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Kafka Access allows you to create and manage Kafka users with fine-grained access control through ACLs (Access Control Lists), whitelisted IPs, and secure proxy endpoints for your Streamkap services.

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Overview

The Kafka Access page provides a centralized interface to:
  • Create and manage Kafka users with authentication credentials
  • Configure IP whitelisting for enhanced security
  • Define granular ACLs for topic and consumer group access
  • View proxy endpoints for connecting to your Kafka service
  • Search and filter users by username or IP address

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Table Columns

The Kafka Access table displays the following information:
  • Username: The Kafka username (lowercase only)
  • Whitelisted IPs: CIDR-notated IP addresses allowed to connect
  • Proxy Endpoint: The Kafka proxy connection endpoints (host:port)
  • ACLs: Summary of configured Access Control Lists showing resource name, operation, pattern type, and resource type

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Quick Actions

Each user row includes action buttons on the right:
  • Edit (pencil icon): Modify user settings, password, IPs, and ACLs
  • Delete (trash icon): Remove the Kafka user

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Creating a Kafka User

To create a new Kafka user:
1

Click Create User

Click the Create User button at the top of the page.
2

Enter Username

Provide a unique username (lowercase characters only).
Usernames must be lowercase and unique within your service.
3

Set Password

Enter a secure password for the user. This will be used for SASL authentication.
4

Configure Whitelisted IPs (Optional)

Add IP addresses or CIDR ranges that are allowed to connect with this user.
  • Enter IP/CIDR notation (e.g., 192.168.1.0/24)
  • Press Enter or comma to add multiple IPs
  • Leave empty to allow connections from any IP
Using IP whitelisting adds an extra layer of security by restricting where connections can originate.
5

Configure ACLs (Optional)

Define Access Control Lists to control what this user can access.Click + Add ACL to add a new rule. For each ACL, specify:
  • Name: The resource name (topic name, consumer group name, or pattern)
  • Resource: The type of resource
    • TOPIC: Kafka topics
    • GROUP: Consumer groups
    • CLUSTER: Cluster-level operations
    • TRANSACTIONAL_ID: Transactional IDs
    • DELEGATION_TOKEN: Delegation tokens
  • Operation: The allowed operation
    • READ: Consume from topics or read group offsets
    • WRITE: Write data to topics
    • CREATE: Create topics or other resources
    • DELETE: Delete resources
    • ALTER: Modify resource configurations
    • DESCRIBE: View resource metadata (required by many clients alongside READ/WRITE)
    • CLUSTER_ACTION: Perform cluster-level actions
    • DESCRIBE_CONFIGS: View configurations
    • ALTER_CONFIGS: Modify configurations
    • IDEMPOTENT_WRITE: Idempotent writes
    • ALL: All operations
  • Pattern Type: How the resource name is matched
    • LITERAL: Exact match (e.g., specific topic name)
    • PREFIXED: Matches resources starting with this prefix
You can add multiple ACL rules for the same user to grant access to different resources.
Import .CSV: You can bulk import ACL rules from a CSV file by clicking the “Import .CSV” button.
6

Save

Click Save to create the user. The user will appear in the table with their proxy endpoints.

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Editing a Kafka User

To modify an existing Kafka user:
  1. Click the Edit button (pencil icon) for the user you want to modify
  2. The Edit Kafka User dialog will appear showing current settings

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Editable Fields

  • Username: Display only (cannot be changed after creation)
  • Password (optional): Enter a new password to change it, or leave empty to keep the current password
  • Whitelisted IPs: Add or remove IP addresses/CIDR ranges
  • Kafka ACLs: Add, modify, or remove ACL rules
Removing or modifying ACLs will immediately affect the user’s access permissions. Ensure you understand the impact before making changes.

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Deleting a Kafka User

To remove a Kafka user:
  1. Click the Delete button (trash icon) for the user
  2. Confirm the deletion when prompted
Deleting a user is permanent and will immediately revoke all access. Any applications using these credentials will lose connectivity.

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Searching and Filtering

Use the search bar to quickly find users:
  • Search by username
  • Search by IP address (full or partial match)
The search filters the table in real-time as you type.

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Connecting to Kafka

Once a user is created, you can connect to Kafka using the proxy endpoints displayed in the table.

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Connection Details

  • Bootstrap Servers: Use the proxy endpoints from the “Proxy Endpoint” column
  • Security Protocol: SASL_SSL
  • SASL Mechanism: PLAIN
  • Username: The Kafka username you created
  • Password: The password you set for the user

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Example Connection Configuration

bootstrap.servers=tenant-demo-testare.streamkap.net:32400,tenant-demo-testare.streamkap.net:32401,tenant-demo-testare.streamkap.net:32402
security.protocol=SASL_SSL
sasl.mechanism=PLAIN

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Service Selection

The Kafka Access page is service-specific. You can switch between services using the Service selector at the top of the page (shown as “Service: Production” in the breadcrumb area). Each service has its own set of Kafka users and proxy endpoints.

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ACL Best Practices

When configuring ACLs, follow these best practices:
  1. Principle of Least Privilege: Grant only the minimum permissions required for each user
  2. Use Literal Matches: When possible, use LITERAL pattern type for specific topic names to avoid over-permissioning
  3. Separate Users by Function: Create different users for producers, consumers, and administrative tasks
  4. Combine READ and DESCRIBE: Consumers typically need both READ (for data) and DESCRIBE (for metadata)
  5. Consumer Groups: Don’t forget to grant READ access to consumer groups (resource type GROUP) for consumer applications
  6. Testing: Test ACL configurations in a development environment before applying to production

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Common ACL Patterns

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Read-Only Consumer

  • Resource: TOPIC with topic name
  • Operation: READ
  • Pattern Type: LITERAL
Plus:
  • Resource: GROUP with consumer group name
  • Operation: READ
  • Pattern Type: LITERAL or PREFIXED

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Producer

  • Resource: TOPIC with topic name
  • Operation: WRITE
  • Pattern Type: LITERAL

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Admin User

  • Resource: CLUSTER
  • Operation: ALL
  • Pattern Type: LITERAL

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Security Considerations

  • Rotate Passwords Regularly: Change user passwords periodically
  • Use IP Whitelisting: Restrict access to known IP ranges when possible
  • Monitor Access: Check audit logs regularly for unauthorized access attempts
  • Remove Unused Users: Delete users that are no longer needed
  • Strong Passwords: Use complex passwords with a mix of characters

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Troubleshooting

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Connection Refused

If you cannot connect to Kafka:
  1. Verify the proxy endpoints are correct
  2. Check that your IP address is whitelisted (if configured)
  3. Confirm the username and password are correct
  4. Ensure your firewall allows outbound connections to the proxy ports

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Permission Denied

If you receive permission denied errors:
  1. Review the user’s ACLs to ensure they have the required permissions
  2. Check that the ACL resource name matches your topic/group name exactly (for LITERAL matches)
  3. Verify the operation type includes what you’re trying to do (e.g., READ for consuming)

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User Not Found

If a user appears in the list but cannot authenticate:
  1. Verify you’re connecting to the correct service endpoints
  2. Check that the password was set correctly
  3. Try editing the user and resetting the password