TBMQ PE is an enterprise MQTT message broker designed for massive scalability and high-performance message routing. It efficiently handles millions of concurrent client connections and delivers millions of messages per second with low latency in a single-node setup. In cluster mode, TBMQ’s capabilities scale even further, enabling it to support large-scale IoT deployments with exceptional reliability and throughput.
At ThingsBoard, we’ve accumulated extensive experience in building scalable IoT applications, which has allowed us to identify three key patterns commonly found in MQTT-based solutions.
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Fan-in pattern: In this scenario, a large number of devices generate high message volumes that are consumed by a smaller set of applications. These applications must process all incoming data streams reliably and without message loss.
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Fan-out (broadcast) pattern: Here, numerous devices subscribe to specific updates or notifications that must be delivered efficiently. A small number of incoming messages can result in a large number of outgoing updates, creating a high-output distribution flow.
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Point-to-point (P2P) pattern: This is a targeted one-to-one communication model, ideal for use cases like private messaging or command-response interactions. Messages are exchanged directly between a single publisher and a specific subscriber through uniquely defined topics.
Recognizing these common patterns, we designed TBMQ to be exceptionally well-suited for all three. Developed in Java, TBMQ leverages leading open-source technologies, including Kafka, to provide low-latency message delivery, data durability, and horizontal scalability across the platform.
Full MQTT Specification Support
TBMQ is fully compliant with the MQTT protocol, delivering complete support for all core MQTT features across both single-node and clustered environments. Whether you’re building scalable IoT solutions or ensuring reliable communication for connected devices, TBMQ meets the latest standards for seamless interoperability.
Supported MQTT versions
TBMQ supports the following MQTT versions:
Our implementation ensures reliable performance and compatibility across diverse use cases.
TBMQ Features
- All MQTT v3.x features
- All MQTT v5.0 features
- Multi-node cluster support
- X.509 certificate chain authentication support
- JWT authentication
- Access control (ACL) based on client ID, username, or X.509 certificate chain
- REST query support for clients’ sessions and subscriptions
- Rate limits of message processing
- Cluster and clients’ metrics monitoring
- Unauthorized clients
- MQTT WebSocket client
- Integrations with external systems (HTTP, MQTT, Kafka)
- Kafka topics and consumer groups monitoring
- Proxy protocol
- Blocked clients
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MQTT channel backpressure support
- Single Sign-On (SSO)
- Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
- White labeling
Architecture
TBMQ is designed to be:
- scalable: the platform is horizontally scalable and built using the leading open-source technologies;
- fault-tolerant: there is no single point of failure, and every node in the cluster is identical, ensuring high availability and fault tolerance;
- robust and efficient: can manage millions of clients and process millions of messages per second;
- durable: the broker ensures data durability, preventing data loss.
See TBMQ Architecture for more details.