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Field level encryption and performance

Let's demonstrate field level encryption and performance

View the full demo in realtime​

You can either follow all the steps manually, or watch the recording

Review the docker compose environment​

As can be seen from docker-compose.yaml the demo environment consists of the following services:

  • gateway1
  • gateway2
  • kafka-client
  • kafka1
  • kafka2
  • kafka3
  • schema-registry
  • zookeeper
cat docker-compose.yaml

Starting the docker environment​

Start all your docker processes, wait for them to be up and ready, then run in background

  • --wait: Wait for services to be running|healthy. Implies detached mode.
  • --detach: Detached mode: Run containers in the background
docker compose up --detach --wait

Creating virtual cluster teamA​

Creating virtual cluster teamA on gateway gateway1 and reviewing the configuration file to access it

# Generate virtual cluster teamA with service account sa
token=$(curl \
    --request POST "http://localhost:8888/admin/vclusters/v1/vcluster/teamA/username/sa" \
    --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
    --user 'admin:conduktor' \
    --silent \
    --data-raw '{"lifeTimeSeconds": 7776000}' | jq -r ".token")

# Create access file
echo  """
bootstrap.servers=localhost:6969
security.protocol=SASL_PLAINTEXT
sasl.mechanism=PLAIN
sasl.jaas.config=org.apache.kafka.common.security.plain.PlainLoginModule required username='sa' password='$token';
""" > teamA-sa.properties

# Review file
cat teamA-sa.properties

Creating topic customers on teamA​

Creating on teamA:

  • Topic customers with partitions:1 and replication-factor:1
kafka-topics \
    --bootstrap-server localhost:6969 \
    --command-config teamA-sa.properties \
    --replication-factor 1 \
    --partitions 1 \
    --create --if-not-exists \
    --topic customers

Adding interceptor encrypt​

We want to encrypt only two fields, with an in memory KMS.

cat step-07-encrypt.json | jq

curl \
    --request POST "http://localhost:8888/admin/interceptors/v1/vcluster/teamA/interceptor/encrypt" \
    --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
    --user 'admin:conduktor' \
    --silent \
    --data @step-07-encrypt.json | jq

Adding interceptor decrypt​

Let's add the decrypt interceptor to decipher messages

cat step-08-decrypt.json | jq

curl \
    --request POST "http://localhost:8888/admin/interceptors/v1/vcluster/teamA/interceptor/decrypt" \
    --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
    --user 'admin:conduktor' \
    --silent \
    --data @step-08-decrypt.json | jq

Listing interceptors for teamA​

Listing interceptors on gateway1 for virtual cluster teamA

curl \
    --request GET 'http://localhost:8888/admin/interceptors/v1/vcluster/teamA' \
    --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
    --user 'admin:conduktor' \
    --silent | jq

Running kafka-producer-perf-test bundled with Apache Kafka​

kafka-producer-perf-test \
  --topic customers \
  --throughput -1 \
  --num-records 1000000 \
  --producer-props \
      bootstrap.servers=localhost:6969 \
      linger.ms=100 \
      compression.type=lz4 \
  --producer.config teamA-sa.properties \
  --payload-file examples.json

Tearing down the docker environment​

Remove all your docker processes and associated volumes

  • --volumes: Remove named volumes declared in the "volumes" section of the Compose file and anonymous volumes attached to containers.
docker compose down --volumes

Conclusion

Yes, encryption in the Kafka world can be simple ... and efficient!

[!NOTE] The best part is that this performance level is with the default security provider. You can use Bouncy Castle, Conscrypt etc to boost both your performance and compliancy!