# Event Backbone Modernization: ESB & MQ to Kafka

Replace legacy ESB, MQ, and middleware with a Kafka-based event backbone. Connect old systems into Kafka, manage hybrid on-prem and cloud clusters, and reduce custom integration code.

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## Why legacy integration patterns hold you back.

### Point-to-Point Sprawl

Complex mesh of flows on ESB and MQ. Batch jobs and file drops where teams need real-time feeds.

### Parallel Stacks

Kafka, legacy bus, and cloud tools growing in parallel with no clear backbone. No shared inventory of events, schemas, and consumers.

### Fragmented Operations

Fuzzy ownership between app, integration, and platform teams. Fragmented monitoring and tracing across platforms and regions.

## Why Conduktor for Event Modernization

- **Connector Lifecycle** — Deploy, configure, and monitor Kafka Connect connectors from one console. Manage MQ, EMS, CDC, and database connectors
- **Hybrid Visibility** — One control plane for on-prem, Confluent Cloud, AWS MSK, Aiven, and self-managed clusters. See all environments, not just one
- **Event Catalog** — Searchable inventory with owners, schemas, and labels. Teams find existing topics before creating duplicates
- **Connector Monitoring** — Track connector status, lag, and errors across all Kafka Connect clusters. Alerts on failures
- **Connector Auto-Restart** — Failed connectors automatically restart with configurable policies. Audit logs track every restart event
- **Enterprise IAM** — RBAC via OIDC or LDAP. Map Kafka ACLs to Console groups. Encryption in transit and at rest

- **Bridge Legacy Systems** — Manage Kafka Connect connectors for IBM MQ, Tibco EMS, RabbitMQ, and CDC sources. Deploy and monitor from one console
- **Multi-Cloud Ready** — Confluent Cloud, AWS MSK, Aiven, and self-managed. Manage from one console
- **Schema Registry Integration** — Integrates with Confluent Schema Registry and AWS Glue. Enforce Avro, Protobuf, or JSON schemas. Block breaking changes
- **Consumer Monitoring** — Track consumer groups, lag, and offsets across all clusters. Identify bottlenecks
- **Dead-Letter Queues** — Failed messages route to DLQ topics for inspection and replay. No data loss during schema validation
- **Incremental Migration** — Move flows one at a time. Legacy and Kafka coexist during transition

## How Conduktor Enables Event Modernization

From discovery to decommission, one platform guides the migration.

- **Discover & Map** — Connect to existing Kafka Connect clusters. Document schemas and topic ownership before migration starts
- **Bridge & Validate** — Deploy connectors from Conduktor Console. Monitor throughput and data quality during dual-write phase
- **Catalog & Govern** — Register migrated topics with schemas and owners. Enforce access policies from day one
- **Cutover & Retire** — Monitor consumer groups on new topics. Alert on lag before decommissioning old paths

## Key Use Cases

- **Airline PSS Integration** — Connect booking, ticketing, and DCS systems to a central event hub. Replace batch extracts with real-time streams
- **Retail POS Modernization** — Stream store POS and TLOG data to Kafka. Unify with e-commerce and supply chain events
- **Manufacturing ERP-to-MES** — Bridge ERP orders and schedules to MES systems through Kafka. Real-time production visibility
- **Grid Operations** — Connect SCADA, forecasting, and market systems. Replace point-to-point with event backbone
- **Logistics TMS/WMS** — Align transportation and warehouse management with real-time shipment events
- **Mainframe Offload** — Stream mainframe events to Kafka through CDC. Enable cloud-native consumers

Once migrated, enable [self-service Kafka provisioning](https://www.conduktor.io/solutions/industry/transport-and-logistics/self-service-platform) for your teams. See how [Conduktor Gateway](https://www.conduktor.io/gateway) enforces data quality and schema validation.

## Read more customer stories

- [Swiss Post: Event Platform](https://www.conduktor.io/customer-stories/how-swiss-post-governs-democratizes-kafka-usage)
- [Financial Services: ESB Migration](https://www.conduktor.io/customer-stories/securing-kafka-banking-financial-services)

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Can we migrate from MQ to Kafka incrementally?**

Yes. Bridge legacy flows into Kafka one at a time. Consumers can read from both during transition. No big-bang cutover required.

**What legacy systems can Conduktor connect to Kafka?**

Conduktor manages Kafka Connect connectors. Connectors available for IBM MQ, Tibco EMS, RabbitMQ, ActiveMQ, mainframe CDC, databases, and file systems.

**How do we handle schema differences during migration?**

Schema Registry enforces contracts. Transform legacy formats to canonical schemas at the connector level.

**Does Kafka support ordering and exactly-once delivery?**

Kafka preserves ordering per partition. Exactly-once semantics available with transactional producers and consumers.

**Do we need to rewrite consumers when migrating to Kafka?**

Not immediately. Bridge consumers can read from Kafka while legacy apps still use MQ. Migrate consumers at your own pace.

## See Event Backbone Modernization in Action

Get a personalized demo with your architecture. We'll map your current state and show how Conduktor fits your migration path.

[Book a demo](https://www.conduktor.io/contact/demo)