Accesses the Azure Queue Storage service to send or receive messages.
Typical Uses
- Aggregation of data from queues and other message streams
- Trigger an action from a message
How does it work?
The AzureQueueStorageConnector uses your Azure Storage account credentials (either via a previously defined FME web connection, or by setting up a new FME web connection right from the transformer) to access the queue storage service.
Usage Notes
- The queue storage service xml encodes and decodes messages in utf-8 by default
Configuration
Input Ports
Input
This transformer accepts any feature.
Output Ports
Output
The output of this transformer will vary depending on the action performed. Message data and metadata are presented as feature attributes.
- After a Receive action, output features represent messages received from the queue.
- After a Send action, output features represent messages sent to the queue.
Initiator
The incoming feature is output through this port.
<Rejected>
Features that cause the operation to fail are output through this port. An fme_rejection_code attribute, having the value ERROR_DURING_PROCESSING, will be added, along with a more descriptive fme_rejection_message attribute which contains more specific details as to the reason for the failure.
Note: If a feature comes in to the AzureQueueStorageConnector already having a value for fme_rejection_code, this value will be removed.
Rejected Feature Handling: can be set to either terminate the translation or continue running when it encounters a rejected feature. This setting is available both as a default FME option and as a workspace parameter.
Parameters
Authentication
| Credential Source |
Required for authentication. Using a web connection integrates best with FME, but in some cases, you may wish to use one of the other sources.
|
| Account |
Available when the credential source is Web Connection. To create an Azure Storage connection, click the 'Account' drop-down box and select 'Add Web Connection...'. The connection can then be managed via Tools -> FME Options... -> Web Connections. |
Embedded Credentials
| Account Name | Available when the credential source is SAS or Embedded. An account name and either an account key or a shared access signature can be specified directly in the transformer. |
| Account Key | Available when the credential source is Embedded. An account name and access key can be specified directly in the transformer instead of in a web connection. |
| Shared Access Signature (SAS) | Available when the credential source is SAS. An account name and shared access signature can be specified directly in the transformer. |
Action
| Action |
The type of operation to perform. Choices are:
|
The remaining parameters available depend on the value of the Action > Action parameter. Parameters for each Action are detailed below.
Parameters - Delete Action
Deletes messages from the queue.
Delete Messages Options
|
Queue |
The queue to delete messages from. A queue can be entered manually, or selected interactively by clicking the ellipses. |
|
Delete all Messages |
If Yes, all messages in the queue will be removed. If No, the message with the specified ID and POP receipt will be removed. |
|
Message ID |
Required for deleting a message. Retrieved from a previous receive operation. |
|
POP Receipt |
Required for deleting a message. Retrieved from a previous receive operation. |
|
Server Timeout (seconds) |
The maximum time to wait for the server to complete the requested operation. |
Parameters - Peek Action
Receives messages from the front of the queue without altering the visibility of the messages.
Peek Messages Options
|
Queue |
The queue to peek at messages from. A queue can be entered manually, or selected interactively by clicking the ellipses. |
|
Number of Messages |
The number of messages to peek from the queue. |
|
Server Timeout (seconds) |
The maximum time to wait for the server to complete the requested operation. |
Parameters - Receive Action
Receives messages from the front of the queue.
Receive Messages Options
|
Queue |
The queue to receive messages from. A queue can be entered manually, or selected interactively by clicking the ellipses. |
|
Mode |
Two message receiving options are available:
|
|
Number of Messages |
Specifies the number of messages to read for the operation. For Stream mode, this is the number retrieved per poll interval. For Batch mode, this is the total number retrieved. |
|
Poll Interval (seconds) |
When mode is Stream, the period to wait between receiving messages. |
|
Delete on Receive |
If Yes, then delete the messages as soon as they are received from the queue. If No, the messages can be received again after the visibility timeout. |
|
Visibility Timeout (seconds) |
The time the message is invisible. After the timeout expires, the message is visible. The default is 30 seconds. |
|
Server Timeout (seconds) |
The maximum time to wait for the server to complete the requested operation. |
Parameters - Send Action
Send Messages Options
|
Queue |
The queue to send messages from. A queue can be entered manually, or selected interactively by clicking the ellipses. |
|
Content |
An encoded message. The default encoding is a xml unicode string. |
|
Update Messages |
If Yes, update a message in the queue service. This operation can be useful to “lease” a message if the workspace has not finished processing. The invisibility of a message can be extended by updating the visibility timeout. |
|
Message ID |
Required for updating a message. Retrieved from a previous receive operation. |
|
POP Receipt |
Required for updating a message. Retrieved from a previous receive operation. |
|
Time to Live Expiry |
If Yes, set the time that the message lives for. If No, the message never expires. |
|
Time to Live (seconds) |
How long the message lives. The default and maximum is 7 days. After the specified time, the message is permanently removed from the queue. |
|
Visibility Timeout (seconds) |
The time the message is invisible. After the timeout expires, the message is visible. The default is 0 seconds. |
|
Server Timeout (seconds) |
The maximum time to wait for the server to complete the requested operation. |
Output Attributes
The following attributes can be selected for inclusion on the output features. Each output feature represents a message that was either sent or received.
|
_id |
The id of a message. Required for updating and deleting. |
|
_value |
The message content. |
|
_dequeue_count |
The number of times a message has been retrieved, either from a peek or receive operation. |
|
_expiration_time |
The time the message expires in unix time. |
|
_pop_receipt |
The POP receipt of a message, obtained from a receive operation. Required for updating and deleting. |
|
_time_next_visible |
The time the message is next visible in unix time. |
|
_timestamp |
The time the message was created in unix time. |
Editing Transformer Parameters
Using a set of menu options, transformer parameters can be assigned by referencing other elements in the workspace. More advanced functions, such as an advanced editor and an arithmetic editor, are also available in some transformers. To access a menu of these options, click 
beside the applicable parameter. For more information, see Transformer Parameter Menu Options.
Defining Values
There are several ways to define a value for use in a Transformer. The simplest is to simply type in a value or string, which can include functions of various types such as attribute references, math and string functions, and workspace parameters. There are a number of tools and shortcuts that can assist in constructing values, generally available from the drop-down context menu adjacent to the value field.
How to Set Parameter Values
Using the Text Editor
The Text Editor provides a convenient way to construct text strings (including regular expressions) from various data sources, such as attributes, parameters, and constants, where the result is used directly inside a parameter.
Using the Arithmetic Editor
The Arithmetic Editor provides a convenient way to construct math expressions from various data sources, such as attributes, parameters, and feature functions, where the result is used directly inside a parameter.
Conditional Values
Set values depending on one or more test conditions that either pass or fail.
Parameter Condition Definition Dialog
Content
Expressions and strings can include a number of functions, characters, parameters, and more.
When setting values - whether entered directly in a parameter or constructed using one of the editors - strings and expressions containing String, Math, Date/Time or FME Feature Functions will have those functions evaluated. Therefore, the names of these functions (in the form @<function_name>) should not be used as literal string values.
Content Types
| These functions manipulate and format strings. | |
|
Special Characters |
A set of control characters is available in the Text Editor. |
| Math functions are available in both editors. | |
| Date/Time Functions | Date and time functions are available in the Text Editor. |
| These operators are available in the Arithmetic Editor. | |
| These return primarily feature-specific values. | |
| FME and workspace-specific parameters may be used. | |
| Creating and Modifying User Parameters | Create your own editable parameters. |
Dialog Options - Tables
Transformers with table-style parameters have additional tools for populating and manipulating values.
Table Tools
|
Row Reordering
|
Enabled once you have clicked on a row item. Choices include:
|
|
Cut, Copy, and Paste
|
Enabled once you have clicked on a row item. Choices include:
Cut, copy, and paste may be used within a transformer, or between transformers. |
|
Filter
|
Start typing a string, and the matrix will only display rows matching those characters. Searches all columns. This only affects the display of attributes within the transformer - it does not alter which attributes are output. |
|
Import
|
Import populates the table with a set of new attributes read from a dataset. Specific application varies between transformers. |
|
Reset/Refresh
|
Generally resets the table to its initial state, and may provide additional options to remove invalid entries. Behavior varies between transformers. |
Note: Not all tools are available in all transformers.
Reference
|
Processing Behavior |
|
|
Feature Holding |
No |
| Dependencies | Azure Storage account |
| FME Licensing Level | FME Base Edition and above |
| Aliases | MicrosoftAzureQueueStorageConnector |
| History | Released FME 2019.0 |
FME Community
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Examples may contain information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver and/or the Open Government Licence – Canada.