Kafka: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition

Chapter 2. Installing Kafka

This chapter describes how to get started with the Apache Kafka broker, including how to set up Apache ZooKeeper, which is used by Kafka for storing metadata for the brokers. The chapter will also cover basic configuration options for Kafka deployments, as well as some suggestions for selecting the correct hardware to run the brokers on. Finally, we cover how to install multiple Kafka brokers as part of a single cluster and things you should know when using Kafka in a production environment.

Environment Setup

Before using Apache Kafka, your environment needs to be set up with a few prerequisites to ensure it runs properly. The following sections will guide you through that process.

Choosing an Operating System

Apache Kafka is a Java application and can run on many operating systems. While Kafka is capable of being run on many OSs, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and others, Linux is the recommended OS for the general use case. The installation steps in this chapter will focus on setting up and using Kafka in a Linux environment. For information on installing Kafka on Windows and macOS, see Appendix A.

Installing Java

Prior to installing either ZooKeeper or Kafka, you will need a Java environment set up and functioning. Kafka and ZooKeeper work well with all OpenJDK-based Java implementations, including Oracle JDK. The latest versions of Kafka support both Java 8 and Java 11. The exact version installed can be the version provided by your OS or ...