Update on support of Axual client libraries
Back in 2016 Apache Kafka adoption was starting to pick up worldwide. More and more applications were starting to reap the benefits of real-time data streaming. Configuration and setup of client applications (consumer/producer) was quite complex, certainly when you are new to Apache Kafka and its intricate configuration options.
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Back in 2016 Apache Kafka adoption was starting to pick up worldwide. More and more applications were starting to reap the benefits of real-time data streaming. Configuration and setup of client applications (consumer/producer) was quite complex, certainly when you are new to Apache Kafka and its intricate configuration options.
Simplifying the connection of clients to Apache Kafka was one of the attention points we focused on when developing Axual Platform. That’s why we introduced Axual Client in 2016. It offered (and still offers) an easy way of configuring the client using parameters which are used in Self-Service, like “Application ID”, “Environment” and “Stream”.
Fast forward a couple of years, the Apache Kafka ecosystem is thriving and various open source initiatives have lead to the availability of various client libraries, such as Spring for Kafka (Java) and Confluent’s .NET client for Apache Kafka. Apart from the technical capabilities and usability of the clients, there is also a community behind them and numerous examples and documentation to get application developers to get going.
In short: the Apache Kafka ecosystem has matured and is no longer needing an additional, Axual maintained, client library for application developers who who want to connect to Kafka. A feature freeze has already been put into effect earlier this year, which means that we have not been bringing new features to the client libraries. However, we also would like to stop supporting the client libraries on a realistic moment in the future.
We acknowledge that effort goes into modifying applications to migrate away from Axual Client, for that reason we are offering extended support on the client libraries and declaring them EOL by the following dates:
- Axual Java Client: EOL by 2024-12-31 (Q4)
- Axual .NET Client: EOL by 2024-09-30 (Q3)
- Axual Python Client: EOL by 2024-09-30 (Q3)
What happens with my applications using the client library when the EOL date is reached?
Nothing, they will still remain working. The fact whether the client library is supported and maintained does not have any impact of the runtime of applications using it. Support requests created before the EOL date are handled as any other support requests. After the client library has reached EOL date, we will no longer handle support requests for this component.
What does Axual support until the EOL date?
As long as the EOL date of the respective client library is not reached, Axual will fix vulnerabilities with classification CRITICAL or HIGH. Dependencies of the respective libraries will not be upgraded except when this is needed to mitigate the aforementioned vulnerabilities.
What should I do if I’m using an Axual Client library?
If you are using an Axual Client library at the moment, we suggest you migrate your application to use one of the mentioned alternatives for Java or .NET. More information on available client libraries can be found in Apache Kafka’s online documentation. Which library is the best option for you depends on your use case. If you need support migrating away from Axual Client, we are here to support you.
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