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To monitor Kafka running on Kubernetes with Strimzi, first enable metrics in the Strimzi Kafka resource, then configure Prometheus to discover and scrape the metrics endpoint, and finally add Prometheus as a Grafana data source. The JMX Prometheus Exporter endpoint is exposed on HTTP port 9404 when enabled. For consumer-lag metrics, add Kafka Exporter; it is a separate, optional component.
The exact Strimzi configuration fields and Prometheus discovery settings depend on the versions and deployment method you use. Check the CRD installed with your Strimzi operator and the selectors configured for your Prometheus installation before applying examples from another release.
How the monitoring components fit together
Strimzi configures Kafka components to expose metrics. Prometheus discovers those endpoints, scrapes them, and stores the resulting time series. Grafana queries Prometheus and displays the results in dashboards. Alertmanager handles alert routing when it is deployed alongside Prometheus.
With the JMX Prometheus Exporter enabled, Kafka and, where deployed, ZooKeeper can expose JMX metrics over HTTP on port 9404. Kafka Exporter can provide additional metrics for consumer lag. Kubernetes resource metrics, such as kubelet or cAdvisor data, are separate from Kafka metrics and are available only when the relevant collection is configured.
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Check versions and prerequisites first
Record the Kubernetes, Strimzi, Kafka, Prometheus Operator or Helm chart, and Grafana versions in use. Keep the manifests and dashboard configuration under version control so changes can be reviewed and rolled back.
Strimzi’s metrics API has changed over time. Older guides use a metrics property, while newer CRD definitions expose reporter choices that include jmxPrometheusExporter and strimziMetricsReporter. These names are not interchangeable instructions for every release: inspect the Kafka custom resource definition installed with your operator and use the fields supported by that release.
Enable metrics in Strimzi
- Inspect the installed Strimzi CRD and the documentation for your operator release to identify the supported reporter configuration.
- Update the Kafka custom resource to enable the metrics reporter or exporter supported by that release. Configure ZooKeeper metrics as well if ZooKeeper is part of your deployment and you need its metrics.
- Apply the version-controlled resource and wait for the Strimzi-managed workloads and services to reconcile.
- Check that the metrics endpoint is exposed and that its service port and protocol are available to Prometheus. For the JMX Prometheus Exporter, the documented HTTP port is 9404 when enabled.
Do not assume that enabling metrics in a different Strimzi release’s example will work unchanged. A field that is absent from the installed CRD can be rejected or ignored, leaving Prometheus with no usable endpoint.
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Deploy Prometheus and configure target discovery
Deploy Prometheus and, if you need alerting, Alertmanager using the method appropriate to your cluster. Strimzi’s monitoring guidance treats these as separate setup components. Prometheus must be able to discover the Strimzi metrics services and reach their endpoints.
Choose a discovery method your Prometheus supports
A Prometheus Operator installation commonly uses a ServiceMonitor; other installations may use a different scrape configuration, including static targets. Use the mechanism supported by the Prometheus instance you actually deployed rather than creating a resource it does not watch.
For a ServiceMonitor, verify both sides of discovery: the labels and namespace of the monitor must satisfy the selectors configured on the Prometheus resource or chart, and the monitor’s service selector, endpoint port, and namespace selection must match the Strimzi metrics service. A monitor can exist in the cluster and still be ignored if one of these selectors does not match.
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Check permissions and connectivity
Confirm that Prometheus has the Kubernetes permissions required to discover the resources in question and that network policies, TLS settings, and authentication allow it to reach the scrape endpoint. Strimzi’s monitoring examples include the relevant scrape resources and RBAC; adapt them to your installed release and cluster rather than copying resource names without checking.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteBefore configuring a dashboard, open Prometheus and inspect its targets. A healthy target confirms that discovery and scraping are working; then query a known metric exposed by your Strimzi setup. This separates collection problems from Grafana or dashboard problems.
Connect Grafana to Prometheus
- Open Grafana’s data source configuration and add Prometheus.
- Set the data source URL to the in-cluster Prometheus service address reachable from Grafana. The exact service name, namespace, and address depend on how Prometheus was installed.
- Save and test the data source. Resolve connection or access errors before importing dashboards.
- In Grafana Explore, query a metric that you confirmed is present in Prometheus. Once it returns data, configure or import a dashboard whose queries match your metric names.
Grafana can run in the cluster or be managed outside it. In either case, it needs network access and any required credentials to query the Prometheus endpoint. For production, configure authentication and network controls appropriate to where each service runs.
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Add consumer-lag monitoring when needed
Kafka broker and JVM metrics do not by themselves provide every consumer-group lag view a team may need. Strimzi identifies Kafka Exporter as an additional component for consumer-lag monitoring. Deploy and configure it when lag visibility is a requirement, then ensure Prometheus discovers and scrapes its endpoint too.
Lag alerts should reflect the behavior of each workload and consumer group. Choose thresholds and evaluation windows based on the service’s processing expectations and recovery needs; there is no universal threshold that suits every Kafka deployment.
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Choose the right monitoring approach
| Decision | Option | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Strimzi metrics | JMX Prometheus Exporter | Use when supported and configured in the installed Strimzi release; its documented HTTP endpoint uses port 9404 when enabled. |
| Strimzi metrics | Strimzi Metrics Reporter | Consider only when the installed Strimzi release supports it; verify the emitted metrics and dashboard compatibility. |
| Prometheus discovery | ServiceMonitor |
Use when the installed Prometheus Operator or chart watches the resource and its selectors, namespaces, and endpoint settings match. |
| Prometheus discovery | Static or other scrape configuration | Use when supported by your Prometheus deployment and consistent with how targets are managed in your cluster. |
| Grafana hosting | In-cluster Grafana | Use when you want Grafana deployed within the Kubernetes environment and can provide its service access to Prometheus. |
| Grafana hosting | Managed Grafana | Use when the managed service can securely reach the Prometheus endpoint and authenticate as required. |
| Metrics scope | Kafka and JVM metrics | Use for broker and runtime visibility exposed by the configured Strimzi reporter or exporter. |
| Metrics scope | Add Kafka Exporter | Use when consumer-lag metrics are also required. |
Use dashboards that match your metrics
A dashboard is only useful when its queries match the metric names and labels Prometheus stores. Grafana Labs lists a Strimzi Kafka dashboard, numbered 24626. Its listing expects standard JMX Prometheus Exporter metric names and combines Kafka, JVM, container, and kubelet-volume metrics. Before relying on it, check that your exporter output, relabeling rules, and available Kubernetes metrics match those expectations.
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Importing dashboard JSON does not install the exporters, create Prometheus targets, or make missing metric families appear. If a dashboard panel is empty, validate its query in Prometheus or Grafana Explore and compare the requested metric and labels with the data actually collected.
Troubleshoot missing or incomplete metrics
- No Strimzi metrics endpoint: Check whether metrics are enabled and whether the configuration uses a field supported by the installed Strimzi CRD. Confirm that the expected service and endpoint were created.
- Prometheus target is down: Inspect the service port and endpoint, then check connectivity, network policy, TLS, and authentication. Confirm that Prometheus is scraping the port exposed by the service.
- A
ServiceMonitorexists but is not discovered: Compare its labels and namespace with the selectors and namespace settings on the Prometheus resource or Helm values. Also verify that the Operator watches the namespace containing the monitor. - Targets are healthy but dashboard panels are empty: Check the selected time range, dashboard variables, metric names, labels, and relabeling rules. Test the panel query directly rather than assuming the imported dashboard matches your exporter version.
- Consumer-lag panels are empty: Verify that Kafka Exporter is deployed, reachable, scraped by Prometheus, and configured with the Kafka permissions it needs.
- Historical data disappears after a restart: Review Prometheus’s persistent storage and retention configuration. Choose both for your workload; the appropriate capacity and retention period are deployment-specific.
Harden the setup for production
Set Prometheus and Grafana resource requests and limits, configure persistent storage and retention according to the volume and history you need, and protect service access with authentication and network policy. Route alerts through Alertmanager, back up dashboards and alert rules, and pin manifest and dashboard versions so upgrades can be tested deliberately. The right storage, resource, retention, and alert values depend on workload and are not universal defaults.
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