Learn the core concepts that power Apache Kafka. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to understand how Kafka works under the hood.

Learning path

Work through these topics in order to build a solid foundation:

1. Core concepts

2. Advanced concepts

3. Infrastructure

  • ZooKeeper - Kafka’s coordination service (legacy)
  • KRaft mode - Kafka without ZooKeeper (modern approach)

What you’ll learn

After completing this section, you’ll have a deep understanding of:
  • Data flow: how messages move through Kafka
  • Scalability: how Kafka handles millions of messages
  • Reliability: how Kafka ensures no data loss
  • Architecture: how all components work together

Getting started

New to Kafka? Start with topics to understand the foundation of how Kafka organizes data. Already familiar with the basics? Jump to consumer groups to learn about advanced consumption patterns.