Apache Kafka: A Guide to Downloading and Getting Started on Windows

Apache Kafka is a powerful, open-source distributed streaming platform. It’s used for building real-time data pipelines, handling high-throughput messaging systems, and performing stream processing. If you’re working with real-time data on a Windows machine, here’s your guide to getting started with Kafka.

Prerequisites

• Java: Kafka runs on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), so you’ll need a compatible Java Development Kit (JDK) installed. At the time of writing, Java 8 or later is recommended. You can download the JDK from the Oracle website.
• Windows: This guide assumes you have a modern version of Windows (Windows 10 or later).

Steps

1. Download Kafka:

• • Go to the official Apache Kafka download page: 
  • Choose the latest “Binary downloads” option.
  • Select a build for Scala 2.12 or Scala 2.13 (Scala 2.13 is generally recommended).
  • Download the .tgz file.

1. Extract the Archive:

• • Use a suitable tool like 7-Zip or WinRAR to extract the .tgz archive.
  • Place the extracted Kafka folder in your desired location (example: C:\kafka).

1. Configure Environment Variables (Optional):

• • Open your system’s “Environment Variables” settings.
  • Add a new System Variable named KAFKA_HOME and set its value to your Kafka installation directory (e.g., C:\kafka).
  • Edit the Path system variable and add %KAFKA_HOME%\bin\windows to it. This allows you to run Kafka commands directly from the command prompt.

1. Start Zookeeper:

• • Kafka relies on Zookeeper for coordination.
  • Open a command prompt and navigate to your Kafka installation directory.
• Run the following command to start Zookeeper:
• Bash
• bin\windows\zookeeper-server-start.bat config\zookeeper.properties
• Use code 
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1. Start Kafka Server:

• • Open a new command prompt window.
  • Navigate to your Kafka installation directory.
• Run this command to start the Kafka server:
• Bash
• bin\windows\kafka-server-start.bat config\server.properties
• Use code 
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Verification

• Create a Topic: To verify everything’s working:
• Bash
• bin\windows\kafka-topics.bat –create –topic test-topic –bootstrap-server localhost:9092
• Use code 
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• Produce Messages (Open a new command prompt):
• Bash
• bin\windows\kafka-console-producer.bat –topic test-topic –broker-list localhost:9092
•  “`
• * Type a few messages and hit enter.
•  
• Use code 
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• Consume Messages (Open another new command prompt):
• Bash
• bin\windows\kafka-console-consumer.bat –topic test-topic –from-beginning –bootstrap-server localhost:9092
• Use code 
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  • You should see the messages you typed earlier.

Congratulations! You’ve successfully installed and set up Kafka on your Windows machine.

Additional Notes:

• You can customize Kafka and Zookeeper configurations in the config\server.properties and config\zookeeper.properties files.
• For production systems, consider running Kafka as a Windows service for better stability.