How to Configure RabbitMQ in Struts

August 03, 2025

If you’re building a Java web app with Struts and you need reliable messaging—for example, handling async jobs, notifications, or stream processing—RabbitMQ is an excellent choice. This guide walks you through configuring RabbitMQ in a Struts-based project: using Docker for a fast local dev setup and Kubernetes for secure production deployments. You'll also learn how to manage configurations cleanly, without hardcoding values.

1. Add Essential Dependencies in `pom.xml`

First, add the needed libraries:

<dependencies>
  <!-- Struts core framework -->
  <dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.struts</groupId>
    <artifactId>struts2-core</artifactId>
    <version>${struts.version}</version>
  </dependency>

  <!-- RabbitMQ Java client -->
  <dependency>
    <groupId>com.rabbitmq</groupId>
    <artifactId>amqp-client</artifactId>
    <version>${rabbitmq.version}</version>
  </dependency>

  <!-- Kubernetes client (optional for deployment integration) -->
  <dependency>
    <groupId>io.fabric8</groupId>
    <artifactId>kubernetes-client</artifactId>
    <version>${fabric8.version}</version>
  </dependency>
</dependencies>

This setup includes Struts, the RabbitMQ client, and Kubernetes integration for later use.

2. Run RabbitMQ with Docker for Local Development

Create a docker-compose.yml:

version: '3'
services:
  rabbitmq:
    image: rabbitmq:3-management
    ports:
      - "5672:5672"
      - "15672:15672"

Run this with:

docker-compose up -d

Now you have RabbitMQ running on localhost:5672, and the web UI accessible at http://localhost:15672 (default guest/guest login).

3. Local Dev Setup: `rabbitmq-dev.properties`

Create this in your classpath:

rabbitmq.host=localhost
rabbitmq.port=5672
rabbitmq.username=guest
rabbitmq.password=guest
rabbitmq.queue=dev-queue

In your Struts utility or action class, load and use these settings:

Properties props = new Properties();
props.load(getClass().getResourceAsStream("/rabbitmq-dev.properties"));

ConnectionFactory factory = new ConnectionFactory();
factory.setHost(props.getProperty("rabbitmq.host"));
factory.setPort(Integer.parseInt(props.getProperty("rabbitmq.port")));
factory.setUsername(props.getProperty("rabbitmq.username"));
factory.setPassword(props.getProperty("rabbitmq.password"));

Connection conn = factory.newConnection();
Channel channel = conn.createChannel();
channel.queueDeclare(props.getProperty("rabbitmq.queue"), true, false, false, null);

Publish a message:

channel.basicPublish("", props.getProperty("rabbitmq.queue"), null, "Hello".getBytes());

Now you're good to test messaging locally!

4. Prepare Kubernetes for Production

To avoid leaking credentials, store values in Kubernetes:

kubectl create configmap rabbitmq-config \
  --from-literal=RABBITMQ_HOST=rabbitmq-service \
  --from-literal=RABBITMQ_PORT=5672 \
  --from-literal=RABBITMQ_QUEUE=prod-queue

kubectl create secret generic rabbitmq-secret \
  --from-literal=RABBITMQ_USERNAME=produser \
  --from-literal=RABBITMQ_PASSWORD=prodpass

5. Production Setup: `rabbitmq-prod.properties`

Place this in your resources:

rabbitmq.host=${RABBITMQ_HOST}
rabbitmq.port=${RABBITMQ_PORT}
rabbitmq.username=${RABBITMQ_USERNAME}
rabbitmq.password=${RABBITMQ_PASSWORD}
rabbitmq.queue=${RABBITMQ_QUEUE}

Struts or your config loader should pick up environment variables at runtime.

6. Kubernetes Deployment Snippet

Ensure your Pod spec includes:

env:
  - name: RABBITMQ_HOST
    valueFrom:
      configMapKeyRef:
        name: rabbitmq-config
        key: RABBITMQ_HOST
  - name: RABBITMQ_PORT
    valueFrom:
      configMapKeyRef:
        name: rabbitmq-config
        key: RABBITMQ_PORT
  - name: RABBITMQ_QUEUE
    valueFrom:
      configMapKeyRef:
        name: rabbitmq-config
        key: RABBITMQ_QUEUE
  - name: RABBITMQ_USERNAME
    valueFrom:
      secretKeyRef:
        name: rabbitmq-secret
        key: RABBITMQ_USERNAME
  - name: RABBITMQ_PASSWORD
    valueFrom:
      secretKeyRef:
        name: rabbitmq-secret
        key: RABBITMQ_PASSWORD

Deploy your Struts app packaged with rabbitmq-prod.properties. It will automatically use Kubernetes-provided values.

7. Why This Approach Works

Quick dev setup: Docker and rabbitmq-dev.properties let you iterate fast.
Secure deployment: No credentials in code—Kubernetes ensures safety.
Code consistency: Same Struts logic works in both environments.
Clear separation: Dev vs prod kept clean through separate files.

By combining Docker for local RabbitMQ testing, Struts for your web app, and Kubernetes for production-grade deployments, you end up with a messaging-ready system that’s easy to use and maintain. Whether you’re sending logs, events, or notifications, your Struts-based service is now equipped to handle RabbitMQ messaging reliably—no matter the environment.

1. Add Essential Dependencies in pom.xml