Confluent Schema Registry

As applications continue to produce and consume messages in Apache Kafka, new consumers will arise, requiring comprehension of existing message formats. Additionally, message formats will evolve alongside business changes, necessitating a consistent schema agreement for topics.

Confluent Schema Registry exists to solve this problem.

What Is Schema Registry?

Schema Registry, a standalone server separate from Kafka brokers, maintains a database of schemas stored in the cluster's topics. It ensures high availability by running in redundant configurations. Additionally, it offers an API for producers and consumers to assess message compatibility with previous versions. If a message schema matches compatibility rules, production or consumption succeeds; otherwise, it fails, aiding in preventing runtime errors. While Schema Registry streamlines schema evolution challenges, it doesn't fully automate them.