How to use the AWS Kafka command (with examples)
The AWS Kafka command is used to manage an Amazon MSK (Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka) cluster. It provides various functionalities to interact with the cluster, such as creating and deleting clusters, describing clusters and configurations, and updating cluster configurations.
Use case 1: Create a new MSK cluster
Code:
aws kafka create-cluster --cluster-name cluster_name --broker-node-group-info instanceType=instance_type,clientSubnets=subnet_id1 subnet_id2 ... --kafka-version version --number-of-broker-nodes number
Motivation: This use case is useful when you need to create a new MSK cluster. By running this command, you can specify the cluster name, instance type for the broker nodes, client subnets, Kafka version, and the number of broker nodes for the cluster.
Explanation:
--cluster-name: The name of the cluster that you want to create.--broker-node-group-info: The details of the broker node group, including the instance type and client subnets.--kafka-version: The version of Apache Kafka that you want to use for the cluster.--number-of-broker-nodes: The number of broker nodes that you want to provision for the cluster.
Example output:
{
"ClusterArn": "arn:aws:kafka:us-west-2:012345678901:cluster/my-cluster/1a2b3c4d-5678-90ab-cdef-1234567890ab-1",
"ClusterName": "my-cluster",
"State": "CREATING",
...
}
Use case 2: Describe a MSK cluster
Code:
aws kafka describe-cluster --cluster-arn cluster_arn
Motivation: When you want to get information about a specific MSK cluster, you can use this command. It allows you to retrieve details such as the cluster ARN, name, state, Kafka version, and so on.
Explanation:
--cluster-arn: The ARN (Amazon Resource Name) of the cluster that you want to describe.
Example output:
{
"ClusterInfo": {
"BrokerNodeGroupInfo": {
"SecurityGroups": [],
"ClientSubnets": [
"subnet-0123456789abcdef0",
"subnet-0123456789abcdef1"
],
...
},
"ClusterArn": "arn:aws:kafka:us-west-2:012345678901:cluster/my-cluster/1a2b3c4d-5678-90ab-cdef-1234567890ab-1",
...
}
}
Use case 3: List all MSK clusters in the current region
Code:
aws kafka list-clusters
Motivation: In scenarios where you want to retrieve a list of all MSK clusters in the current AWS region, you can use this command. It provides information about each existing cluster, including its cluster ARN, name, state, and creation time.
Example output:
{
"ClusterInfoList": [
{
"ClusterArn": "arn:aws:kafka:us-west-2:012345678901:cluster/my-cluster/1a2b3c4d-5678-90ab-cdef-1234567890ab-1",
"ClusterName": "my-cluster",
"State": "ACTIVE",
...
},
...
]
}
Use case 4: Create a new MSK configuration
Code:
aws kafka create-configuration --name configuration_name --server-properties file://path/to/configuration_file.txt
Motivation: This use case is helpful when you need to create a new MSK configuration. By using this command, you can specify the name for the configuration and provide a file containing the server properties for the configuration.
Explanation:
--name: The name for the configuration that you want to create.--server-properties: The path to a local file that contains the server properties for the configuration. The file must be in JSON format.
Example output:
{
"Arn": "arn:aws:kafka:us-west-2:012345678901:configuration/my-configuration/1a2b3c4d-5678-90ab-cdef-1234567890ab-1",
"CreationTime": "2022-03-15T10:24:15.535Z",
"Name": "my-configuration",
...
}
Use case 5: Describe a MSK configuration
Code:
aws kafka describe-configuration --arn configuration_arn
Motivation: When you want to retrieve information about a specific MSK configuration, you can use this command. It allows you to get details such as the ARN, name, creation time, Kafka versions compatible with the configuration, and the server properties.
Explanation:
--arn: The ARN of the configuration that you want to describe.
Example output:
{
"Arn": "arn:aws:kafka:us-west-2:012345678901:configuration/my-configuration/1a2b3c4d-5678-90ab-cdef-1234567890ab-1",
"CreationTime": "2022-03-15T10:24:15.535Z",
"Name": "my-configuration",
...
}
Use case 6: List all MSK configurations in the current region
Code:
aws kafka list-configurations
Motivation: In scenarios where you want to retrieve a list of all MSK configurations in the current AWS region, you can use this command. It provides information about each existing configuration, including its ARN, name, creation time, and Kafka versions compatible with the configuration.
Example output:
{
"Configurations": [
{
"Arn": "arn:aws:kafka:us-west-2:012345678901:configuration/my-configuration/1a2b3c4d-5678-90ab-cdef-1234567890ab-1",
"CreationTime": "2022-03-15T10:24:15.535Z",
"Name": "my-configuration",
...
},
...
]
}
Use case 7: Update the MSK cluster configuration
Code:
aws kafka update-cluster-configuration --cluster-arn cluster_arn --configuration-info arn=configuration_arn,revision=configuration_revision
Motivation: When you need to update the configuration of an existing MSK cluster, you can use this command. It allows you to specify the ARN and revision of the new configuration that you want to apply to the cluster.
Explanation:
--cluster-arn: The ARN of the cluster for which you want to update the configuration.--configuration-info: The information about the new configuration that you want to apply, including its ARN and revision.
Example output:
{
"ClusterArn": "arn:aws:kafka:us-west-2:012345678901:cluster/my-cluster/1a2b3c4d-5678-90ab-cdef-1234567890ab-1",
"ClusterName": "my-cluster",
"State": "UPDATING",
...
}
Use case 8: Delete the MSK cluster
Code:
aws kafka delete-cluster --cluster-arn cluster_arn
Motivation: In scenarios where you no longer need an MSK cluster and want to delete it, you can use this command. It allows you to specify the ARN of the cluster that you want to delete.
Explanation:
--cluster-arn: The ARN of the cluster that you want to delete.
Example output:
{
"ClusterArn": "arn:aws:kafka:us-west-2:012345678901:cluster/my-cluster/1a2b3c4d-5678-90ab-cdef-1234567890ab-1",
"ClusterName": "my-cluster",
"State": "DELETING",
...
}
Conclusion:
In this article, we have covered various use cases of the AWS Kafka command. We learned how to create and delete MSK clusters, list clusters and configurations, describe cluster and configuration details, and update cluster configurations. These commands provide powerful capabilities for managing and interacting with Amazon MSK clusters, enabling you to effectively utilize Apache Kafka for your streaming data applications.
