Kafka Administrative Protocol APIs

This document specifies the Kafka protocol APIs used for cluster administration, including topic management, configuration, ACL management, and cluster operations.

---

Administrative API Reference

Topic Management

API Key	Name	Purpose
19	CreateTopics	Create new topics
20	DeleteTopics	Delete existing topics
21	DeleteRecords	Delete records before offset
37	CreatePartitions	Add partitions to topics

Configuration Management

API Key	Name	Purpose
32	DescribeConfigs	Retrieve configurations
33	AlterConfigs	Replace configurations (deprecated)
44	IncrementalAlterConfigs	Modify configurations incrementally

ACL Management

API Key	Name	Purpose
29	DescribeAcls	List ACL entries
30	CreateAcls	Create ACL entries
31	DeleteAcls	Delete ACL entries

Cluster Operations

API Key	Name	Purpose
34	AlterReplicaLogDirs	Move replicas between directories
35	DescribeLogDirs	Query log directory usage
43	ElectLeaders	Trigger leader election
45	AlterPartitionReassignments	Reassign partitions
46	ListPartitionReassignments	Query reassignment status
60	DescribeCluster	Describe cluster metadata

KRaft Voter Management

API Key	Name	Purpose
80	AddRaftVoter	Add voter to KRaft quorum
81	RemoveRaftVoter	Remove voter from KRaft quorum

---

CreateTopics API (Key 19)

Overview

The CreateTopics API creates new topics with specified configurations.

Version History

Version	Kafka	Key Changes
0	0.10.1	Initial version
1	0.10.2	Error message
2	0.11.0	Response config
3	1.0.0	Throttle time
4	2.0.0	KIP-339
5	2.4.0	Flexible versions
6	2.7.0	KIP-525
7	3.0.0	KIP-516 topic ID

Request Schema

CreateTopicsRequest =>
    topics: [Topic]
    timeout_ms: INT32
    validate_only: BOOLEAN

Topic =>
    name: STRING
    num_partitions: INT32
    replication_factor: INT16
    assignments: [Assignment]
    configs: [Config]

Assignment =>
    partition_index: INT32
    broker_ids: [INT32]

Config =>
    name: STRING
    value: NULLABLE_STRING

Field	Type	Description
name	STRING	Topic name
num_partitions	INT32	Number of partitions (-1 for default)
replication_factor	INT16	Replication factor (-1 for default)
assignments	ARRAY	Manual replica assignments (optional)
configs	ARRAY	Topic-level configurations
timeout_ms	INT32	Operation timeout
validate_only	BOOLEAN	Only validate, do not create

Response Schema

CreateTopicsResponse =>
    throttle_time_ms: INT32
    topics: [Topic]

Topic =>
    name: STRING
    topic_id: UUID
    error_code: INT16
    error_message: NULLABLE_STRING
    num_partitions: INT32
    replication_factor: INT16
    configs: [Config]

Behavioral Contract

Aspect	Guarantee
Atomicity	Each topic creation is independent
Validation	Configs validated before creation
Timeout	TIMEOUT error does not mean failure
Idempotence	TOPIC_ALREADY_EXISTS if topic exists

Timeout Behavior

A REQUEST_TIMED_OUT response does not indicate failure. The topic may still be created. Clients should query metadata to verify topic state.

Error Handling

Error Code	Retriable	Cause	Recovery
TOPIC_ALREADY_EXISTS	❌	Topic exists	Skip or delete first
INVALID_TOPIC	❌	Invalid topic name	Fix name
INVALID_REPLICATION_FACTOR	❌	RF > available brokers	Reduce RF
INVALID_PARTITIONS	❌	Invalid partition count	Fix count
TOPIC_AUTHORIZATION_FAILED	❌	No Create permission	Check ACLs
REQUEST_TIMED_OUT	✅	Operation timeout	Check metadata, retry

---

DeleteTopics API (Key 20)

Overview

The DeleteTopics API deletes topics and all their data.

Version History

Version	Kafka	Key Changes
0	0.10.1	Initial version
1	0.10.2	Error message
2	0.11.0	Throttle time
3	1.2.0	Response improvements
4	2.4.0	Flexible versions
5	2.8.0	KIP-516 topic ID
6	3.0.0	KIP-516 improvements

Request Schema

DeleteTopicsRequest =>
    topics: [Topic]
    topic_names: [STRING]
    timeout_ms: INT32

Topic =>
    name: NULLABLE_STRING
    topic_id: UUID

Field	Type	Description
topics	ARRAY	Topics to delete (by name or ID)
timeout_ms	INT32	Operation timeout

Response Schema

DeleteTopicsResponse =>
    throttle_time_ms: INT32
    responses: [Response]

Response =>
    name: NULLABLE_STRING
    topic_id: UUID
    error_code: INT16
    error_message: NULLABLE_STRING

Behavioral Contract

Aspect	Guarantee
Irreversibility	Deletion cannot be undone
Asynchronous	Deletion may complete after response
Data loss	All partition data permanently lost
Metadata	Topic removed from cluster metadata

Irreversible Operation

Topic deletion permanently destroys all data in the topic. There is no recovery mechanism.

---

CreatePartitions API (Key 37)

Overview

The CreatePartitions API adds partitions to existing topics.

Version History

Version	Kafka	Key Changes
0	1.0.0	Initial version
1	2.0.0	Response improvements
2	2.4.0	Flexible versions
3	2.8.0	KIP-516

Request Schema

CreatePartitionsRequest =>
    topics: [Topic]
    timeout_ms: INT32
    validate_only: BOOLEAN

Topic =>
    name: STRING
    count: INT32
    assignments: [Assignment]

Assignment =>
    broker_ids: [INT32]

Field	Type	Description
count	INT32	New total partition count
assignments	ARRAY	Manual replica assignments for new partitions

Response Schema

CreatePartitionsResponse =>
    throttle_time_ms: INT32
    results: [Result]

Result =>
    name: STRING
    error_code: INT16
    error_message: NULLABLE_STRING

Behavioral Contract

Aspect	Guarantee
Increase only	Can only increase partition count
Key distribution	Existing key distribution changes
Data preservation	Existing partition data preserved

Key Distribution Impact

Adding partitions changes key-to-partition mapping. Keys previously routing to partition N may route to new partitions. This affects ordering guarantees for keyed messages.

---

DescribeConfigs API (Key 32)

Overview

The DescribeConfigs API retrieves configuration for resources (brokers, topics, etc.).

Version History

Version	Kafka	Key Changes
0	0.11.0	Initial version
1	1.0.0	Include synonyms
2	2.0.0	Response improvements
3	2.1.0	Include documentation
4	2.4.0	Flexible versions

Request Schema

DescribeConfigsRequest =>
    resources: [Resource]
    include_synonyms: BOOLEAN
    include_documentation: BOOLEAN

Resource =>
    resource_type: INT8
    resource_name: STRING
    configuration_keys: [STRING]

Field	Type	Description
resource_type	INT8	Resource type (see below)
resource_name	STRING	Resource name (topic/broker ID)
configuration_keys	ARRAY	Keys to fetch (null for all)

Resource Types

Value	Type	Description
0	UNKNOWN	Unknown (invalid)
2	TOPIC	Topic configuration
4	BROKER	Broker configuration
8	BROKER_LOGGER	Broker logger level
16	CLIENT_METRICS	Client metrics

Response Schema

DescribeConfigsResponse =>
    throttle_time_ms: INT32
    results: [Result]

Result =>
    error_code: INT16
    error_message: NULLABLE_STRING
    resource_type: INT8
    resource_name: STRING
    configs: [Config]

Config =>
    name: STRING
    value: NULLABLE_STRING
    read_only: BOOLEAN
    is_default: BOOLEAN
    config_source: INT8
    is_sensitive: BOOLEAN
    synonyms: [Synonym]
    config_type: INT8
    documentation: NULLABLE_STRING

Config Sources

Value	Source	Description
0	UNKNOWN	Unknown source
1	DYNAMIC_TOPIC_CONFIG	Topic-level override
2	DYNAMIC_BROKER_CONFIG	Dynamic broker config
3	DYNAMIC_DEFAULT_BROKER_CONFIG	Dynamic cluster default
4	STATIC_BROKER_CONFIG	Static broker config
5	DEFAULT_CONFIG	Built-in default
6	DYNAMIC_BROKER_LOGGER_CONFIG	Dynamic logger config

---

IncrementalAlterConfigs API (Key 44)

Overview

The IncrementalAlterConfigs API modifies configurations incrementally without replacing all values.

Version History

Version	Kafka	Key Changes
0	2.3.0	Initial version
1	2.4.0	Flexible versions

Request Schema

IncrementalAlterConfigsRequest =>
    resources: [Resource]
    validate_only: BOOLEAN

Resource =>
    resource_type: INT8
    resource_name: STRING
    configs: [Config]

Config =>
    name: STRING
    config_operation: INT8
    value: NULLABLE_STRING

Field	Type	Description
config_operation	INT8	Operation type

Config Operations

Value	Operation	Description
0	SET	Set config value
1	DELETE	Remove config override
2	APPEND	Append to list config
3	SUBTRACT	Remove from list config

Response Schema

IncrementalAlterConfigsResponse =>
    throttle_time_ms: INT32
    responses: [Response]

Response =>
    error_code: INT16
    error_message: NULLABLE_STRING
    resource_type: INT8
    resource_name: STRING

---

DescribeAcls API (Key 29)

Overview

The DescribeAcls API queries ACL entries matching specified filters.

Version History

Version	Kafka	Key Changes
0	0.11.0	Initial version
1	2.0.0	Throttle time
2	2.4.0	Flexible versions
3	3.0.0	KIP-516

Request Schema

DescribeAclsRequest =>
    resource_type_filter: INT8
    resource_name_filter: NULLABLE_STRING
    pattern_type_filter: INT8
    principal_filter: NULLABLE_STRING
    host_filter: NULLABLE_STRING
    operation: INT8
    permission_type: INT8

Field	Type	Description
resource_type_filter	INT8	Resource type (ANY for all)
pattern_type_filter	INT8	Pattern type (ANY for all)
operation	INT8	Operation (ANY for all)
permission_type	INT8	ALLOW or DENY (ANY for all)

ACL Resource Types

Value	Type
0	UNKNOWN
1	ANY
2	TOPIC
3	GROUP
4	CLUSTER
5	TRANSACTIONAL_ID
6	DELEGATION_TOKEN
7	USER

ACL Operations

Value	Operation
0	UNKNOWN
1	ANY
2	ALL
3	READ
4	WRITE
5	CREATE
6	DELETE
7	ALTER
8	DESCRIBE
9	CLUSTER_ACTION
10	DESCRIBE_CONFIGS
11	ALTER_CONFIGS
12	IDEMPOTENT_WRITE
13	CREATE_TOKENS
14	DESCRIBE_TOKENS

ACL Pattern Types

Value	Type	Description
0	UNKNOWN	Unknown (invalid)
1	ANY	Match any pattern
2	MATCH	Matches resource name pattern
3	LITERAL	Exact resource name match
4	PREFIXED	Resource name prefix match

Response Schema

DescribeAclsResponse =>
    throttle_time_ms: INT32
    error_code: INT16
    error_message: NULLABLE_STRING
    resources: [Resource]

Resource =>
    resource_type: INT8
    resource_name: STRING
    pattern_type: INT8
    acls: [Acl]

Acl =>
    principal: STRING
    host: STRING
    operation: INT8
    permission_type: INT8

---

CreateAcls API (Key 30)

Overview

The CreateAcls API creates new ACL entries.

Version History

Version	Kafka	Key Changes
0	0.11.0	Initial version
1	2.0.0	Response improvements
2	2.4.0	Flexible versions
3	3.0.0	KIP-516

Request Schema

CreateAclsRequest =>
    creations: [Creation]

Creation =>
    resource_type: INT8
    resource_name: STRING
    resource_pattern_type: INT8
    principal: STRING
    host: STRING
    operation: INT8
    permission_type: INT8

Field	Type	Description
principal	STRING	Principal (e.g., "User:alice")
host	STRING	Host ("*" for any)
permission_type	INT8	2=DENY, 3=ALLOW

Response Schema

CreateAclsResponse =>
    throttle_time_ms: INT32
    results: [Result]

Result =>
    error_code: INT16
    error_message: NULLABLE_STRING

---

DeleteAcls API (Key 31)

Overview

The DeleteAcls API deletes ACL entries matching filters.

Version History

Version	Kafka	Key Changes
0	0.11.0	Initial version
1	2.0.0	Response improvements
2	2.4.0	Flexible versions
3	3.0.0	KIP-516

Request Schema

DeleteAclsRequest =>
    filters: [Filter]

Filter =>
    resource_type_filter: INT8
    resource_name_filter: NULLABLE_STRING
    pattern_type_filter: INT8
    principal_filter: NULLABLE_STRING
    host_filter: NULLABLE_STRING
    operation: INT8
    permission_type: INT8

Response Schema

DeleteAclsResponse =>
    throttle_time_ms: INT32
    filter_results: [FilterResult]

FilterResult =>
    error_code: INT16
    error_message: NULLABLE_STRING
    matching_acls: [MatchingAcl]

MatchingAcl =>
    error_code: INT16
    error_message: NULLABLE_STRING
    resource_type: INT8
    resource_name: STRING
    pattern_type: INT8
    principal: STRING
    host: STRING
    operation: INT8
    permission_type: INT8

---

ElectLeaders API (Key 43)

Overview

The ElectLeaders API triggers leader election for partitions.

Version History

Version	Kafka	Key Changes
0	2.2.0	Initial version (preferred leaders)
1	2.4.0	Flexible versions
2	2.4.0	Unclean leader election

Request Schema

ElectLeadersRequest =>
    election_type: INT8
    topic_partitions: [TopicPartition]
    timeout_ms: INT32

TopicPartition =>
    topic: STRING
    partitions: [INT32]

Field	Type	Description
election_type	INT8	0=PREFERRED, 1=UNCLEAN
topic_partitions	ARRAY	Partitions (null for all)

Election Types

Value	Type	Description
0	PREFERRED	Elect preferred leader (must be in ISR)
1	UNCLEAN	Elect any available replica (data loss risk)

Unclean Leader Election

Unclean leader election (type=1) may result in data loss if the elected replica is behind the previous leader.

Response Schema

ElectLeadersResponse =>
    throttle_time_ms: INT32
    error_code: INT16
    replica_election_results: [ReplicaElectionResult]

ReplicaElectionResult =>
    topic: STRING
    partition_result: [PartitionResult]

PartitionResult =>
    partition_id: INT32
    error_code: INT16
    error_message: NULLABLE_STRING

---

AlterPartitionReassignments API (Key 45)

Overview

The AlterPartitionReassignments API reassigns partition replicas to different brokers.

Version History

Version	Kafka	Key Changes
0	2.4.0	Initial version

Request Schema

AlterPartitionReassignmentsRequest =>
    timeout_ms: INT32
    topics: [Topic]

Topic =>
    name: STRING
    partitions: [Partition]

Partition =>
    partition_index: INT32
    replicas: [INT32]

Field	Type	Description
replicas	ARRAY	New replica list (null to cancel)

Response Schema

AlterPartitionReassignmentsResponse =>
    throttle_time_ms: INT32
    error_code: INT16
    error_message: NULLABLE_STRING
    responses: [Response]

Response =>
    name: STRING
    partitions: [Partition]

Partition =>
    partition_index: INT32
    error_code: INT16
    error_message: NULLABLE_STRING

Behavioral Contract

Aspect	Guarantee
Progress	Data copied before old replicas removed
Availability	Partition remains available during reassignment
Cancellation	Set replicas to null to cancel

---

DescribeLogDirs API (Key 35)

Overview

The DescribeLogDirs API queries log directory usage on brokers.

Version History

Version	Kafka	Key Changes
0	0.11.0	Initial version
1	2.0.0	Throttle time
2	2.4.0	Flexible versions
3	2.7.0	KIP-516
4	3.5.0	KIP-827

Request Schema

DescribeLogDirsRequest =>
    topics: [Topic]

Topic =>
    topic: STRING
    partitions: [INT32]

Field	Type	Description
topics	ARRAY	Topics to query (null for all)

Response Schema

DescribeLogDirsResponse =>
    throttle_time_ms: INT32
    error_code: INT16
    results: [Result]

Result =>
    error_code: INT16
    log_dir: STRING
    topics: [Topic]
    total_bytes: INT64
    usable_bytes: INT64

Topic =>
    name: STRING
    partitions: [Partition]

Partition =>
    partition_index: INT32
    partition_size: INT64
    offset_lag: INT64
    is_future_key: BOOLEAN

Field	Type	Description
log_dir	STRING	Log directory path
total_bytes	INT64	Total directory capacity
usable_bytes	INT64	Available space
partition_size	INT64	Partition data size
offset_lag	INT64	Replication lag (future replicas)

---

DescribeCluster API (Key 60)

Overview

The DescribeCluster API retrieves cluster metadata including controller and broker information.

Version History

Version	Kafka	Key Changes
0	3.0.0	Initial version
1	3.4.0	Endpoints
2	3.9.0	KIP-1082

Request Schema

DescribeClusterRequest =>
    include_cluster_authorized_operations: BOOLEAN
    endpoint_type: INT8

Response Schema

DescribeClusterResponse =>
    throttle_time_ms: INT32
    error_code: INT16
    error_message: NULLABLE_STRING
    cluster_id: STRING
    controller_id: INT32
    brokers: [Broker]
    cluster_authorized_operations: INT32

Broker =>
    broker_id: INT32
    host: STRING
    port: INT32
    rack: NULLABLE_STRING

---

Administrative Best Practices

Topic Management

Practice	Rationale
Use validate_only before creation	Catch errors before commit
Verify topic state after timeout	Timeout does not mean failure
Plan partition count carefully	Cannot decrease partitions
Use rack-aware assignments	Improve fault tolerance

ACL Management

Practice	Rationale
Use PREFIXED patterns for hierarchy	Simplify permission management
Audit ACLs regularly	Detect permission drift
Test ACL changes in non-prod	Prevent access issues
Document ACL policies	Enable consistent management

Configuration Management

Practice	Rationale
Use IncrementalAlterConfigs	Avoid replacing all configs
Track config changes	Enable rollback
Test config changes	Prevent cluster issues
Use describe before alter	Understand current state

---

Related Documentation

• Protocol Core APIs - Core APIs
• Protocol Consumer APIs - Consumer group APIs
• Protocol Transaction APIs - Transaction APIs
• Protocol Errors - Error code reference