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Apache Kafka (with Kafka Connect)

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description Apache Kafka (with Kafka Connect) Overview

Kafka is not strictly an iPaaS, but it is the foundational backbone for modern, high-throughput integration. It acts as a durable, distributed commit log, allowing systems to publish events (messages) that other systems can consume at their own pace. It is the industry standard for building resilient, real-time data pipelines, making it essential for IoT and financial services.

help Apache Kafka (with Kafka Connect) FAQ

What role does Kafka Connect play in an Apache Kafka setup?

Kafka Connect is the framework for moving data into and out of Kafka using source and sink connectors. For example, Debezium can publish database changes into Kafka topics, while sink connectors can write events into systems like Elasticsearch, Snowflake, or S3.

Why use Kafka instead of a direct REST API integration?

Kafka decouples producers and consumers by storing events in durable topics, so a downstream service can fall behind without blocking the upstream application. A REST call is usually synchronous, while Kafka consumers process messages at their own pace through consumer groups.

How do Kafka partitions affect integration throughput?

A Kafka topic can be split into partitions, and each partition can be consumed in parallel by different members of a consumer group. This is one of the reasons Kafka is used for high-volume event pipelines at companies that need horizontal scaling.

Is Apache Kafka the same thing as Confluent Cloud?

No, Apache Kafka is the open-source event streaming platform originally developed at LinkedIn and later donated to the Apache Software Foundation. Confluent Cloud is a managed commercial Kafka service from Confluent, the company founded by several original Kafka creators.

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