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RabbitMQ Command Line

Introduction​

RabbitMQ is a powerful message broker that implements the Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (AMQP). While RabbitMQ offers a web-based management UI, the command-line tools provide more flexibility and automation capabilities for managing your RabbitMQ server. This guide will walk you through the essential command-line tools that come with RabbitMQ, helping you become proficient in managing your messaging infrastructure from the terminal.

Prerequisites​

Before diving into RabbitMQ command-line tools, ensure you have:

  • RabbitMQ server installed
  • Command-line access to the server where RabbitMQ is running
  • Basic understanding of RabbitMQ concepts (queues, exchanges, bindings)

RabbitMQ Command-Line Tools Overview​

RabbitMQ provides several command-line tools, but the most commonly used ones are:

Let's explore each of these tools in detail.

The rabbitmqctl Command​

The rabbitmqctl is the primary command-line tool for managing RabbitMQ nodes. It allows you to perform node management, user management, policy management, and monitoring operations.

Basic Syntax​

bash
rabbitmqctl [options] command [command_options]

Common Commands​

1. Node Management​

Check node status:

bash
rabbitmqctl status

Example output:

Status of node rabbit@hostname ...
Runtime

OS PID: 12345
OS: Linux
Uptime (seconds): 3600
RabbitMQ version: 3.11.2
...

Stop the RabbitMQ application but leave the Erlang node running:

bash
rabbitmqctl stop_app

Start the RabbitMQ application:

bash
rabbitmqctl start_app

Reset a node to its virgin state (delete all data):

bash
rabbitmqctl reset

2. User Management​

List all users:

bash
rabbitmqctl list_users

Example output:

Listing users ...
user    tags
guest   [administrator]

Add a new user:

bash
rabbitmqctl add_user username password

Set user tags (roles):

bash
rabbitmqctl set_user_tags username administrator

Set permissions for a user:

bash
rabbitmqctl set_permissions -p vhost username ".*" ".*" ".*"

This grants the user configure, write, and read permissions on all resources in the specified vhost.

3. Queue Management​

List queues:

bash
rabbitmqctl list_queues [options]

Example output:

Listing queues ...
name    messages
tasks    15
notifications    3

For more detailed information:

bash
rabbitmqctl list_queues name messages consumers memory state

Purge a queue:

bash
rabbitmqctl purge_queue queue_name

4. Exchange and Binding Management​

List exchanges:

bash
rabbitmqctl list_exchanges

Example output:

Listing exchanges ...
name    type
amq.direct    direct
amq.fanout    fanout
amq.topic    topic
...

List bindings:

bash
rabbitmqctl list_bindings

The rabbitmq-diagnostics Command​

The rabbitmq-diagnostics tool is used for diagnosing and health checking a RabbitMQ node.

Basic Syntax​

bash
rabbitmq-diagnostics [options] command [command_options]

Common Commands​

Check if the RabbitMQ server is running:

bash
rabbitmq-diagnostics ping

Example output:

Ping succeeded

Get a complete health check:

bash
rabbitmq-diagnostics check_running
rabbitmq-diagnostics check_port_connectivity
rabbitmq-diagnostics check_virtual_hosts

Get memory usage report:

bash
rabbitmq-diagnostics memory_breakdown

Example output:

Breakdown of memory usage by category in bytes:
connection_readers: 0
connection_writers: 0
connection_channels: 0
connection_other: 0
queue_procs: 0
queue_slave_procs: 0
...

The rabbitmq-plugins Command​

The rabbitmq-plugins tool is used to manage plugins for the RabbitMQ server.

Basic Syntax​

bash
rabbitmq-plugins [options] command [command_options]

Common Commands​

List all plugins:

bash
rabbitmq-plugins list

Example output:

Listing plugins with pattern ".*" ...
 Configured: E = explicitly enabled; e = implicitly enabled
 | Status: * = running on rabbit@hostname
 |/
[E*] rabbitmq_management               3.11.2
[e*] rabbitmq_management_agent         3.11.2
[e*] rabbitmq_web_dispatch             3.11.2
...

Enable a plugin:

bash
rabbitmq-plugins enable rabbitmq_management

Disable a plugin:

bash
rabbitmq-plugins disable rabbitmq_management

The rabbitmqadmin Command​

The rabbitmqadmin is a Python-based command-line tool that uses the RabbitMQ HTTP API. It's not installed by default but comes with the management plugin.

Installing rabbitmqadmin​

First, enable the management plugin:

bash
rabbitmq-plugins enable rabbitmq_management

Then download the rabbitmqadmin script:

bash
curl -O http://localhost:15672/cli/rabbitmqadmin
chmod +x rabbitmqadmin
mv rabbitmqadmin /usr/local/bin/

Basic Syntax​

bash
rabbitmqadmin [options] command [command_options]

Common Commands​

List queues:

bash
rabbitmqadmin list queues

Create a queue:

bash
rabbitmqadmin declare queue name=my_queue durable=true

Publish a message:

bash
rabbitmqadmin publish exchange=amq.default routing_key=my_queue payload="Hello, World!"

Get a message from a queue:

bash
rabbitmqadmin get queue=my_queue

Example output:

+-------------+----------+---------------+--------------+------------------+-------------+
| routing_key | exchange | message_count | payload      | payload_encoding | redelivered |
+-------------+----------+---------------+--------------+------------------+-------------+
| my_queue    |          | 0             | Hello, World!| string           | False       |
+-------------+----------+---------------+--------------+------------------+-------------+

Delete a queue:

bash
rabbitmqadmin delete queue name=my_queue

Practical Examples​

Example 1: Setting Up a New RabbitMQ Instance​

bash
# Start the RabbitMQ server
sudo service rabbitmq-server start

# Check if it's running
rabbitmq-diagnostics ping

# Enable the management plugin
rabbitmq-plugins enable rabbitmq_management

# Create a new admin user
rabbitmqctl add_user admin StrongPassword123
rabbitmqctl set_user_tags admin administrator
rabbitmqctl set_permissions -p / admin ".*" ".*" ".*"

# Delete the default guest user (security best practice)
rabbitmqctl delete_user guest

Example 2: Monitoring Queue Activity​

Create a simple Bash script to monitor queue activity:

bash
#!/bin/bash
# save as monitor_queues.sh

while true; do
    echo "Queue Status at $(date)"
    rabbitmqctl list_queues name messages consumers
    echo "------------------------"
    sleep 10
done

Make it executable and run:

bash
chmod +x monitor_queues.sh
./monitor_queues.sh

Example 3: Setting Up High Availability​

Setting up a mirrored queue for high availability:

bash
# Set policy for mirroring all queues starting with 'ha.'
rabbitmqctl set_policy ha-all "^ha\." '{"ha-mode":"all"}' --apply-to queues

Troubleshooting with Command-Line Tools​

Problem: RabbitMQ Node Not Starting​

bash
# Check for errors in logs
rabbitmq-diagnostics log_tail

# Check for Erlang VM issues
rabbitmq-diagnostics erlang_cookie_sources

# Check file permissions and ownership
rabbitmq-diagnostics status

Problem: Performance Issues​

bash
# Check memory consumption
rabbitmq-diagnostics memory_breakdown

# Check for slow consumers
rabbitmqctl list_queues name messages consumers consumer_utilisation

Problem: Connection Issues​

bash
# Check connections
rabbitmqctl list_connections

# Check for blocked connections
rabbitmqctl list_connections state

# Check listener status
rabbitmq-diagnostics listeners

Summary​

RabbitMQ command-line tools are essential for effectively managing, monitoring, and troubleshooting your message broker. We've covered the four main tools:

  1. rabbitmqctl for general management
  2. rabbitmq-diagnostics for health checking and troubleshooting
  3. rabbitmq-plugins for plugin management
  4. rabbitmqadmin for HTTP-API based operations

Mastering these tools enables you to automate RabbitMQ operations, integrate with CI/CD pipelines, and effectively manage your messaging infrastructure in production environments.

Exercises​

  1. Create a script that monitors queue depth and alerts when it exceeds a threshold.
  2. Set up a user with limited permissions that can only publish to specific exchanges.
  3. Create a queue with a message TTL and dead-letter exchange configuration using the command line.
  4. Write a script that regularly backs up RabbitMQ definitions.

Additional Resources​

Happy messaging with RabbitMQ!


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