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Q315471: HOW TO: Perform Secure Internet Messaging over HTTPS

Article: Q315471
Product(s): Internet Information Server
Version(s): 
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbAudDeveloper kbHOWTOmaster
Last Modified: 19-MAR-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Internet Information Services version 5.1 
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IN THIS TASK
------------

- SUMMARY

   - Requirements
- Secure Internet Messaging with MSMQ 3.0
- Install a Certificate on the IIS Server
- Create the New Queue on the IIS Server
- Send a Message to the Queue Using HTTPS
- Retrieve a Message Using HTTPS

- REFERENCES

SUMMARY
=======

This step-by-step article describes how to use HTTPS to encrypt messages that
must be secure and send these messages to Internet Information Services (IIS)
servers.

Requirements
------------

The following items describe the recommended hardware, software, network
infrastructure, skills and knowledge, and service packs that you need:


- Microsoft Windows XP
- Microsoft Message Queuing 3.0
- Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0
- Knowledge of Microsoft Visual Basic programming
- Knowledge of basic IIS 5.1 administration techniques

Secure Internet Messaging with MSMQ 3.0
---------------------------------------

When you develop distributed applications, a means of guaranteeing the
reliability of communications between components is essential. Microsoft Message
Queuing (MSMQ) version 3.0 provides store and forward functions for
communications between components of distributed applications that run on
different computers by creating queues in which messages can be stored until
delivery is possible. Version 3.0 of this application programming interface
(API), which is included with Windows XP, includes the ability to send messages
through Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to IIS servers. If these messages
need to be secure, you can use the HTTPS protocol, which includes Secure Sockets
Layer (SSL) encryption.

MSMQ 3.0 must be installed on all computers that are involved in the application,
including the IIS server. To install MSMQ 3.0, follow these steps:

1. On the Start menu, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.

2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs, and then click Add/Remove Windows
  Components.

3. Select Messaging Queuing from the list.

Install a Certificate on the IIS Server
---------------------------------------

Any system that uses SSL requires a server-side certificate. You should otain a
server-side certificate from a trusted source, such as an Internet Certificate
Authority.

To create a certificate request file, follow these steps:

1. Open Internet Services Manager, right-click the default Web site, and then
  click Properties.

2. On the Directory Security tab, click Server Certificate.

3. When the IIS Certificate Request Wizard starts, select Create a New
  Certificate and Prepare the request now but send it later.

4. Under Name and Security Settings, accept the default, and then type your
  organization and organizational unit. The Common Name value must be the fully
  qualified domain name (FQDN) of the Web server (for example,
  msmqserver.microsoft.com).

5. Complete the remaining details according to your location. Select a file name
  where the resulting request will be saved.

6. Forward this file to your chosen Certificate Authority. The Certificate
  Authority checks the details and returns the completed certificate. You can
  use the IIS Certificate Request Wizard again to install the certificate into
  the Web site.

Create the New Queue on the IIS Server
--------------------------------------

The following Visual Basic sample demonstrates how to create the new queue:

NOTE: You must add Microsoft Message Queue 3.0 Object Library to the project
references. This sample uses an MSMQQueueInfo object.

  'Declare the MSMQQueueInfo object.
  Dim objQueueInfo As MSMQQueueInfo

  'Instantiate it.
  Set objQueueInfo = New MSMQQueueInfo

  'To specify the queue name, use the PathName property. Here "." is
  'used to specify the localhost. Note that http: syntax cannot be 
  'used to create a new queue, only to reference an existing one.
  objQueueInfo.PathName = ".\testqueue"

  'Create the queue.
  objQueueInfo.Create

Send a Message to the Queue Using HTTPS
---------------------------------------

Run the following Visual Basic code on the computer that sends the messages:

NOTE: You must add Microsoft Message Queue 3.0 Object Library to the project
references. An MSMQDestination object is used to reference the queue on the IIS
server. To ensure that secure protocol is used, set the Format Name property of
the MSMQDestination object by using HTTPS syntax.

  'Declarations.
  Dim objDestination As MSMQDestination
  Dim objMessage As MSMQMessage
  Dim strFormatName As String

  'Formulate the HTTPS format name. Substitute your server FQDN and queue 'name here.
  strFormatName = "DIRECT=HTTPS://msmqserver.microsoft.com\msmq\testqueue"

  'Open the remote queue.
  Set objDestination = New MSMQDestination
  objDestination.FormatName = strFormatName

  'Create a new message and set its properties. Here the Label property is 'used by way of example.
  Set objMessage = New MSMQMessage
  objMessage.Label = "This is a test message!"

  'Send the message.
  objMessage.Send objDestination

Retrieve a Message Using HTTPS
------------------------------

The following sample loops through all the messages in the queue and reads their
labels, and then displays the messages in a message box:

NOTE: An MSMQQueueInfo object is used to address the queue by using an HTTPS
format name. You must add Microsoft Message Queue 3.0 Object Library to the
project references.

  'Declare the necessary objects.
  Dim objQueueInfo As MSMQQueueInfo
  Dim objQueue As MSMQQueue
  Dim objMessage As MSMQMessage

  'Use the MSMQQueueInfo object to specify the HTTPS format name.
  Set objQueueInfo = New MSMQQueueInfo
  objQueueInfo.FormatName = "DIRECT=HTTPS://msmqserver.microsoft.com"_& "\msmq\testqueue"

  'Open the queue.
  Set objQueue = objQueueInfo.Open(MQ_RECEIVE_ACCESS, MQ_DENY_NONE)

  'Loop through the messages in the queue.
  Do While True
     Set objMessage = objQueue.Receive(, , , 1000)
     If objMessage Is Nothing Then
        MsgBox "No Messages! Closing Queue..."
        objQueue.Close
        Exit Sub
     End If
     MsgBox "A message with label " & objMessage.Label & " was retrieved!"
  Loop

REFERENCES
==========

For additional information about how to use an internal Certificate Authority
and set up Windows 2000 Certificate Services, click the article number below to
view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q231881 How to Install/Uninstall a Public Key Certificate Authority for
  Windows 2000

For more information about MSMQ 3.0, see the "Message Queuing (MSMQ)" topic in
the Platform Software Development Kit (SDK).

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbAudDeveloper kbHOWTOmaster 
Technology        : kbiisSearch kbiis510
Version           : :
Issue type        : kbhowto

=============================================================================

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