Readers Not Queued?

When multiple readers are waiting on a message from the same queue, I would expect that the reader that has been waiting the longest would be the first to pick up a message. However, I'm shocked to discover that the opposite seems to be true; in my tests I'm showing that the reader that has been waiting the least time picks up a message first! This seems totally counter-intuitive, and I'd like to know why it's working this way. This implementation will cause a lot more reader timeouts to occur than a properly queued method. For instance, assume that I have two readers, each using a one minute timeout. Reader #1 starts waiting, and reader #2 is busy for another 20 seconds before it starts waiting. 39 seconds later a message comes in and reader #2 will pick it up, leaving reader #1 to time out one second later! I would much rather have reader #1 pick up the message and reader #2 continue to wait for 20 more seconds.

I'm considering filing a bug on Connect about this, but I thought I'd post here first and see if I can get an answer...

Following is the script I'm using to test:

---Setup / Window #1---

--------------------------------------
CREATE DATABASE SimpleSSB
GO

USE SimpleSSB
GO

--Create a database master key
CREATE MASTER KEY
ENCRYPTION BY PASSWORD = 'onteuhoeu'
GO

--Create a message type
CREATE MESSAGE TYPE Simple_Msg
VALIDATION = EMPTY
GO

--Create a contract based on the message type
CREATE CONTRACT Simple_Contract
(Simple_Msg SENT BY INITIATOR)
GO

--create a queue
CREATE QUEUE Simple_Queue
GO

--Create a service
CREATE SERVICE Simple_Service
ON QUEUE Simple_Queue
(Simple_Contract)
GO
--------------------------------------

---Go start the other windows now---

---Readers: Windows #2-n ---

--------------------------------------
USE SimpleSSB
GO

WAITFOR
(
RECEIVE *
FROM Simple_Queue
), TIMEOUT 300000

--------------------------------------


---Start at least two readers, then do---
--------------------------------------

--send a message...
DECLARE @h UNIQUEIDENTIFIER

BEGIN DIALOG CONVERSATION @h
FROM SERVICE Simple_Service
TO SERVICE 'Simple_Service'
ON CONTRACT Simple_Contract
WITH ENCRYPTION=OFF;

SEND ON CONVERSATION @h
MESSAGE TYPE Simple_Msg
GO

--------------------------------------


... the last reader you've started will pick up the message first. Note I'm testing on 9.0.3033, in case that matters.

Thanks!