SpecMesh - Provisioning Kafka resources using the AsyncAPI Spec, May 2023
In this blog, I will discuss how SpecMesh utilizes the AsyncAPI spec to …
Read more ⟶BUILD YOUR DATA MESH ON APACHE KAFKA USING SPECMESH
Specification driven data mesh for the enterprise
Watch this Episode: SpecMesh - Kafka resources and the AsyncAPI spec!
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Data Mesh meets streaming data
For organisations to successfully adopt data mesh, setting up and maintaining infrastructure needs to be easy. We believe the best way to achieve this is to leverage the learnings from building a ‘central nervous system‘, commonly used in modern data-streaming ecosystems. This approach formalises and automates of the manual parts of building a data mesh.
SpecMesh combines Kafka best practice, blue prints, domain driven design concepts, data modelling, GitOps and chargegback. But rather than talk about it, we decided to build it!
Apache Kafka maturity curve
It takes a team many years to reach Level 5, the "Central Nervous System" stage - many organizations never get past Stage 3. SpecMesh allows you to start building a CNS right out of the box
Gartner, Hype Cycle for Data Management (Data Mesh)
Data Mesh aligns closely with the functionality required for constructing a Central Nervous System. It enhances discovery by incorporating data cataloging and introducing federated governance
The 4 Pillars of Data Mesh
Data Mesh is a confusing space. The 4 Pillars are the only thing that is truly agreed upon. SpecMesh addresses them all
SpecMesh Development
Each team owns and manages their own AsyncAPI spec. The spec is provisioned using GitHub Actions. The build workflow provisions each environment as the spec is promoted
SpecMesh in the enterprise
Once each Spec (Data Product) is provisioned, the meta data (spec + schema's) is published to a data catalogue to enable discovery
The enterprise landscape
As the organisation grows more and more Specs (Data Products) are deployed where services emit events over domain structured '_public' and/or '_protected' topics
Features
A developer toolkit for streaming data mesh built on Apache Kafka
Specification Driven
Build your Kafka applications using the industry standard AsyncAPI spec.
Read more ⟶Scale across the organisation
Specs capture 'Aggregates' that represent units of business functionality. This hierarchy incorporates a structure that allows for clear and concise ownership and governance rules.
Read more ⟶Simplified Kafka resource modelling
SpecMesh will model topics, schemas, and permissions as a unified configuration, rather than using the disparate configurations employed by other tools.
Read more ⟶Chargeback support
By modeling a collection of topics under a single app that uses a common hierarchy, SpecMesh is able to report on storage and consumption metrics that can be used to build chargeback systems.
Read more ⟶Self-governance
Topic names can use a '_protected' label, this allows a tag to be incorporated where the application owner can grant permissions to other domain-ids (principles)
Read more ⟶Observability
SpecMesh will support a dataflow-centric visualization of all related specifications (apps), their relationships, as well as producers and consumers (coming soon).
Read more ⟶News, updates and insights
With a decades of insights and expertise, we’re reimagining streaming data so that you can focus on your business.
Looking back at Kafka Summit 2023, May 2023
Looking back at Kafka Summit 2023 (OSO) Kafka Summit 2023: Key takeaways …
Read more ⟶
SpecMesh at Kafka Meetup, London, A Practical Guide: Building a Data Mesh on Apache Kafka. Jan 2022
A Kafka Meetup Tech talk that is targeted at Kafka Devs. Summary Kafka is …
Read more ⟶Valuable Feedback
‘We spent 2 years trying to build this and what your guys have built is better’ Architect @Tier-1 Investment bank - London
‘3 years ago we started evolving to this, instead i wish we could use SpecMesh now’ Manager @One of Europes largest retailers
‘Specmesh is much better thought out that our current solution that took a team over 2 years to develop and we still can't solve chargeback’ Architect @Tier-1 Investment bank - London
‘Why doesn't kafka have this already? It just makes sense...’ Attendee @Kafka Meetup London
‘We are planning to ditch our broken solution and use to this approach,’ Manager @Nordic Shipping firm - Big Data London
‘Self governance and chargeback and modelling using an AsyncApi Spec just makes sense’ Attendee @BigDataLondon
‘We will now use terraform just for server infra, and make specmesh gitops developer led. It just makes sense’ Founder @EdTech startup
‘We currently use julieops but need features that it looks like your guys will develop (and it doesn't have)’ Tier-1 Investment bank - London
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Who created specmesh?
It was created by Neil Avery (Ex-Confluent), Sion Smith (OSO DevOps CTO) and Andy Coates (Ex-Confluent)
Q. Can i become a contributor and how?
Yes absolutely, either start a chat via a Issue, Enhancement or PR and we can go from there
Q. Who controls the roadmap?
It's first-come, first-served; however, ultimately, it's the three of us and whoever else is showing interest.
Q. What versions of Apache Kafka does it work with?
It uses the Admin Client (like all Kafka admin tools - ansible, terraform and kafka scripts). This means it works with Open Source Apache Kafka, AWS MSK, Red Panda and Confluent Cloud and Confluent Platform (RBaC pending)
Q. Will you extend it for anything else?
Its unlikely - there is too much value to build up the stack?
Q. What data catalogue integration will be supported?
It will focus on LinkedIn's DataHub?
Q. Who are the companies behind it?
Liquidlabs and OSO DevOps?
Q. How can i get in contact with you?
Create an issue in GitHub and we will be notified!
