Administered objects are pre-configured objects that an administrator creates for use with JMS client programs. Administered objects serve as the bridge between the client code and the JMS provider.

By design, the messaging APIs separate the task of configuring administered objects from the client code. This architecture maximizes portability: the provider-specific work is delegated to the administrator rather than to the client code. However, the implementation must supply its own set of administrative tools to configure the administered objects.

JMS administered objects are stored in a standardized namespace called the Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI). JNDI is a Java API that provides naming and directory functionality to Java applications. JNDI provides a way to store and retrieve objects by a user supplied name.