Practical Labs

10 structured exercises that run against the cluster simulator. Each lab has an objective, step-by-step instructions with expected results, validation criteria and the interview angle.

1. 1Leader Failover RecoveryObserve and understand leader election when a broker fails mid-write.Beginner5 min7 steps
2. 2ISR Shrink Under Follower LagSimulate follower lag exceeding replica.lag.time.max.ms and observe ISR shrinkage.Intermediate7 min8 steps
3. 3Min ISR Block (NOT_ENOUGH_REPLICAS)Demonstrate how min.insync.replicas protects against unsafe writes under broker failures.Intermediate5 min5 steps
4. 4Network Partition (Split-Brain Simulation)Simulate a network partition where a broker is alive but network-isolated, creating a split-brain window.Advanced8 min6 steps
5. 5Consumer Group RebalanceObserve how partition assignments change when consumers join or leave a group.Beginner6 min6 steps
6. 6Producer acks Comparison (0 vs 1 vs all)Understand the durability and latency trade-offs between different acks settings.Beginner5 min5 steps
7. 7X-Ray Mode — Kafka Wire Protocol VisualizationUse X-Ray Mode to visualize the different message types flowing through Kafka's pipeline.Beginner4 min5 steps
8. 8Replica Recovery After Extended FailureObserve how Kafka handles log recovery when a broker rejoins after missing significant data.Advanced8 min5 steps
9. 9Understanding HWM vs LEOVisualize the gap between Log End Offset and High Watermark and understand consumer visibility.Intermediate5 min5 steps
10. 10Unclean Leader Election (Data Loss Demonstration)Observe how enabling unclean leader election sacrifices data integrity for availability.Advanced6 min6 steps