Solace from Scratch: A Beginner’s Guide to Setting Up Your First Event Broker

[SanalaTejaswini]

I'm excited to share my very first blog with the SAP community! While working on real-time integration scenarios, I recently got hands-on with the Solace Event Broker, a powerful platform that supports event-driven communication using topics and queues.

In this blog, I’ll walk you through the complete end-to-end setup of Solace — from signing up on the Solace Cloud Console to configuring services, creating queues, and testing message flows using the built-in tools. Whether you're a beginner exploring event mesh technology or preparing to integrate Solace with enterprise systems, this guide is designed to help you get started with confidence.

Solace Event Broker, also known as Advanced Event Mesh (AEM), enables event-driven architecture by allowing seamless integration between enterprise systems like SAP Cloud Integration (CPI) and message brokers.

1. Access the Solace Platform

To get started, visit https://solace.com and click on the Login button at the top right corner. From there, you can create a free trial account to access the Solace Cloud Console and begin setting up your messaging service.

2. Sign Up / Log In: If you’re new to Solace, click on Sign Up to register as a new user. If you already have an account, simply log in using your valid credentials and Jump to Step4.

3. Provide Valid Sign-Up Details

If you're signing up for the first time, ensure you enter all the required and accurate information during the registration process to successfully create your account.

4.  Access the Solace Console

After successfully logging in, you will be redirected to the Solace Cloud Console, where you can begin managing your messaging services.

5.  Navigate to Cluster Manager

On the left-hand panel of the Solace Console, under Component Services, click on Cluster Manager.
The Cluster Manager is where you create and manage your Solace messaging services (brokers). It allows you to define the environment, cloud provider, region, and service type to provision a messaging service tailored to your needs.

6. Create a New Service

To create a new Solace messaging service, click on Create Service and provide the following details:

• Service Name

• Environment (e.g., dev, test)

• Cloud Provider (AWS, Azure, etc.)

• Region (choose the one closest to your location)

For learning and development purposes, select the Service Type as Developer, which is a free-tier option suitable for testing and non-production use. It allows you to explore key features like topics, queues, and basic message flow without incurring any cost.

Once all the details are filled in, click on Create Service.

7.  Service Added to Cluster Manager

Once the service is successfully created, it will appear under the Cluster Manager dashboard.
Locate the newly created AWS Developer Service card (or the corresponding cloud provider you selected), and click on it to open the service details and launch the messaging console.

9. Use Basic Authentication

To connect with your Solace Event Broker, either for testing within the console or integrating with SAP Cloud Integration (CPI)—you’ll need to authenticate using Basic Authentication.

From the “Try Me!” tab:

• The Client Username is auto generated

• The Client Password is masked but can be copied using the icon beside the field

• These credentials allow you to publish and subscribe messages securely via the broker

These credentials are essential for establishing a secure connection from CPI to Solace using the AEM (Advanced Event Mesh) adapter, especially when sending data to queues or topics.

10. Data Publishing Methods

1. Topics (Publish/Subscribe Pattern)

• Allows broadcasting messages to multiple subscribers.
• Every subscriber listening to a topic receives a copy of the message.

Delivery Modes:

• Direct: Messages are sent immediately and not stored in the broker.
• Persistent: Messages are stored until acknowledged by the receiver.

1. Queues (Asynchronous Processing)

• Used to store and manage messages between systems.
• You need to provide a Queue Name to place data in the queue.

Delivery Modes:

• Direct: Messages are sent immediately and not stored in the broker.
• Persistent: Messages are stored until acknowledged by the receiver.

11. Subscribing to Data

Subscribing to data in Solace is a straightforward process once the connection is established. It uses the same authentication credentials as the publisher to ensure consistency and security.

• Use the same client username and password that were used to publish messages.

• After a successful connection, navigate to the Subscriber section in the Try Me! console.

• Enter the exact topic path used during publishing. Solace uses hierarchical topic structures, so the path must match exactly for the subscriber to receive the intended messages.

12. Verify Data and Status

After subscribing, you can check the data and its status at the bottom of the Subscriber Panel

This guide walked you through the complete setup of Solace Event Broker, from account creation to message publishing and subscription.
With topics, queues, and authentication configured, you now have a solid foundation for event-driven messaging.
These basics are essential before moving on to real-time integration scenarios.
In the next part, we’ll connect Solace with SAP CPI using the AEM adapter for seamless message flow.