What is Apache Kafka

In this article I try to summarize apache kafka from several sources from the internet. Maybe this can be useful for all of you.

Apache Kafka is an open-source distributed event streaming platform that is used for building real-time data pipelines and streaming applications. It is designed to handle high throughput, low latency, and high scalability, making it well-suited for handling large volumes of data in real-time.

Kafka is based on a publish-subscribe model, where producers write data to topics, and consumers read from those topics. Topics are like channels, and each topic can have multiple partitions, which are used to spread the data across multiple servers for increased performance and fault-tolerance.

One of the key features of Kafka is its ability to handle high throughput, which is achieved by using a distributed architecture. Producers write data to topics, which are then stored on a cluster of servers called brokers. Consumers read data from the topics, and each topic partition can have multiple replicas, which are used to ensure data is available even if one of the brokers goes down.

Kafka also has the ability to handle real-time data streams. This is achieved through the use of a log-based storage system, which allows for efficient and fast data retrieval, even for very large datasets. Additionally, data is stored in an immutable format, which means once data is written, it cannot be modified or deleted. This ensures data is always consistent and can be used for auditing and compliance.

Another important feature of Kafka is its ability to handle low latency. This is achieved through the use of in-memory data storage, which allows for fast data retrieval. Additionally, data is stored in a compact binary format, which reduces the amount of data that needs to be transferred over the network.

Kafka is also very scalable, making it well-suited for handling large volumes of data. The number of brokers and topic partitions can be easily increased to handle more data, and the system can be easily scaled out to multiple data centers for increased fault-tolerance.

In summary, Apache Kafka is a powerful and flexible event streaming platform that is well-suited for building real-time data pipelines and streaming applications. It has a number of features that make it well-suited for handling large volumes of data in real-time, including high throughput, low latency, and high scalability. Additionally, its log-based storage system and ability to handle real-time data streams make it an ideal solution for a variety of use cases, such as data integration, real-time analytics, and event-driven architectures.