Implementation:Apache Kafka Kafka Server Start Script
| Knowledge Sources | |
|---|---|
| Domains | Operations, Server_Administration |
| Last Updated | 2026-02-09 12:00 GMT |
Overview
Concrete tool for starting a Kafka broker process provided by the Kafka bin scripts.
Description
The kafka-server-start.sh script is the standard entry point for starting a Kafka broker. It validates that a properties file is provided, sets default environment variables for logging and heap memory, processes the -daemon flag, and delegates to kafka-run-class.sh with the kafka.Kafka main class.
Usage
Use this script directly from the command line or from deployment automation. It requires a server.properties configuration file as its primary argument.
Code Reference
Source Location
- Repository: Apache Kafka
- File: bin/kafka-server-start.sh
- Lines: L17-44
Signature
# Usage: kafka-server-start.sh [-daemon] server.properties [--override property=value]*
# Environment defaults set by this script:
# KAFKA_LOG4J_OPTS="-Dlog4j.configurationFile=file:$base_dir/config/log4j2.yaml"
# KAFKA_HEAP_OPTS="-Xmx1G -Xms1G"
# EXTRA_ARGS="-name kafkaServer -loggc"
# Delegates to:
exec $(dirname $0)/kafka-run-class.sh $EXTRA_ARGS kafka.Kafka "$@"
Import
# Direct CLI usage:
bin/kafka-server-start.sh config/server.properties
I/O Contract
Inputs
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| server.properties | file | Yes | Kafka broker configuration file |
| -daemon | flag | No | Run broker in background mode |
| --override | key=value | No | Override specific config properties |
Outputs
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Kafka process | JVM process | Running Kafka broker (foreground or daemon) |
| Logs | file | Written to configured Log4j2 directory |
Usage Examples
Start Broker in Foreground
bin/kafka-server-start.sh config/server.properties
Start Broker as Daemon
bin/kafka-server-start.sh -daemon config/server.properties
Start with Config Overrides
bin/kafka-server-start.sh config/server.properties \
--override broker.id=1 \
--override log.dirs=/data/kafka-logs
Related Pages
Implements Principle
Page Connections
Double-click a node to navigate. Hold to expand connections.
Principle
Implementation
Heuristic
Environment