10.9.1 – REST Proxy Fundamentals

Module: Section 10 – Kafka Ecosystem & Tools
Section: 10.9 – Kafka REST Proxy
Goal: Understand REST Proxy architecture and use cases

What Is REST Proxy?

Confluent REST Proxy: HTTP interface for Kafka

Architecture:

HTTP Client → REST Proxy (port 8082) → Kafka Cluster

When to Use

✅ Use REST Proxy:

• Non-JVM clients (Python, Node.js, Go)
• Firewall restrictions (only HTTP/HTTPS allowed)
• Quick prototyping
• Web browsers (CORS support)

❌ Use Native Clients:

• High throughput requirements
• Low latency critical
• JVM applications
• Production streaming pipelines

Performance Comparison

Key Takeaways

1. REST Proxy: HTTP bridge to Kafka
2. Use Cases: Non-JVM, firewalls, prototyping
3. Performance: 10x slower than native clients
4. Port: 8082 (default)

What's Next?

Next Module: 10.9.2 – When to Use REST vs Native Clients