Breaking the Rules: RPC Pattern with Apache Kafka and Karafka

Implementing RPC patterns with Apache Kafka using Karafka can be controversial due to Kafka's design focused on event logging and throughput. This proof-of-concept approach achieves millisecond response times under ideal conditions by leveraging synchronous RPC-like behavior over Kafka's asynchronous nature. While this pattern may not be production-ready, it provides valuable insights into extending existing infrastructure without adding complexity. Careful attention to timeouts, error handling, and monitoring is required for success.