The Schema Registry is a centralized repository for managing and validating the structure (schema) of data exchanged between Kafka and clients, ensuring data compatibility.
Why is a Schema Registry necessary?
Kafka is responsible for storing and delivering messages but does not directly manage the structure of these messages. As a result, messages of any format can be stored in Kafka. However, if the format of messages sent by the producer differs from the format expected by the consumer, data compatibility issues may arise. Therefore, it is essential to standardize and manage the format of data exchanged with Kafka using the Schema Registry.
In mKC you can register Schema Registry clusters and manage schemas by creating, updating, or deleting them. You can manage the Schema Registry under the Data Pipeline > Schema Registry menu. Schema management is covered in more detail in Schema Management.
Registering a New Schema Registry Cluster
Please enter the information for the Schema Registry cluster you want to register.
- Cluster Name: Please enter the information for the Schema Registry cluster you want to register.
- Hosts: Information about the servers that make up the cluster.
First, enter the cluster name and click Add Host to add the server information that makes up the Schema Registry cluster.
Use of JMX and Node Metrics
- Using JMX Metrics. If the JMX Exporter is used on the Schema Registry server, JVM metrics are provided, allowing you to monitor the Schema Registry. Without using the JMX Exporter, you will not be able to monitor the Schema Registry, and schema management functions like registration and deletion may not work properly.
- Using Node Metrics. If the Node Exporter is used on the Schema Registry server, node metrics are provided, enabling you to monitor system performance. Without using the Node Exporter, metrics related to nodes may not be visible.
Once all information has been entered, click Register to complete the registration.
✨ Now, you can manage the Schema Registry and schemas based on the registered information!
Managing Schema Registry Clusters
On the Schema Registry cluster list page, click Settings Schema Registry to go to the management page. The management page displays the registration information of the Schema Registry cluster. You cannot change the cluster name, but you can add, modify, or delete hosts, as well as adjust the JMX/Node metric settings.
Metric settings cannot be changed from enabled to disabled.
Removing a Schema Registry Cluster
On the Schema Registry cluster settings page, you can remove the Schema Registry cluster information registered in mKC by clicking Remove Cluster at the bottom left. This action removes the information registered in mKC but does not delete the actual Schema Registry. Once the cluster registration information is removed, the monitoring service will no longer track the status of that Schema Registry cluster.