Apache ActiveMQ Configuration Example

Unlock seamless log event integration by configuring the Nodinite Pickup Log Events Logging Service to fetch JSON Log Events directly from your Apache ActiveMQ queues. This page will help you get started quickly and avoid common pitfalls.

✅ Set up secure, reliable log event collection from ActiveMQ queues
✅ Route invalid messages to Dead Letter Queues for compliance and troubleshooting
✅ Leverage JSON and Replace Rules for advanced message processing
✅ Ensure long-term storage and easy retrieval of log data in Nodinite

Whether you're new to Nodinite or an experienced administrator, configuring ActiveMQ integration is straightforward. Begin by identifying the queues you want to collect log events from and ensure you have the necessary access credentials. The Pickup Service will automatically process messages, route invalid ones to the Dead Letter Queue, and store valid events for long-term analysis.

Tip

For best results, start with a single queue and verify your setup before scaling to multiple queues. Always use strong credentials and keep your configuration file secure.

Diagram: Apache ActiveMQ integration showing message flow from queue to Pickup Service, with color-coded components (blue=queue, green=healthy/active services, red=dead letter queue for failed messages). Invalid messages are routed to the Dead Letter Queue for review.

Security and Account Management

Before configuring your ActiveMQ integration, understand how credentials and access control work. Each ActiveMQ configuration requires a login, and you can use different accounts for different brokers or assign unique credentials to individual queues. This flexibility allows you to tailor access rights and improve security across your integration landscape.

Key Security Principles:

• ✅ Using separate accounts for each broker or queue helps limit access and reduce risk
• ✅ Credentials can be managed independently for compliance and auditing
• ✅ Improved security by isolating sensitive data and operations

Best Practices to Implement:

• Create dedicated service accounts for each queue or broker (not shared accounts)
• Use strong, unique passwords that meet your organization's security standards
• Never use default credentials (e.g., admin/admin or system/manager) in production environments
• Avoid embedding credentials in version control or documentation
• Regularly rotate credentials and monitor access logs for unauthorized connection attempts
• Ensure accounts have minimal required permissions—only access to the specific queues needed for log event collection
• Document which accounts are used for which brokers/queues for compliance and troubleshooting
• Use separate credentials for development, staging, and production environments
• Implement account lockout policies and failed login attempt monitoring on your ActiveMQ broker
• Regularly review access permissions and remove unused accounts
• Use a secrets management system to store and rotate broker credentials

These principles apply whether you're configuring via the GUI (Remote Configuration) or the older configuration file method described below.

ActiveMQs

The ActiveMQs section lets you manage all Apache ActiveMQ sources for your log events.

In the Remote Configuration GUI, navigate to the ActiveMQs tab. Here, you can add, edit, or remove ActiveMQ queue configurations. Each configuration defines how the Nodinite Pickup Log Events Logging Service connects to and processes messages from a specific ActiveMQ queue.

Example of the ActiveMQ configuration tab in the Remote Configuration GUI.

Click the Add button to create a new ActiveMQ configuration. Fill in the required fields, such as connection string, queue name, and credentials. You can also specify a Dead Letter Queue for handling invalid messages.

Example of an ActiveMQ configuration accordion in the Remote Configuration GUI.

Expand the accordion for each ActiveMQ configuration to access advanced settings, including Replace Rules for message processing. These rules allow you to modify message content before it's stored in Nodinite, ensuring consistency and compliance with your logging standards.

General tab

The General tab provides the fundamental settings for your ActiveMQ configuration within the Remote Configuration GUI.

The General tab allows you to enable/disable the configuration and provide a display name and description.

The following key fields are required:

Follow these guidelines when setting up the General tab:

• Use descriptive names that clearly indicate the ActiveMQ broker and queue purpose (e.g., "Production ActiveMQ - Order Events")
• In the Description field, note important details such as the queue's business purpose, owner contact, or any special processing notes
• The Display Name appears throughout the Nodinite interface, so keep it concise yet meaningful
• Leave the configuration disabled during initial setup if you're not ready to start consuming messages

Source tab

The Source tab contains the connection and queue settings required to establish communication with your ActiveMQ broker and specify which queues to retrieve log events from.

The Source tab allows you to configure connection details, queue names, and Dead Letter Queue settings.

The following key fields must be configured:

Use one of these broker URI examples:

• Single broker (plain): tcp://127.0.0.1:61616
• Failover setup: failover:(tcp://broker1:61616,tcp://broker2:61616)?randomize=false&timeout=1000&startupMaxReconnectAttempts=2&maxReconnectDelay=2000

Follow these guidelines when configuring the Source tab:

• Ensure the specified Queue exists on the ActiveMQ broker before enabling this configuration
• Use a descriptive Queue name that reflects the type of events it contains (e.g., Order.Events.Log, Integration.Errors)
• Always configure a Dead Letter Queue to capture and review invalid or unparseable messages
• For production environments, use failover URIs to ensure high availability
• Test the connection with a single queue before scaling to multiple ActiveMQ sources

Destination tab

The Destination tab configures where processed log events are stored. By default, events are sent to the Nodinite Log API where they are written to the Log Database for long-term storage and analysis.

The Destination tab allows you to configure the Log API endpoint and authentication settings.

The Destination tab with Protected authentication enabled.

The following key fields control log API destination settings:

Follow these guidelines when configuring the Destination tab:

• Always ensure Use Log API is checked to maintain proper log event storage
• For local/development environments, use unprotected Log API URLs (e.g., http://localhost:40002/LogAPI/)
• For production environments with authentication, check the Protected checkbox and provide valid OAuth 2.0 credentials
• When using Protected authentication, ensure your Client ID, Client Secret, and Scope are correctly configured with your identity provider (IDP)
• The IDP Token Endpoint must be accessible from the Pickup Service instance
• Keep Client Secret values secure and never commit them to version control

Here are example Destination tab configurations:

• Unprotected: http://localhost:40002/LogAPI/ (Protected checkbox unchecked)
• Protected: https://mynodinite.acme.com:40002/LogAPI/ Requires Client ID, Client Secret, Scope, and IDP Token Endpoint configured with your OAuth provider

Authentication tab

The Authentication tab contains the credentials required to connect to and authenticate with your ActiveMQ broker. These credentials ensure only authorized access to your message queues.

The Authentication tab allows you to configure the username and password for ActiveMQ access.

The following key fields are required for authentication:

Follow these guidelines for authentication configuration:

• Create dedicated service accounts for each ActiveMQ broker or queue to improve security and auditability
• Use strong, unique passwords that meet your organization's security standards
• Regularly rotate credentials and monitor access logs for unauthorized connection attempts
• Avoid using default credentials (e.g., admin/admin or system/manager) in production environments
• Ensure the account has minimal required permissions—only access to the specific queues needed for log event collection
• Document which accounts are used for which brokers/queues for compliance and troubleshooting
• Keep credentials secure and never commit them to version control systems

Implement these security best practices:

• Use separate credentials for development, staging, and production environments
• Implement account lockout policies and failed login attempt monitoring on your ActiveMQ broker
• Regularly review access permissions and remove unused accounts
• Consider using a secrets management system to store and rotate broker credentials

Replace rules

Read about Replace Rules in the shared configuration section. Replace Rules allow you to modify message content before it's stored in Nodinite, ensuring consistency and compliance with your logging standards.
The Replace Rules tab allows you to configure rules for modifying message content.

Configuration file

Note

This section applies for older versions (<7.1.x) of the Nodinite Pickup Log Events Logging Service.

You configure these sources in the Settings.json file, which uses JSON format. The default path is:

C:\Program Files\Nodinite\Logging Agent - Pickup Service\Settings.json

{
  ...

  "ActiveMQs": [
    {
      "Enabled": true,
      "LogApi": "https://localhost/Nodinite/Dev/LogAPI/",
      "UseConfigurationDatabase": false,
      "ConfigurationDatabaseConnectionString": null,
      "ActiveConsumers": 4,
      "ConnectionString": "tcp://127.0.0.1:61616",
      "Username": "system",
      "Password": "manager",
      "Queue": "Nodinite.LogAgent.PickupService.Test",
      "DeadLetterQueue": "Nodinite.LogAgent.PickupService.Test.DLQ",
      "ReplaceRules": [
        {
          "Name": "Fix Endpoint real customer id to {customerId}",
          "ReplaceName": false,
          "ReplaceUri": true,
          "Pattern": "/([0-9]{4,})$",
          "Group1Value": "{customerId}"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
  ...                      
}

ActiveMQs is an array of ActiveMQ queue configurations. Each entry defines how the Log Agent connects to and processes messages from a specific ActiveMQ queue. This setup ensures your Nodinite JSON Log Events are reliably collected and managed.

Tip

• Use a unique Dead Letter Queue for each configured queue to simplify troubleshooting.
• Adjust the number of consumers (ActiveConsumers) based on your expected message volume.
• Use Replace Rules to standardize and enrich log data for downstream analysis.
• Always restart the Pickup Service after making changes to your configuration.

Important

When you are done editing the configuration, you must restart the Nodinite Pickup Logging Service for configuration changes to take effect.

Next Step

• Configure - Set up your ActiveMQ integration
• Remote Configuration Guide - Learn the GUI setup process

Related Topics

• JSON Log Event - Message format specification
• Replace Rules - Transform message content
• Log Databases - Where log events are stored
• Log API - REST endpoint for log events
• Pickup Service Overview - Feature overview
• Shared Configuration - Common settings guide