8 tips to speed up Apache Kafka® Connect development

Apache Kafka Connect is a powerful tool that enables integration of Apache Kafka with various technologies as data sources or sinks by defining configurations in JSON files. However, its complex configuration and partially overlapping functionality can make it seem like dark magic to new users. To become proficient in using Kafka Connect, one must read the manual thoroughly and understand the different connectors available for a specific integration problem. Here are some tips to improve your developer experience with Apache Kafka Connect: 1. Prepare the data landing ground by pre-creating all necessary data structures before integrating them with Apache Kafka. Avoid using auto_create_topics_enable or auto.create features, as they may lead to loss of control over these artifacts and generate problems in downstream pipelines. 2. Evaluate the benefits, limits, and risks of various connectors to choose the best one for your needs. For example, when sourcing database data into Apache Kafka, consider using either a polling mechanism based on JDBC queries or Debezium's push mechanism. 3. Check all pre-requisites before starting the connector, including network paths, credentials and privileges, and required objects in place. Ensure that all necessary JAR dependencies are placed in the correct folder. 4. Use data formats that specify schemas to avoid errors when sinking data to technologies requiring a schema. Tools like Karapace can be used for this purpose. 5. Utilize Single Message Transformations (SMT) to reshape the data payload during integration, allowing filtering, routing, defining keys, and masking of data. 6. Define keys properly to drive data partitioning and lookups in both source and sink environments. This can help achieve better performance and correctness. 7. Increase the connector's robustness by reducing the amount of data in flight, parallelizing the load, and knowing how to debug errors effectively. 8. Keep an evolution trace of your configuration changes using version control systems and automate deployment as much as possible. By following these tips and exploring additional resources like Aiven for Apache Kafka Connect and How To Guides for Source and Sink Connectors, you can master the art of integrating data sources and sinks with Apache Kafka using Kafka Connect.