Kafka: 2. The lifecycle script
This documentation is part of the GitHub Actions & GitLab CI guide. You can view the complete guide here: Launch a real Kafka service from your GitHub Actions or GitLab CI pipeline, run your tests against it, and automatically tear it down.
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Here is a complete example script that manages the entire service lifecycle. It shows just how simple the setup is, requiring only a few commands. You can copy the ready-to-use YAML for your platform from the sections below.
#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail
# STACKHERO_TOKEN is provided by the CI secret, the CLI picks it up automatically.
stackName="ci-kafka-$$" # Unique stack name for each run
serviceStore="kafka" # The Kafka service store
instance="10G" # Change this as needed (see step 3)
region="europe" # Region name (see stackhero regions-list)
# 1. Install the CLI on the runner
curl -fsSL https://www.stackhero.io/install.sh | sh
# 2. Install the client required for smoke testing (jq + curl are the baseline)
apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends jq curl netcat-openbsd
# 3. Create a dedicated stack for this run
stackId=$(stackhero --format=script stack-create --name="$stackName")
echo "Stack created: $stackId"
# 4. Add Kafka and capture its service id
serviceId=$(stackhero --format=script service-add \
--stack="$stackId" \
--service-store="$serviceStore" \
--instance="$instance" \
--region="$region")
echo "Service added: $serviceId"
# 5. Wait until the service is running (this may take a couple of minutes)
stackhero service-wait-for --service="$serviceId"
# 6. Read the configuration (contains the generated credentials)
config=$(stackhero service-configuration-get --service="$serviceId" --format=json)
# 7. Extract the credentials you need
host=$(echo "$config" | jq -r '.configuration.domain')
# 8. Smoke test: Open a TCP connection to the broker port.
nc -z -w 5 "$host" 9092
echo "✅ Kafka is reachable from CI."
The teardown step, which deletes the service, waits for its removal, and then deletes the stack, is detailed in the platform-specific sections below. This approach ensures cleanup always takes place, even if a smoke test fails.
A stack can only be deleted once it is empty. Always delete the service first and wait for its removal, then delete the stack. The
service-wait-forcommand ensures the service is either running or deleted before continuing, making it the right tool for deletion waits as well.