTTP Gateways]
   end

   ROUTER -- \ VIRT
   PROXY --\ VIRT
   TENANT --\ VIRT

   MQTT --\ ROUTER
   AMQP --\ ROUTER
   REST --\ ROUTER

Multi-Region Replication¶

graph TB
    subgraph "Region 1"
        R1[Solace Instance 1]
        LB[Load Balancer]
    end

    subgraph "Region 2"
        R2[Solace Instance 2]
    end

    subgraph "Region 3"
        R3[Solace Instance 3]
    end

    R1 --| replication |-- R2
    R2 --| replication |-- R3
    R3 --| replication |-- R1

    LB --| traffic |-- R1
    LB --| traffic |-- R2
    LB --| traffic |-- R3

Target Operating Model (TOM)¶

Without High Availability¶

Single Broker Setup¶

Component	Specification	Function
Solace Broker	1 instance	Central message routing
Storage	DRAM, SSD	Message persistence
Network	1Gbps+	External connectivity
Protocols	AMQP, MQTT	Gateway support

Resource Requirements¶

Resource	Minimum	Recommended	Use
CPU	4 cores	16+ cores	Throughput processes
Memory	8GB	32GB+	Execution management
Storage	200GB	1TB+	Persistent messaging
Network	1Gbps	10Gbps+	Brokering traffic

Configuration¶

# Solace broker configuration
operatingEnvironment:
  logging:
    defaultLogLevel: INFO
    accessLogLevel: ALL

servicesConfig:
  restDeliveryPoint:
    enabled: true
  maxInFlightReq:
    client: 100
  maxRateMbps: 10000

With High Availability¶

Cluster Configuration¶

Component	Specification	Function
Solace Instances	3+ instances	Redundancy and failover
Load Balancer	Layer 7/4	Distribute traffic
Region Replication	Multi-region setup	Traffic resilience

Resource Requirements¶

Resource	Minimum	Recommended	Use
CPU	16 cores	32+ cores	Load distribution
Memory	32GB	64GB+	Buffer caches
Storage	1TB	10TB+	Data consistency
Network	10Gbps	40Gbps+	Extended reach

Deployment¶

# Solace HA deployment
highAvailability:
  enabled: true
  replication:
    region: primary

loadBalancing:
  reverseProxy:
    enabled: true
  endpoints:
    manager: true
    vpn: multi-tenant

security:
  ssl:
    enabled: true
    protocols:
      tls13: true
      tls12: true
  authorization:
    permissions:
      mode: multi-tenant certified

Pros and Cons¶

Pros¶

Performance & Scalability¶

High Throughput: Solace supports millions of events per second
Reliable: Sustains low-latency through high peaks
Versatile: Handles various transports (WAN, LAN)

Flexibility & Protocol Support¶

Dynamic Protocols: AMQP, MQTT, RESTful, and JMS
Integration: Meshed with enterprise applications
Virtualization: Seamless tenant control

Security & Administration¶

Encryption: Standard SSL and TLS
Management: Rich tools and dashboards
Control: Role-based access, granular policies

Cons¶

Cost Dimensions¶

Licensing: Usage-based spending
Integration: Complex setups require investment
Subscription: Cloud or on-prem options

Complexity & Limitations¶

Learning Curve: Extensive setup and management
Monitoring: Requires specialized underpinnings
Advanced Features: Tiered access may alter accessibility

Compatibility Limits¶

Legacy Apps: Constraints on older systems
Standard Changes: Non-native protocols mapped

Best Practices¶

Deployment Compliance¶

Topology Design
Structure adaptable meshes
Evaluate failover mapping
Secure Protocols
Implement layer encryption
Utilize access control lists

Performance Optimization¶

Resource Allocation
Match CPU to throughput demand
Scale memory per tenant requirements
Network Buffers
Harden scale-ready layers
Provision edge redundancy

Monitoring & Reporting¶

Set potential drift audits
Enable regular diagnostic monitoring

Ideal Use Cases¶

IoT Communication: Device-agnostic protocols
Enterprise Integration: Fusion of legacy with modern
Microservices: Decoupled, pliant architecture
Hybrid Cloud: Seamless bi-distributed functions