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ExtensibilityMediationManage connections in metersCreate Kafka connections in meters

Validate and activate the Kafka connection

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Validate the Kafka connection and activate it for use in meters.

1

Click Validate to run connectivity and permission checks against your Kafka cluster using the connection settings you configured.

The test connection uses a 15-second timeout. If your network path or Kafka cluster is slow and the test does not complete within 15 seconds, validation fails with a timeout error.

When testing a Kafka connection, Zuora:

  • Creates a Kafka AdminClient with the provided configuration.
  • Calls describeCluster() to validate connectivity and authentication.
  • Optionally validates that a specific topic exists and is accessible when you provide a topic in the test parameters.

If validation passes, a Validation Successful message is displayed and the Activate Connection button is enabled.

2

Click Activate Connection to activate the Kafka connection

The connection is now active and available for selection in Mediation meters.

Updating the configuration of an active Kafka connection creates a new inactive version. When you activate the new version, previous versions are deactivated so that only one version is active at a time.

Troubleshooting

When you include a topic in the validation test parameters, Zuora enforces additional constraints on the topic name:

  • Maximum length: 249 characters.
  • The names . and .. are not allowed.
  • Only the following characters are allowed: a–z, A–Z, 0–9, ., _, -.

If a topic name violates these rules, validation fails with a topic-validation error.

When validation fails, the error message indicates the category of the failure. Typical categories include:

  • DNS resolution error – The bootstrap server hostname cannot be resolved; check DNS and hostnames.
  • Connection refused – The broker is not reachable on the specified port; verify firewall rules and listener ports.
  • TLS/SSL handshake or certificate error – Issues with truststore/keystore, expired certificates, or hostname mismatch; confirm certificates and truststore contents.
  • SASL authentication error – Invalid username/password or JAAS configuration; verify credentials and mechanism.
  • Topic not found / Not authorized – The topic does not exist or your user lacks permissions; create the topic or adjust Kafka ACLs.
  • Connection timed out – Network latency or blocking firewall; check connectivity and consider retriggering the test.