Deploy Confluent Cloud Gateway

This guide provides the overview for configuring and deploying Confluent Cloud Gateway (Confluent Gateway). It includes requirements, supported component compatibility, and other considerations.

Confluent Gateway runs as a stateless service, often as a set of containerized instances within the target environment (for example, Confluent for Kubernetes, VM clusters, or cloud-native platforms).

The general configuration tasks are provided in Configure and Deploy Confluent Cloud Gateway:

  • Streaming domains

  • Routes

  • Administration and metrics

Separate guides are provided for the security-related configuration tasks. For more information, see Configure Security for Confluent Cloud Gateway:

  • Secret stores

  • SSL

  • Passwords

  • Authentication Swapping

Confluent Gateway supports deployment on-premises, in private cloud VPCs, or in hybrid environments.

Requirements and considerations

Before you begin, make sure that the following requirements and considerations are satisfied:

  • System requirements

    • CPU and memory

      • Minimum: 2 vCPUs, 4 GB RAM

      • Recommended: 4 vCPUs, 8 GB RAM

    • Network throughput: 45 MB/sec of sustained workload for a 1 Gigabit Link (1 Gbps)

    • Storage: 10 GB of disk space

  • Docker

    For Docker-based deployments, Docker Desktop or Docker Engine with Compose v2 is installed (Docker Engine 20.x or later is recommended).

  • Network Access

    The Confluent Gateway container must have access to necessary Apache Kafka® clusters. Configure firewall ports for bidirectional traffic as needed.

Supported component compatibility

  • Client library compatibility

    Confluent Gateway current is built on top of Kafka Client 4.0, and it inherits the same Client/Broker Forward Compatibility guarantees as defined in the Kafka 4.0 documentation, enabling seamless interoperability between Kafka clients and brokers across supported version ranges.

    Confluent Gateway officially supports librdkafka versions v2.0.0 through v2.13.0. This support enables non-Java clients to use the full range of Confluent Gateway capabilities, including partner data sharing and disaster recovery.

    Other third-party clients that support Kafka protocol versions compatible with 3.x and 4.0 should work through Confluent Gateway based on protocol compatibility. However, these client libraries have not been extensively tested with Confluent Gateway. You must validate the behavior and compatibility of these specific library versions within your own environment.

  • Vendor-specific APIs

    Confluent Gateway is designed primarily to govern message flows using standard Kafka APIs. Confluent Gateway does not support proprietary APIs from vendors. For example, Confluent Platform-specific APIs, such as CREATE_CLUSTER_LINKS or LIST_CLUSTER_LINKS, are not supported by Confluent Gateway.

  • Confluent for Kubernetes (CFK)

    CFK 3.1 and later releases are supported to deploy and manage Confluent Gateway.

    For the CFK versions and image tags, see the CFK versions and image tags.

This table summarizes the supported releases of the components that Confluent Gateway has dependencies on.

Confluent Gateway Release

current

Kafka Server Releases

3.x, 4.0

Kafka Client Releases

3.x, 4.0

CFK Release

3.1 and later

Support and maintenance policy

Starting with Confluent Gateway 1.1.0, Confluent provides a standardized support lifecycle for Confluent Gateway with a quarterly patch cadence. Each release receives technical support for three years from its initial (.0) release date.

The following table lists the support lifecycle for each released Confluent Gateway version.

Confluent Gateway version

Release date

Standard End of Life

Standard End of Support

1.3.0

July 2026

January 2027

July 2029

1.2.0

March 2026

September 2026

March 2029

1.1.0

November 2025

May 2026

November 2028

Review the following considerations for the Confluent Gateway support policy:

  • Standard End of Life: Marks the end of the six-month patch window for a version. After Standard End of Life, Confluent continues to provide technical support such as troubleshooting and access to knowledge-base articles, but does not issue new patches for that version.

  • Standard End of Support: Marks the end of Confluent technical support for that version, three years after its initial release.

  • Patch cadence: With a Confluent Enterprise license, each Confluent Gateway version receives up to two quarterly patch updates within the six-month patch window. For example, version 1.1.0 receives up to two quarterly patches, 1.1.1 and 1.1.2. It does not receive more patches such as a 1.1.3.

  • Upgrades: To get newer fixes or features after the six-month patch window, upgrade to the next minor or major Confluent Gateway version.