Kroxylicious

[k-wall]

Project information

• Kroxylicious:
• https://kroxylicious.io/:
• https://github.com/kroxylicious:
• ASF 2.0:

Do you have authority to represent this project?

• I own or maintain this project

Describe your project

Kroxylicious, the snappy open source proxy for Apache Kafka®.

Kroxylicious is an Apache Kafka® protocol-aware proxy. It can be used to layer uniform behaviours onto a Kafka based system in areas such as data-governance, security, policy enforcement and audit without needing to change either the applications or the Kafka Cluster.

We already have Filters that implement use-cases such Record Encryption (giving Kafka an encryption at rest capability) and Record Validation (protecting a Kafka based system from 'poison' messages). We have many great ideas for other use-cases too.

Whilst the project is written in Java itself, it is actually capable of working with any Kafka compliant broker or client. So this means it is applicable to Apache Kafka itself, clients based on https://github.com/confluentinc/librdkafka and https://github.com/IBM/sarama, as well as SaaS based Kafka services such as Confluent or Redpanda.

Motivation for joining Commonhaus

The Kroxylicious project was founded over two years ago to explore the viability of an open-source pluggable Kafka protocol proxy. Since that time we've built out a high performance transport layer (based on Netty), leveraging the Apache Kafka own codecs, and created a pluggable Filter API that allows users to plugin their own business logic.

We also created filter implementations providing Record Encryption (encryption at rest), started to explore Record Validation (schema validation and enforcement) amongst other use-cases.

We feel that we'd already through the experimentation phase and it is time to shift gear.

Up until now, most of the contributions have come from Red Hat, but we have seen significant interest and contributions and from other organisations around the world. We want to maintain and build on that momentum.

So, why do we want to join a foundation:

• expand our community,
• become more open and transparent in our roadmap and decisions,
• encourage participation of other organisations in the project.

We believe that moving Kroxylicious to a Foundation will help drive these goals and benefiting everyone involved.

We think that Commonhaus is a good fit for the project.

• Commonhaus's minimal touch governance is appealing. We value an approach that can grow as we do.
• We want to be part of a Foundation that lets us innovate fast - we value properties such as release cadence

Things that must be done (bootstrap phase)

• Review the bylaws, especially sections about projects, decision making, and voting for significant decisions.

• Read the bootstrapping agreement.

• If all is well, and you agree to participate in the bootstrapping phase to help us build this thing, then create a PR with the following:

  1. A filled out copy of the bootstrapping agreement. You can make a copy of bootstrapping.md file and check that in, or checkin a filled out pdf. Please follow naming conventions.
  2. An updated CONTACTS.yaml that names your project representative in the EGC section
  3. An updated PROJECTS.yaml that provides details / describes your project
  4. An updated TRADEMARKS.md that adds your project name and project logo (if you have one). Please include the footnote reference, as we are using your project name and logo with your permission until we have a formal agreement in place and resources are transferred.

  The commit should be "Signed-off-by" your GH login (git commit -s -m "<project> bootstrapping agreement, yyyy-mm-dd")

[ebullient]

Folks have been reviewing this, and we're divided on what to do here. There are two main points being raised: (1) Kroxy is still relatively young, but more importantly, (2) the affinity to Apache Kafka makes it feel like Commonhaus is the wrong place.

If community outreach and growth are the goal (given what the project is and does), it seems like it should remain closer to the Kafka community (at Apache).

cc: @commonhaus/cf-egc

[k-wall]

We thought long and hard about the right foundation for the project and decided that Commonhaus was the best fit. What makes Commonhaus attractive to us is the agility and openness brought by your minimum viable governance model. We value being able to innovate and release quickly. We also value the light touch governance approach that will allow us to grow our governance model with the community.

The Kafka community is already broader than a single foundation. For example, Strimzi is thriving in CNCF, and Debezium, which is part of the Kafka ecosystem too, is already in Commonhaus. There are also several other key Kafka technologies such as Cruise Control that sit outside.

[ebullient]

Welcome to Commonhaus! 🚀

Influx of things headed your way. ;)