Docker

RabbitMQ Locally Using Docker

Message brokers help apps work independently and handle tasks in the background. They’re a key part of event-driven systems. RabbitMQ is one of the most widely used message brokers.

In this blog, we’ll show you how to:

  • Set up RabbitMQ on your local machine using Docker

I assume that you have Docker Desktop available on your computer. If not, please install it from here.

Option 1. Run RabbitMQ in a Docker Container

We'll use the official RabbitMQ Docker image that includes the management plugin, so we get a web-based interface (GUI) to work with.

Docker Command to install the rabbitmq

docker run  --hostname my-rabbit --name rabbitmq-dev -p 5672:5672 -p 15672:15672 -d rabbitmq:3-management

  • Port 5672: Used by RabbitMQ clients, such as your Web API
  • Port 15672: Used to access the RabbitMQ management interface through a web browser
  • Access Management UI: browse the url http://localhost:15672 and use the credentials: Username:guest and Password:guest.

RabbitMQ

Option 2. Install RabbitMQ Locally (Without Docker)

If you prefer to run RabbitMQ natively:

Step 1. Install Erlang

RabbitMQ depends on Erlang. Download it from:

https://www.erlang.org/downloads

Step 2. Install RabbitMQ

Download the RabbitMQ installer for our OS.

https://www.rabbitmq.com/docs/download

Follow the installation wizard and start the RabbitMQ Service.

Step 3. Enable the management Plugin

Run the following command in the terminal (as admin):

rabbitmq-plugins.bat enable rabbitmq_management

Notes

  • Ensure that the rabbitmq-plugins.bat file is included in your system's PATH environment variable.
  • You may need to run the Command Prompt with Administrator privileges.
  • If the command doesn't work, try navigating to the RabbitMQ sbin directory manually before executing it.
cd "C:\Program Files\RabbitMQ Server\rabbitmq_server-3.x.x\sbin"

rabbitmq-plugins.bat enable rabbitmq_management

(Replace 3.x.x with your actual RabbitMQ version.)

After enabling the plugin, restart RabbitMQ with:

rabbitmq-service.bat stop
rabbitmq-service.bat start

or Simply

net stop RabbitMQ
net start RabbitMQ

Conclusion

Running RabbitMQ locally is simple and quick with Docker. It provides a real messaging environment that you can use to develop and test features like:

  • Event-driven architecture
  • Message retries
  • Dead-letter queues
  • Microservice communication

By using the management UI, you can easily monitor queues, exchanges, and messages.
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