1. 1. Background

Investigate replacing librdkafka dependency with pure Go implementation. Currently using confluent-kafka-go which requires CGO and librdkafka C library, causing high build complexity. Research using Sarama (pure Go) as an alternative and evaluate if it meets all functional requirements.

1. 1. Problem Origin

PR #2148 failed during Konflux build:

• Error: `fatal error: librdkafka/rdkafka.h: No such file or directory`
• Dependency chain: inventory_reconciler → pkg/transport/config → confluent-kafka-go → librdkafka (CGO)
• Temporary fix: Created operator-specific parser to avoid importing confluent-kafka-go
• PR: https://github.com/stolostron/multicluster-global-hub/pull/2148

1. 1. Investigation Scope

1. 1. 1. 1. CloudEvents Kafka Protocol Implementations

*Current*:

• github.com/cloudevents/sdk-go/protocol/kafka_confluent/v2
• Requires CGO and librdkafka C library

*Alternative*:

• github.com/cloudevents/sdk-go/protocol/kafka_sarama/v2
• Pure Go, no CGO dependencies

1. 1. 1. 2. Component Evaluation

*Manager*: Uses confluent for CloudEvents transport (TLS, SASL, compression, consumer groups)

*Agent*: Uses confluent for CloudEvents transport (message ordering, delivery guarantees, exactly-once semantics)

1. 1. 1. 3. Migration Impact

*Performance*: Throughput, latency, resource consumption

*Features*: Message ordering, delivery semantics, consumer group rebalancing, error handling

*Build Simplification*: Remove CGO dependency, simplify cross-compilation, reduce image size, easier Konflux/CI integration

*Code Changes*: Manager/Agent modifications, config updates, testing updates

1. 1. 1. 4. Decision Criteria

• Can Sarama meet all Kafka requirements?
• Acceptable performance (multi-hub, high throughput)?
• Reduce operational complexity?
• Improve build reliability and simplicity?
• Maintain backward compatibility or clear migration path?

1. 1. Value

• *Simplified builds*: No more librdkafka-devel in Konflux/CI
• *Better portability*: Pure Go enables easier cross-compilation
• *Reduced complexity*: No C library version management
• *Maintained functionality*: All current features continue to work

1. 1. Deliverables

• [ ] Feature comparison matrix (confluent-kafka-go vs sarama)
• [ ] Performance benchmark results (throughput, latency p50/p95/p99, resource consumption, multi-hub scenarios)
• [ ] Migration impact analysis (code changes, testing strategy, rollback plan)
• [ ] Clear recommendation: keep confluent or migrate to sarama (with justification, risk assessment, timeline)
• [ ] If migrate: POC in test environment (basic functionality, TLS/SASL/consumer groups validation, performance validation)

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