Connectors to Kafka¶
Connectors to Kafka
Use connectors to copy data between Apache Kafka® and other systems that you want to pull data from or push data to.
Getting started
Connectors general
Self-managed connectors
Discover what self-managed connectors are available for Confluent Platform.
Managed connectors
Discover what managed connectors are available for Confluent Cloud.
Supported connectors
Confluent supports many self-managed connectors that import and export data from some of the most commonly used data systems. Practically all connectors are available from Confluent Hub.
Preview connectors
Confluent introduces preview connectors to gain early feedback from users. Preview connectors are only suitable for evaluation and non-production purposes.
Installing connectors
Install the connectors by using the Confluent Hub client (recommended) or manually install by downloading the plugin file.
Configuring connectors
Connector configurations are key-value mappings. In distributed mode, they are included in the JSON payload sent over the REST API request that creates (or modifies) the connector.
Licensing connectors
With a Developer License, you can use Confluent Platform commercial connectors on an unlimited basis in Connect clusters that use a single-broker Apache Kafka® cluster. A 30-day trial period is available when using a multi-broker cluster.
Monitoring connectors
You can manage and monitor Connect, connectors, and clients using JMX and the REST interface.
Adding connectors or software
The Kafka Connect Base image contains Kafka Connect and all of its dependencies. To add new connectors to this image, you need to build a new Docker image that has the new connectors installed.
Upgrading a connector plugin
Upgrading a connector is similar to upgrading any other Apache Kafka® client application. Refer to the documentation for individual connector plugins if you have a need for rolling upgrades.
Manually installing Community connectors
If a connector is not available on Confluent Hub, you can use the JARs to directly install the connectors into your Apache Kafka® installation.
Kafka Connect
Kafka Connect, an open source component of Apache Kafka®, is a framework for connecting Kafka with external systems such as databases, key-value stores, search indexes, and file systems.