> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.blinkops.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Kafka

> Kafka is a distributed event streaming platform capable of handling trillions of events a day. It provides a unified, high-throughput, low-latency platform for handling real-time data feeds and enables building real-time streaming data pipelines and applications.

## Creating a Kafka connection

To create the connection you need:

* SASL authentication credentials (username and password) - optional
* TLS configuration - optional

### Creating your connection

1. In the Blink platform, navigate to the **Connections** page > **Add connection**. A New Connection dialog box opens displaying icons of external service providers available.

2. Select the **Kafka** icon. A dialog box with name of the connection and connection methods appear.

3. (Optional) Edit the name of the connection. At a later stage you cannot edit the name.

4. Select **Username & Password** as the method to create the connection.

5. Fill in the parameters:
   * SASL Algorithm
   * Username
   * Password
   * Apply TLS
   * Certificate
   * Insecure Skip Verify

6. Click **Create connection**. The new connection appears on the **Connections** page.