AD082 – Event-Driven Architecture with Apache Kafka and Red Hat OpenShift Application Services Technical Overview — Lesson 2: Apache Kafka Architecture, Topics, Partitions, Replication, and Consumer Groups

Learning Objectives

• Configure the main services, objects, and controls involved in Kafka brokers, topics and partitions, and replication.
• Apply consumer groups and retention while preserving reviewable technical evidence.
• Recognize and correct the risk where a valid command creates the wrong outcome because variables, identity, or sequencing are incorrect.

Detailed Topics

• Kafka brokers: apply the concept to an architecture team evaluating event-driven integration for loosely coupled digital services, record the relevant settings or decisions, and explain the operational consequence.
• topics and partitions: apply the concept to an architecture team evaluating event-driven integration for loosely coupled digital services, record the relevant settings or decisions, and explain the operational consequence.
• replication: apply the concept to an architecture team evaluating event-driven integration for loosely coupled digital services, record the relevant settings or decisions, and explain the operational consequence.
• consumer groups: apply the concept to an architecture team evaluating event-driven integration for loosely coupled digital services, record the relevant settings or decisions, and explain the operational consequence.
• retention: apply the concept to an architecture team evaluating event-driven integration for loosely coupled digital services, record the relevant settings or decisions, and explain the operational consequence.

Instructor Demonstration

The instructor demonstrates apache kafka architecture, topics, partitions, replication, and consumer groups by tracing the relevant architecture, commands, configuration, messages, and evidence. The walkthrough highlights how a valid command creates the wrong outcome because variables, identity, or sequencing are incorrect and shows how to isolate the cause without masking dependent issues.

Hands-On Exercise

Implement the core workflow and compare expected versus observed behavior for Apache Kafka Architecture, Topics, Partitions, Replication, and Consumer Groups. Add verified outcomes to the event-driven architecture brief, service interaction map, technology decision record, and adoption roadmap.

1. Confirm the scope, versions, access, dependencies, and success criteria.
2. Perform the workflow while recording commands, settings, output, and platform events.
3. Test one expected case and one controlled exception specific to this lesson.
4. Retest the correction and document ownership, rollback, and follow-up actions.

Scenario Analysis

• Identify which dependency most strongly influences Kafka brokers in the stated scenario.
• Compare two approaches for consumer groups and explain the security, reliability, and support trade-offs.
• Decide what evidence must be retained in the event-driven architecture brief, service interaction map, technology decision record, and adoption roadmap before operational acceptance.

Troubleshooting Guidance

Begin with the first observable difference from the expected result. Check configuration, permissions, sequencing, and functional behavior separately, then correlate logs, events, commands, and configuration history. Do not accept the initial assumption that a valid command creates the wrong outcome because variables, identity, or sequencing are incorrect; confirm the cause with a reproducible retest.

Validation Checklist

• The required configuration, permissions, sequencing, and functional behavior were checked and recorded.
• The normal path and a course-specific exception were tested.
• The event-driven architecture brief, service interaction map, technology decision record, and adoption roadmap links conclusions to commands, configuration, logs, or other objective evidence.
• Corrective actions, rollback steps, ownership, and handover notes are complete.

Lesson Outcome

Learners can apply Apache Kafka Architecture, Topics, Partitions, Replication, and Consumer Groups, explain the observed Red Hat platform behavior, and support the result with a reviewable event-driven architecture brief, service interaction map, technology decision record, and adoption roadmap.