Apache Kafka Practice Exam 2025 – The Complete All-in-One Guide for Exam Success!

When a broker in Kafka encounters a disk problem, it experiences a complete failure. This is because Kafka relies heavily on its underlying storage system to handle message persistence, replication, and log management. If the disk fails, the broker is unable to read or write data, which disrupts its ability to fulfill its roles, such as serving consumers and coordinating with producers.

In this scenario, there is no fallback mechanism like switching to a read-only mode or self-repairing capabilities, as the data integrity and availability are paramount. Kafka's design is centered around ensuring that data is not lost, and if the disk is compromised, the broker cannot function effectively, ultimately leading to a complete inability to serve requests or retain messages. This systematic failure ensures that any issues are addressed quickly, either by preventing further operations until the issue is resolved or failing-over to another broker in the cluster that is operational.