Home › Strimzi: Apache Kafka on Kubernetes — Comprehensive Curriculum
Strimzi: Apache Kafka on Kubernetes — Comprehensive Curriculum
Subject: Strimzi: Apache Kafka on Kubernetes — Comprehensive Curriculum
62 chapters
Chapters
1 Kubernetes Refresher liquid drum and bass blues, symphonic city pop, slushwave acid house Explore Kubernetes fundamentals including pods, containers, deployments, and persistent storage concepts that form the foundation for running Apache Kafka workloads in containerized environments. Learn how these core building blocks work together to create scalable, resilient distributed systems before diving into Kafka-specific implementations.
2 Apache Kafka Fundamentals sitar drum and bass, russian roots reggae, illbient cumbia, grunge american primitivism Explore the core building blocks of Apache Kafka including brokers, topics, partitions, and replicas while learning how producers and consumers work together to handle streaming data at scale. Master the fundamental concepts that make Kafka a powerful distributed streaming platform for real-time data processing.
3 Why Strimzi? liquid drum and bass blues, symphonic city pop, slushwave acid house Discover why Apache Kafka's stateful nature creates unique challenges in Kubernetes environments, requiring specialized solutions for persistent storage, network identity, and ordered deployments that standard container orchestration can't easily handle.
1 Strimzi Operators tokyo acid trance, urdu coptic Learn how Strimzi's three essential operators work together to seamlessly deploy and manage Apache Kafka clusters within Kubernetes environments. Discover the roles of the Cluster Operator, Topic Operator, and User Operator in automating Kafka infrastructure through powerful reconciliation loops.
2 Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs) chillwave samba, choral big band Learn about the eight essential Custom Resource Definitions that form the foundation of deploying and managing Apache Kafka clusters on Kubernetes through Strimzi. Discover how the primary Kafka CRD serves as the cluster king, orchestrating brokers, storage, and configuration settings to bring your streaming data platform to life.
3 How Strimzi Maps Kafka to Kubernetes Primitives hyphy balkan brass band, tango reggae, 2-step surf Discover how Strimzi seamlessly translates Apache Kafka components into Kubernetes-native resources, exploring the mapping of brokers to StatefulSets and other essential primitives. Learn the architectural foundations that enable Kafka clusters to run efficiently within Kubernetes environments.
1 Prerequisites tokyo acid trance, urdu coptic Learn the essential Kubernetes cluster options you'll need before deploying Strimzi, from local development environments like Minikube and Kind to cloud-based solutions including EKS, AKS, and GKE.
2 Installing Strimzi hyphy balkan brass band, tango reggae, 2-step surf Learn the three primary installation methods for deploying Strimzi on Kubernetes clusters, including Helm charts, YAML manifests, and the Operator Lifecycle Manager (OLM). Discover how to customize configurations using values files and repository pulls to set up Apache Kafka efficiently in your container environment.
3 Deploying Your First Kafka Cluster sitar drum and bass, russian roots reggae, illbient cumbia, grunge american primitivism Learn to deploy your first Apache Kafka cluster on Kubernetes using Strimzi by creating custom resources with YAML definitions, configuring replicas, and establishing bootstrap servers. This hands-on guide walks you through the essential steps to get your distributed streaming platform up and running with minimal configuration.
4 Lab: Hello Strimzi dirty south balkan brass band, saxophone alt-country Learn hands-on deployment of Apache Kafka using Strimzi on Kubernetes by setting up a three-broker cluster with persistent storage and proper replication. This practical lab walks you through the essential YAML configurations and operator setup needed to get your first Kafka streaming environment running on a local Kubernetes cluster.
1 Kafka Broker Configuration tokyo acid trance, urdu coptic Learn how to fine-tune your Kafka brokers within a Strimzi cluster by configuring essential settings like log retention, compression, JVM memory allocation, and resource limits. Master the key configuration parameters that optimize broker performance and ensure your Kafka deployment runs smoothly on Kubernetes.
2 ZooKeeper Configuration tokyo acid trance, urdu coptic Learn the essential ZooKeeper configuration requirements for running Apache Kafka on Kubernetes, including replica counts, memory allocation, and resource planning for production deployments. Master the foundational settings that ensure your Kafka cluster maintains proper state management and optimal performance.
3 KRaft Mode (ZooKeeper-less Kafka) liquid drum and bass blues, symphonic city pop, slushwave acid house Explore Apache Kafka's revolutionary KRaft mode that eliminates the need for ZooKeeper by using internal controllers to manage metadata and cluster coordination. Learn how this architectural shift simplifies Kafka deployments and what it means for the future of distributed streaming platforms.
4 Storage Strategies tokyo acid trance, urdu coptic Learn how to optimize Kafka storage performance using JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks) configuration, where multiple independent drives work together without RAID complexity to keep your data flowing efficiently. Master the essential storage strategies that ensure your Kafka brokers operate at peak performance with proper volume configuration.
5 Resource Tuning tokyo acid trance, urdu coptic Learn how to optimize CPU and memory allocation for Kafka brokers and ZooKeeper in Kubernetes by setting appropriate resource requests and limits to ensure peak cluster performance.
1 Listener Types sitar drum and bass, russian roots reggae, illbient cumbia, grunge american primitivism Learn about the six different listener types in Apache Kafka on Kubernetes, from internal ClusterIP connections to external access patterns, and discover which configuration best fits your streaming data architecture needs.
2 Configuring External Access tokyo acid trance, urdu coptic Learn how to set up external access to your Kubernetes-hosted Kafka cluster, covering advertised listeners, bootstrap discovery, and network address resolution to connect outside clients to your brokers.
3 Network Policies tokyo acid trance, urdu coptic Learn the three essential network security policies that protect Apache Kafka deployments on Kubernetes, ensuring your data streams remain secure from unauthorized access while maintaining proper traffic flow within your cluster.
4 Lab: External Access sitar drum and bass, russian roots reggae, illbient cumbia, grunge american primitivism Learn how to configure LoadBalancer listeners in your Kafka cluster YAML to enable external clients to connect to Kafka brokers running inside Kubernetes. This hands-on lab demonstrates the essential steps for bridging the network gap between your cluster and outside applications seeking to communicate with Kafka.
1 TLS Encryption dirty south balkan brass band, saxophone alt-country Learn how Strimzi simplifies TLS encryption for Apache Kafka clusters through its built-in Certificate Authority that automatically generates and manages security certificates. Discover the fundamental security building blocks that protect your Kafka streams and message queues in Kubernetes environments.
2 Authentication chillwave samba, choral big band Explore Kafka's three primary authentication methods—TLS certificates for mutual trust, SCRAM-SHA for secure password hashing, and OAuth tokens—to understand how clients prove their identity when connecting to your Kafka clusters. Learn the technical implementation and security benefits of each approach to properly secure your distributed messaging infrastructure.
3 Authorization liquid drum and bass blues, symphonic city pop, slushwave acid house Learn how to implement authorization controls in Apache Kafka using KafkaUser specifications and Access Control Lists (ACLs) to manage who can read, write, and access different parts of your Kafka cluster. Master the essential security layer that determines user permissions and protects your message flows with clean YAML configurations.
4 Encrypting Data at Rest sitar drum and bass, russian roots reggae, illbient cumbia, grunge american primitivism Learn how to implement encryption for your Apache Kafka data stored on disk and protect sensitive cluster information in etcd from unauthorized access. Discover essential security practices for safeguarding your Kafka deployment's persistent data and configuration secrets.
5 Lab: Securing a Strimzi Cluster liquid drum and bass blues, symphonic city pop, slushwave acid house Learn hands-on techniques for implementing TLS encryption and security protocols to protect your Kafka cluster's bootstrap servers and client connections from potential vulnerabilities. This practical lab guides you through enabling comprehensive security measures across all listeners in your Strimzi-managed Kafka deployment.
1 Kafka Connect on Strimzi chillwave samba, choral big band Learn how to deploy and configure Kafka Connect clusters using Strimzi's KafkaConnect Custom Resource Definition to seamlessly bridge data sources and sinks in your Kubernetes environment. This foundational lesson covers the essential YAML configurations and cluster setup needed to get your data streaming infrastructure up and running.
2 Managing Connectors Declaratively tokyo acid trance, urdu coptic Learn how to leverage Kubernetes-native KafkaConnector custom resources to manage Kafka connectors through declarative YAML specifications instead of manual REST API calls. This approach streamlines connector deployment and management by integrating seamlessly with Kubernetes' declarative configuration model.
3 Common Connector Patterns liquid drum and bass blues, symphonic city pop, slushwave acid house Explore three essential Kafka connector patterns including Debezium for change data capture, learning how to stream database changes from PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MongoDB into your Kafka pipelines through binlog and WAL file monitoring.
4 Lab: CDC Pipeline with Debezium chillwave samba, choral big band Learn hands-on implementation of Change Data Capture (CDC) pipelines using Debezium connectors with KafkaConnect, covering PostgreSQL database integration and real-time transaction log monitoring. Master the practical setup of source connectors that automatically capture and stream database changes through Apache Kafka on Kubernetes.
1 MirrorMaker 2 Architecture dirty south balkan brass band, saxophone alt-country Explore the fundamental architecture of MirrorMaker 2, learning how its three-connector system enables seamless data replication between Kafka clusters. Discover the essential components that keep source and target clusters synchronized in real-time distributed environments.
2 Strimzi MirrorMaker 2 Configuration hyphy balkan brass band, tango reggae, 2-step surf Learn how to configure KafkaMirrorMaker2 Custom Resource Definitions to replicate Kafka data streams between source and target clusters. Master the essential specifications and settings needed to establish reliable cross-cluster data mirroring with built-in monitoring capabilities.
3 Multi-Region / Disaster Recovery Patterns liquid drum and bass blues, symphonic city pop, slushwave acid house Learn three essential patterns for building resilient Kafka clusters across multiple regions, including active-passive setups where backup regions mirror data and standby ready to take over when primary systems fail.
4 Lab: Multi-Cluster Replication liquid drum and bass blues, symphonic city pop, slushwave acid house Learn how to set up multi-cluster Apache Kafka replication using Strimzi's MirrorMaker 2 component to establish active-passive data flows between primary and secondary clusters across different Kubernetes namespaces. Master the deployment process using custom resource definitions to create robust, distributed Kafka architectures for high availability and disaster recovery scenarios.
1 Metrics with Prometheus dirty south balkan brass band, saxophone alt-country Discover how Strimzi automatically exposes Kafka metrics to Prometheus through built-in JMX exporters, eliminating the need for custom monitoring code. Learn to configure comprehensive cluster monitoring using simple YAML declarations that seamlessly integrate with Kubernetes-native observability tools.
2 Dashboards with Grafana tokyo acid trance, urdu coptic Learn how to set up Grafana dashboards for monitoring your Apache Kafka clusters on Kubernetes, including importing Strimzi's three essential dashboard examples. Discover the key metrics and monitoring strategies needed to keep your Kafka deployment running smoothly with comprehensive visual oversight.
3 Distributed Tracing sitar drum and bass, russian roots reggae, illbient cumbia, grunge american primitivism Learn how to implement distributed tracing in Kafka deployments using OpenTelemetry to track message flows from producers through brokers to consumers. Master the essential techniques for monitoring and debugging complex message journeys across your distributed Kafka infrastructure.
4 Logging tokyo acid trance, urdu coptic Learn how to configure Apache Kafka logging levels on Kubernetes to effectively monitor cluster performance and troubleshoot issues as your deployment scales. Master the art of setting appropriate log verbosity from DEBUG for development to WARN for production environments.
5 Alerting dirty south balkan brass band, saxophone alt-country Learn how to set up Prometheus monitoring and alerting rules to proactively detect Kafka cluster failures and prevent system downtime before critical issues impact your streaming platform.
6 Lab: Full Observability Stack hyphy balkan brass band, tango reggae, 2-step surf Learn to build a complete observability infrastructure by deploying Prometheus and Grafana to monitor Apache Kafka clusters, covering metrics collection, dashboard creation, and alert configuration. Master the essential deploy-enable-import-trigger workflow that transforms raw cluster data into actionable insights for production Kafka environments.
1 Rolling Updates & Upgrades sitar drum and bass, russian roots reggae, illbient cumbia, grunge american primitivism Learn how Strimzi performs seamless rolling updates on Kafka clusters by gracefully restarting pods one at a time using StatefulSet orchestration. Discover the mechanisms that ensure zero downtime and continuous data flow during cluster upgrades and configuration changes.
2 Scaling dirty south balkan brass band, saxophone alt-country Learn how to dynamically scale your Apache Kafka cluster on Kubernetes by adding brokers, adjusting replica counts, and reassigning partitions to handle growing data loads. Master the essential techniques for expanding and contracting your Kafka deployment while maintaining optimal performance and data distribution.
3 Cruise Control for Rebalancing sitar drum and bass, russian roots reggae, illbient cumbia, grunge american primitivism Learn how Cruise Control automatically monitors and optimizes Kafka cluster performance by intelligently rebalancing partition assignments across brokers. Discover the powerful automation tool that keeps your distributed system running smoothly without manual intervention.
4 Backup and Recovery tokyo acid trance, urdu coptic Learn essential strategies for protecting your Kafka cluster data through systematic backup of topics, configurations, and YAML files to ensure rapid recovery when disaster strikes your Kubernetes environment.
5 Troubleshooting Common Issues tokyo acid trance, urdu coptic Learn to diagnose and resolve the most frequent Kafka deployment problems on Kubernetes, from pod crashes and resource constraints to storage issues and broker failures. Master systematic troubleshooting techniques that will help you quickly identify and fix configuration problems that can bring your Strimzi clusters down.
6 Lab: Cluster Upgrade & Rebalance tokyo acid trance, urdu coptic Learn the step-by-step process of safely upgrading your Apache Kafka cluster on Kubernetes using rolling updates while maintaining stability and avoiding service disruptions. Discover how to check compatibility matrices, manage dependencies, and rebalance your cluster to take advantage of new features without breaking existing functionality.
1 High Availability liquid drum and bass blues, symphonic city pop, slushwave acid house Learn how to architect a resilient Apache Kafka cluster with minimum three brokers and proper replica configuration to eliminate single points of failure. Discover the critical settings that ensure your data streams continue flowing even when individual components go offline.
2 Performance Optimization dirty south balkan brass band, saxophone alt-country Learn essential Kafka producer optimization techniques including batch sizing, linger time configuration, and compression algorithms to maximize message throughput and minimize latency in your streaming applications.
3 Capacity Planning sitar drum and bass, russian roots reggae, illbient cumbia, grunge american primitivism Learn the essential formula for calculating Kafka cluster storage requirements by multiplying retention period, throughput, and replication factor to properly size your Kubernetes deployment. Master the mathematical approach to capacity planning that ensures your cluster can handle data volume without running out of space.
4 GitOps & Infrastructure as Code tokyo acid trance, urdu coptic Learn how to implement GitOps workflows using ArgoCD and Flux to automatically deploy and manage Strimzi Kafka clusters from Git repositories. Discover the power of declarative infrastructure management that keeps your Kubernetes clusters synchronized with your version-controlled configuration files.
5 Multi-Tenancy tokyo acid trance, urdu coptic Learn how to implement multi-tenancy in Apache Kafka on Kubernetes by establishing namespace isolation, resource boundaries, and separation strategies between development and production environments. Discover the essential techniques for safely sharing Kafka clusters among multiple tenants while maintaining data security and operational independence.
1 Strimzi on OpenShift chillwave samba, choral big band Learn how to deploy Strimzi on Red Hat's OpenShift platform, covering operator installation, cluster exposure through routes, security configurations, and the enterprise-grade AMQ Streams distribution. Discover the essential steps for running Apache Kafka securely in OpenShift's container orchestration environment.
2 Kafka Bridge (HTTP API) tokyo acid trance, urdu coptic Learn how to seamlessly connect REST-based legacy systems to Apache Kafka streams using Strimzi's KafkaBridge custom resource. Discover the configuration steps for deploying HTTP-to-Kafka connectivity that opens communication channels between traditional APIs and modern streaming architectures.
3 Schema Registry Integration hyphy balkan brass band, tango reggae, 2-step surf Learn how to integrate Schema Registry solutions like Apicurio and Confluent Platform with your Strimzi-managed Kafka clusters to enforce message structure validation and schema evolution. Discover deployment strategies and best practices for maintaining data consistency across your Kubernetes-based streaming architecture.
4 Kafka Streams & ksqlDB on Kubernetes tokyo acid trance, urdu coptic Learn how to deploy Kafka Streams applications and ksqlDB alongside Strimzi clusters on Kubernetes, focusing on persistent storage configuration and stateful data management. Master the essential techniques for scaling stream processing workloads while ensuring data persistence through proper volume mounting and StatefulSet configurations.
5 Custom Operator Extensions chillwave samba, choral big band Learn how to extend Strimzi's capabilities by building custom operators, reconcilers, and controllers that add business-specific logic to your Kafka on Kubernetes deployments. Discover the techniques for creating custom resource definitions and leveraging Java libraries to program sophisticated cluster management automation beyond Strimzi's default behaviors.
1 Data Governance hyphy balkan brass band, tango reggae, 2-step surf Learn how to properly classify and label streaming data in Apache Kafka, from marking sensitive PII to managing public information flows through schema registries. Discover the essential governance practices that determine how different types of data move through your Kafka topics and streaming architecture.
2 Audit Logging hyphy balkan brass band, tango reggae, 2-step surf Learn how to implement comprehensive audit logging in Apache Kafka clusters to track user actions, permissions, and security policy enforcement. Discover techniques for monitoring topic access, ACL checks, and consumer group activities to maintain complete visibility into your Kubernetes-deployed Kafka environment.
3 Encryption & Key Management hyphy balkan brass band, tango reggae, 2-step surf Learn how to implement robust encryption strategies for Apache Kafka on Kubernetes, covering application-level encryption, secure key management, and certificate rotation practices. Discover essential techniques for protecting data in transit and at rest while maintaining compliance requirements in your Kafka deployments.
4 Access Control Documentation hyphy balkan brass band, tango reggae, 2-step surf Learn how to properly document Kafka access control policies by mapping KafkaUsers to specific roles and permissions, ensuring teams like finance and operations get appropriate access levels while maintaining compliance requirements.
Appendix A: Quick Reference — Strimzi CRD Cheat Sheet tokyo acid trance, urdu coptic A rapid-fire reference guide walks through Strimzi's nine essential Custom Resource Definitions, from Kafka clusters and ZooKeeper configurations to node pools, topics, and user management. Listeners will master the key CRD specifications needed to deploy and orchestrate Apache Kafka effectively on Kubernetes.
Appendix B: Recommended Learning Resources tokyo acid trance, urdu coptic Discover six essential learning resources that will accelerate your mastery of deploying Apache Kafka on Kubernetes using Strimzi, from official documentation to GitHub repositories. Navigate the complete ecosystem of guides, tutorials, and reference materials needed to transform from beginner to expert in container-orchestrated streaming platforms.
Appendix C: Lab Environment Setup sitar drum and bass, russian roots reggae, illbient cumbia, grunge american primitivism Learn how to set up your Kafka development environment with three different approaches, including the lightweight Kind option that runs Kubernetes in Docker with specific hardware requirements for optimal performance.
Appendix D: Certification Pathways Learn about the various certification pathways available for validating your Apache Kafka and Kubernetes expertise, including official certifications from the Apache Software Foundation and cloud providers. Discover which certifications align with your career goals and how to prepare for these industry-recognized credentials.