Overview
Apache Kafka (Hardened) on Amazon Linux 2023 is a production-ready, security-hardened single-node image of the Apache Kafka event-streaming platform in KRaft mode (no ZooKeeper), maintained and supported by Derek Coleman & Associates Incorporated.
This is repackaged open-source software. Apache Kafka is developed by the Apache Software Foundation and is distributed under the Apache License 2.0. Apache and Apache Kafka are trademarks of the Apache Software Foundation; this listing is not endorsed by or affiliated with the ASF. This product bundles unmodified upstream Apache Kafka (with patched bundled libraries where upstream jars carry known vulnerabilities) on a hardened Amazon Linux 2023 base; the charges associated with this listing are for image hardening, continuous patching, vulnerability scanning, and business-day support - not for the underlying open-source software, which remains free.
Hardening baseline: minimal package footprint, SSH key-only access (password authentication disabled), IMDSv2 enforced, and no exposed default listeners - Kafka ships with no authentication, so the broker binds to 127.0.0.1 and the storage formats itself on first boot; exposing listeners with SASL/TLS to trusted CIDRs is a deliberate customer configuration step. Images are rebuilt, scanned for HIGH and CRITICAL vulnerabilities, and republished on a regular cadence so that new launches start current. The broker is validated at build time with an end-to-end smoke test.
Highlights
- Security-hardened at build time: minimal packages, key-only SSH, IMDSv2-only, broker bound to loopback until you configure authenticated listeners.
- Continuously patched: rebuilt, vulnerability-scanned, and republished on a regular cadence; vulnerable bundled jars remediated at build.
- Production-ready: Kafka 4.3 in KRaft mode (no ZooKeeper); storage auto-formats on first boot; systemd-managed.
Details
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Features and programs
Financing for AWS Marketplace purchases
Pricing
Dimension | Cost/hour |
|---|---|
c7i.2xlarge Recommended | $0.92 |
c7i.4xlarge | $1.84 |
c7i.xlarge | $0.46 |
Vendor refund policy
Usage-based hourly billing; charges stop when instances are terminated. Contact support@dcassociatesgroup.com for billing questions.
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Delivery details
64-bit (x86) Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
An AMI is a virtual image that provides the information required to launch an instance. Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) instances are virtual servers on which you can run your applications and workloads, offering varying combinations of CPU, memory, storage, and networking resources. You can launch as many instances from as many different AMIs as you need.
Version release notes
[Important] Initial release. Apache Kafka 4.3 (KRaft) on Amazon Linux 2023, hardened baseline; all OS packages current at build.
Additional details
Usage instructions
Launch from AWS Marketplace (1-Click or EC2 console). Connect via SSH: ssh -i <key> ec2-user@<public-ip>. Kafka runs in KRaft mode and binds to 127.0.0.1:9092; verify locally with: /opt/kafka/bin/kafka-topics.sh --bootstrap-server 127.0.0.1:9092 --list. To serve clients, configure listeners plus SASL/TLS in /opt/kafka/config/server.properties, restart with: sudo systemctl restart kafka, and open port 9092 to trusted CIDRs only. Root login is disabled; use sudo. There are no passwords anywhere in this product.
Support
Vendor support
Support by Derek Coleman & Associates Incorporated. Email: support@dcassociatesgroup.com . Business-day response. Covers image operation, hardening baseline, and launch issues.
AWS infrastructure support
AWS Support is a one-on-one, fast-response support channel that is staffed 24x7x365 with experienced and technical support engineers. The service helps customers of all sizes and technical abilities to successfully utilize the products and features provided by Amazon Web Services.
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