.. _controlcenter_userguide_connect:

|kconnect-long|
===============

The |c3-short| interface allows you to configure |kconnect-long|. |c3-short| uses the |kconnect-long| API
to get information on running connectors; if no connectors are running you may see an empty list when you first open
the application.

.. _kafkaconnectempty:

.. figure:: ../images/connect-page-gui-1.png
   :scale: 50%


   Initial Kafka Connect configuration screen


Creating new Connectors
-----------------------

To create a new source, click the **Bring data in** button. Likewise, to create a new sink, click the
**Send data out** button while on the Sinks tab.

.. _kafkaconnectnewfilesource1:

.. figure:: ../images/connect-page-new-source.png
   :scale: 50%


   Creating a new file source

When you click the **Add connector** button, you will see a form with settings for the connector. All sources the following three settings to be specified:

Connection Class
    This is the Java class name for the connector. In this example, we picked the FileStreamSourceConnector that
    ships with |ak-tm|.

Connection Name
    This is a unique name for the connector. This is shown in the list of active sources and sinks. We recommend
    entering an intuitive, easy to understand name.

Tasks max
    This controls the number of connector tasks that are created.

Most sources allow you to specify other settings. Typically these include information needed to connect
to external systems, information about what data to include or exclude, and instructions on how to map external
data to topics. In this example, you are required to specify a file name and a topic. Most sources require you
to specify a topic (or describe a set of topics) to which messages are written.

When you have entered all the required parameters and click "Continue," you will be shown a summary of the settings
that you entered. (This is the information that will be sent to the Connect REST API.) If everything looks OK, you
can click **Launch**.

.. _kafkaconnectnewfilesource2:

.. figure:: ../images/connect-review-pageviews.png
   :scale: 50%


   Creating a new file source

After you have saved the settings, the new source will appear in the list of sources. A colored indicator on the left
will show the status of the source: *blue* indicates that the source is working, *red* indicates an error. On the right
hand side of the line, there is a wrench icon next to the words "Edit Source." You can click this icon to edit or
remove an existing source.

.. _kafkaconnectlist1source:

.. figure:: images/c3kafkaconnect1source.png
   :scale: 50%


   List of sources after creating a new source

Creating a sink follows a similar process. When you create a sink, you will first be
prompted to enter a set of topics that you would like to feed to the sink. After you have entered the topics,
you will see additional fields that prompt you for more information.

Similar to sources, you are required to select a connection class, a connection name, and set the maximum number
of tasks. In most cases, you will also be asked to configure other settings to connect to external systems, filter
data, or otherwise control the behavior of the sink. Confirmation works the same way with sinks as it does with
sources. Additionally, the list of sinks behaves the same way: a colored indicator shows status, and you click
the "Edit Sink" link to edit the connector.

Editing Sources and Sinks
-------------------------

To edit a source or sink, click the "Edit Source" or "Edit Sink" button shown in the list. You can edit almost
all parameters for a source or sink except for the name and connector class.