Manage Kafka Connect in Kafma
Add your Connect clusters to a Kafka connection, then open Kafka Connect to manage their source and sink connectors. Kafka Connect management is available on Free and Pro.
Source and sink connectors
A source connector reads from an external system and writes records to Kafka. A sink connector reads Kafka records and sends them to an external system, such as a database or file.
A connector defines the work and configuration. Its tasks carry out that work on workers, the processes running Kafka Connect. One Connect cluster can contain several workers and connectors.
Add a Connect cluster
Open the Kafka cluster's settings and expand Kafka Connect. Select Add, give the Connect cluster a name, and enter its REST API URL, for example http://localhost:8083. Add more entries when the Kafka cluster has several Connect clusters.
Use a worker's URL or a load balancer endpoint. A URL may include a base path, but cannot contain a username and password, a query string (?), or a fragment (#). Put credentials in Authentication instead.
| Authentication | What to provide |
|---|---|
| None | No credentials |
| Basic Auth | Username and password |
| Bearer Token | A bearer token |
| SSL | An HTTPS URL, an optional CA certificate, and optional client key and certificate for mTLS |
Leave CA Cert blank to use the system trust store. Connect authentication is configured separately from Kafka authentication.
Save the cluster settings, then select Kafka Connect in the sidebar. Removing a Connect entry from the settings disconnects Kafma from it; the connectors keep running.
Test the connection
Select Test for a Connect entry to check its endpoint and authentication. A successful result shows the Kafka Connect version.
Kafma also checks whether Connect uses the same Kafka cluster as this connection and warns if it doesn't. If Kafma can't tell, no warning appears, so a successful test doesn't confirm that they match.
Browse and find connectors
The page lists connectors across the configured Connect clusters with their status, task counts, and plugins. Filter by Connect cluster, connector name, type, or status, then select a connector to open its details.
You can also search for a connector by name in the command palette. Selecting a result opens its details on the Kafka Connect page.
Find connectors associated with a topic
Open a topic's details from Topics, Consumer Groups, or the Console. The Connectors section lists confirmed relationships and each connector's status:
| Role | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Reads | A sink connector subscribes to the topic |
| Has written | A source connector has written to the topic since it was created or its tracked topics were reset; it may not be writing there now |
| Dead letter queue | A sink connector uses the topic for failed records |
Select a connector to open its details on the Kafka Connect page. This leaves the topic drawer.
When Kafma cannot confirm a relationship, it lists the connector and the reason below the confirmed results. Unreachable Connect clusters are listed separately. No confirmed connectors means none was confirmed; it doesn't rule out connectors Kafma couldn't check.
Connect clusters known to use a different Kafka cluster are left out.