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Integrate an external Apache Kafka® cluster in Aiven

You can integrate an external Apache Kafka® cluster with your Aiven for Apache Kafka® service. This setup supports use cases such as replication, data ingestion, or connecting Aiven Kafka to on-premises or third-party clusters.

To integrate, define an external Kafka service endpoint in the Aiven Console.

Prerequisites​

  • An active Aiven account with access to the Aiven Console
  • Connection details for your external Kafka cluster, depending on your setup:
    • Bootstrap server addresses
    • Security protocol type
    • Authentication credentials (if required)
    • SSL certificates (if using SSL/TLS)

Define an external Apache Kafka® endpoint​

  1. Log in to the Aiven Console and select your project.

  2. In the left sidebar, click Integration endpoints.

  3. From the list of available services, select External Apache Kafka.

  4. Click Add a new endpoint.

  5. In the Create new External Apache Kafka endpoint dialog, enter the following details:

    • Endpoint name: Enter a descriptive name for your Kafka connection.
    • Bootstrap servers: Enter a comma-separated list of bootstrap server addresses (for example, kafka-broker-1:9092,kafka-broker-2:9092). The minimum length is 3 characters and the maximum is 256 characters.

  6. Select the Security protocol from the dropdown menu. The available options and required fields depend on your selection:

  7. Select the Security protocol from the dropdown menu. The available options and required fields depend on your selection:

    Security protocolDescriptionRequired fields
    PLAINTEXTNo encryption or authentication.
    • Bootstrap servers
    SSLSSL encryption and optional client authentication.
    • CA certificate
    • Client certificate (optional)
    • Client key (optional)
    • Endpoint identification algorithm
    SASL_PLAINTEXTSASL authentication without encryption.
    • Username
    • Password
    • SASL mechanism
    SASL_SSLSASL authentication with SSL encryption.
    • Username
    • Password
    • SASL mechanism
    • CA certificate
    • Endpoint identification algorithm

  8. Click Create.

The external Kafka cluster appears in the Integration endpoints list under the name specified in Endpoint name. You can review, edit, or remove it from this list at any time.

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