Amazon MSK adds support for Apache Kafka version 4.0

Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK) now supports Apache Kafka version 4.0, bringing the latest advancements in cluster management and performance to MSK Provisioned. Kafka 4.0 introduces a new consumer rebalance protocol, now generally available, that helps ensure smoother and faster group rebalances. In addition, Kafka 4.0 requires brokers and tools to use Java 17, providing improved security and performance, includes various bug fixes and improvements, and deprecates metadata management via Apache ZooKeeper.

To start using Apache Kafka 4.0 on Amazon MSK, simply select version 4.0.x when creating a new cluster via the AWS Management Console, AWS CLI, or AWS SDKs. You can also upgrade existing MSK provisioned clusters with an in-place rolling update. Amazon MSK orchestrates broker restarts to maintain availability and protect your data during the upgrade. Kafka version 4.0 support is available today across all AWS regions where Amazon MSK is offered. For more details, see the Amazon MSK Developer Guide and the Apache Kafka release notes for version 4.0.