How Kafka Connect Works
A Connect worker operates connectors, which are plug-ins interfacing with external systems. Source connectors fetch data from external systems, sending it to Kafka topics, while sink connectors consume Kafka topics, forwarding messages to external systems. Connectors are either source or sink, but Kafka views them simply as producers or consumers, with brokers handling the rest.
Benefits of Kafka Connect
Kafka Connect boasts a vast ecosystem of connectors, offering ready-made solutions for common data integration tasks like cloud storage, Elasticsearch, and databases. This eliminates the need to reinvent the wheel, saving time and resources. The Confluent Hub provides a curated collection of connectors with various licenses and support levels. Additionally, you can find connectors on GitHub or elsewhere. Building your own connector may seem feasible, but Kafka Connect handles complexities like failover, scalability, and data transformation seamlessly. Despite its apparent simplicity, Kafka Connect is a sophisticated distributed system with a versatile plugin ecosystem. If the existing connectors don't meet your needs, the open-source framework allows easy development of custom connectors while maintaining scalability and fault tolerance.
For a more detailed introduction to Kafka Connect, check out the Kafka Connect 101 course.