Principle:Apache Kafka Connect Standalone Invocation
| Knowledge Sources | |
|---|---|
| Domains | Kafka_Connect, CLI |
| Last Updated | 2026-02-09 12:00 GMT |
Overview
Principle for launching a Kafka Connect standalone worker process that runs all connectors and tasks in a single, non-distributed process.
Description
Connect Standalone Invocation is the principle of starting a Kafka Connect worker in standalone mode, where a single process runs all configured connectors and tasks without distributed coordination. Offset state is stored locally on disk rather than in Kafka topics. Connector configurations are provided directly as file arguments at startup rather than being managed through the REST API.
Standalone mode is simpler to set up and operate than distributed mode, making it appropriate for development, testing, and edge deployments where running a full distributed cluster would be unnecessary overhead.
Usage
Use this principle when running Kafka Connect for local development, testing, or simple single-node deployments where distributed fault tolerance and scalability are not required. Also suitable for edge computing scenarios with limited resources.
Theoretical Basis
Standalone mode follows a single-process execution model where the worker is both the coordinator and the sole executor:
Pseudo-code Logic:
# Abstract algorithm description (NOT real implementation)
worker = ConnectStandalone(worker_properties)
for config_file in connector_config_files:
connector = worker.load_connector(config_file)
worker.start_connector(connector)
# Offsets stored to local file (offset.storage.file.filename)
# No group coordination, no rebalancing
Unlike distributed mode, standalone mode has no fault tolerance: if the process fails, all connectors stop until it is manually restarted. Offsets are persisted to a local file, making them non-recoverable if the file is lost.