Kafka Send Action Configuration

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Action Edit

  • Name - Used internally to distinguish between different actions within the process. Establish a clear naming convention for easy identification.
  • Order - Sets the running order for multiple actions on the same node.
  • Timer Expression - Enables a delay, using ISO 8601 duration format (e.g., PT30S for a 30-second delay).
  • Action Type - Designate as Kafka Send Action for sending messages to external systems.
  • Trigger Type - Always set to Automatic.

The Kafka Send Action type is always Automatic. Typically, Kafka Send Actions automatically trigger when the process reaches this step.

  • Required Type (Mandatory/Optional) - Automatic actions are typically set as mandatory. Manual actions can be either mandatory or optional.
  • Repeatable - Allows triggering the action multiple times if required.
  • Autorun Children - When activated, child actions (mandatory and automatic) execute immediately after the parent action concludes.

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Parameters

You can add parameters via the Custom option or import predefined parameters from an integration.

For detailed information on Integrations management, refer to this link.

  • Topics - Specifies the Kafka topics listened to by the external system for requests.
  • Message - Contains the message payload to be dispatched.
  • Advanced Configuration (Headers) - Represents a JSON value sent within the Kafka message headers.

Parameters

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Dynamic Kafka topics

You can use dynamic topic names for Kafka Send and Kafka Receive actions in FlowX processes by leveraging Configuration Parameters. This enables flexibility when working with Kafka topics across different environments or use cases.

Steps to Create Dynamic Kafka Topics:

1

Define Configuration Parameters for Kafka Topics

Navigate to Projects → Your Project → Configuration Parameters in FlowX Designer.

Add or update configuration keys for Kafka topics.

Example:

  • Key: kafka_send_2
  • Value: ai.flowx.plugin.document.trigger
  • Key: kafka_receive
  • Value: ai.flowx.engine.receive.plugin.document

This allows referencing these parameters dynamically in your Kafka actions.

2

Use Configuration Parameters in Kafka Send Action

Open the process where you want to configure the Kafka Send Action.

Go to Node Config > Actions.

Select Kafka Send Action as the action type.

Under Parameters, locate the Topics field.

Use a dynamic reference to concatenate a parameter with another value:

${kafka_send_2}.${topic2}

Here:

  • ${kafka_send_2} dynamically pulls the value from Configuration Parameters.
  • ${topic2} can be another dynamic input set within the process.
3

Configure the Kafka Message Payload

Define the JSON structure for the message payload.

Ensure that all required fields align with the expected schema of the consuming system.

4

Validate and Test the Configuration

Start the process and check whether messages are correctly sent to the Kafka topic.

If needed, modify the configuration parameters to change the topic dynamically.

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Kafka send action scenarios

The Kafka Send action serves as a versatile tool that facilitates seamless communication across various systems and plugins, enabling efficient data transfer, robust document management, notifications, and process initiation.

This action finds application in numerous scenarios while configuring processes:

  • Communicating with External Services
  • Interacting with Connectors - For example, integrating a connector in the FlowX.AI Designer here.
  • Engaging with Plugins:
    • Document Plugin:
      • Generating, uploading, converting, and splitting documents - Explore examples here.
      • Updating/deleting documents - Find an example here
      • Optical Character Recognition (OCR) integration - View an example here.
    • Notification Plugin:
      • Sending notifications - Example available here and emails with attachments here.
      • One-Time Password (OTP) validation - Refer to this example.
      • Forwarding notifications to external systems - Explore this example.
    • OCR Plugin
    • Customer Management Plugin
    • Task Management Plugin:
      • Bulk operations update - Find an example here.
  • Requesting Process Data for Forwarding or Processing - For example, Data Search here.
  • Initiating Processes - Starting a process via Kafka. Find examples here.

The Kafka Send action stands as a versatile facilitator, enabling smooth operations in communication, document management, notifications, and process initiation across diverse systems and plugins.