Confluent Apache Kafka: Cluster Operations and Configuration Training Course

Module 1: Overview of Confluent Apache Kafka Architecture and Cluster Setup

• An introduction to Apache Kafka and the Confluent Platform.
• Core concepts including Kafka brokers, producers, consumers, and topics.
• The significance of Kafka in data streaming and messaging pipelines.
• Confluent-specific extensions such as REST Proxy, Schema Registry, and Control Center.
• Kafka cluster structure: brokers, partitions, and replication mechanisms.

Module 2: Configuring Zookeeper Quorums

• An overview of Zookeeper.
• The function of Zookeeper within a Kafka cluster.
• Determining appropriate Zookeeper quorum sizes.
• Zookeeper configuration best practices.
• Setting up SSH on server environments.
• Hands-on: Configuring Zookeeper both as a team and as a service.
• Utilizing the Zookeeper Command Line Interface (CLI).
• Hands-on: Establishing Zookeeper quorum setups.
• Exploring Zookeeper’s internal file system.
• Performance considerations for Zookeeper.
• Demo: Using Zookeeper management tools and Zoonavigator.

Module 3: Configuring Kafka Clusters

• Foundations of Kafka.
• General Kafka configuration principles.
• Hands-on: Configuring Kafka on a single broker.
• Hands-on: Executing essential Kafka commands.
• Hands-on: Setting up a multi-broker Kafka cluster.
• Hands-on: Testing Kafka cluster integrity.
• Verifying connectivity to the Kafka cluster.
• Configuring Advertised.listeners: critical settings.
• Topic configuration strategies.
• Establishing message ingestion and delivery within topics.
• Hands-on: Demonstrating Kafka resilience.
• Kafka performance factors: I/O, network, RAM, CPU, and OS.
• Additional factors influencing Kafka performance.
• Hands-on: Modifying broker configurations.

Module 4: Advanced Kafka Configuration

• Configuring Landoop Kafka Topics UI, Confluent REST Proxy, and Confluent Schema Registry.
• Messaging operations via CLI, Java, and Spring Framework.
• Metrics and monitoring utilizing Confluent Control Center, Elasticsearch, and other tools.
• Management of log files and offsets.
• High availability and disaster recovery planning.
• Achieving high availability through replication.
• Performance tuning for producers and consumers.
• Disaster recovery methodologies.
• Controlling failover and managing data recovery.
• Configuring connectors.
• Implementing Kafka Connect.
• Implementing Kafka security features.

Course Summary and Recommended Next Steps