Thanks for the answers and updates Sean!

On Mon, Jan 26, 2026 at 7:43 AM Lucas Brutschy via dev <[email protected]>
wrote:

> Hi Sean,
>
> that makes a lot of sense, thanks for the explanation!
>
> Cheers,
> Lucas
>
> On Sat, Jan 24, 2026 at 11:17 AM Sean Quah via dev <[email protected]>
> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Lucas,
> >
> > LB01: I'm just wondering if it would have been an option to instead
> > > update the target assignment to remove the partitions from the member
> > > immediately when the member unsubscribes?
> >
> > Good question. I can't recall my thought process when implementing
> > KAFKA-19431. Three points spring to mind with updating the target
> > assignment on subscription changes:
> > 1. I think I wanted to preserve the property that the target assignment
> is
> > only updated by assignment runs and immutable for a given epoch. Though
> it
> > turns out that's not actually the case since we do patch the target
> > assignment when members leave or static members are replaced.
> > 2. An offloaded assignment based on older subscriptions can complete
> right
> > after we patch the target assignment to remove unsubscribed topics so we
> > would need to do some extra filtering on assignor completion.
> > 3. Even if we update the target assignment, we would need to touch the
> > reconciliation process anyway, since it wouldn't do anything when there
> is
> > no epoch bump.
> >
> > There is certainly nothing stopping us from updating the target
> assignment.
> > I think it seemed cleaner at the time to keep it all in the
> reconciliation
> > process.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Sean
> >
> > On Fri, Jan 23, 2026 at 12:32 PM Lucas Brutschy <[email protected]>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Hey Sean,
> > >
> > > thanks for the KIP! This makes a lot of sense to me. I don't really
> > > have anything I want you to change about the KIP.
> > >
> > > > We modify reconciliation to revoke any partitions the member is no
> > > longer subscribed to, since the target assignment may lag behind member
> > > subscriptions.
> > >
> > > LB01: I'm just wondering if it would have been an option to instead
> > > update the target assignment to remove the partitions from the member
> > > immediately when the member unsubscribes?
> > >
> > > Cheers,
> > > Lucas
> > >
> > > On Thu, Jan 22, 2026 at 11:58 AM Sean Quah via dev <
> [email protected]>
> > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > LM1: About group.initial.rebalance.delay.ms, I expect the
> interaction
> > > > > with the interval is just as described for the streams initial
> delay
> > > and
> > > > > interval, correct? Should we clarify that in the KIP (it only
> mentions
> > > the
> > > > > streams case)
> > > >
> > > > We haven't added a consumer or share group
> initial.rebalance.delay.ms
> > > > config yet. It only exists for streams right now.
> > > >
> > > > LM2: The KIP refers to batching assignment re-calculations triggered
> by
> > > > > member subscriptions changes, but I expect the batching mechanism
> > > applies
> > > > > the same when the assignment re-calculation is triggered by
> metadata
> > > > > changes (i.e topic/partition created or deleted), without any HB
> > > changing
> > > > > subscriptions. Is my understanding correct?
> > > >
> > > > Yes, that's right. Topic metadata changes also bump the group epoch
> and
> > > > triggers the same assignment flow.
> > > >
> > > > LM3: About this section: "When there is an in-flight assignor run
> for the
> > > > > group, there is no new target assignment. We will trigger the next
> > > assignor
> > > > > run on a future heartbeat.". I expect that the next assignor run
> will
> > > be
> > > > > triggered on the next HB from this or from any other member of the
> > > group,
> > > > > received after the interval expires (without the members
> re-sending the
> > > > > subscription change). Is my expectation correct? If so, it may be
> worth
> > > > > clarifying in the KIP to avoid confusion with client-side
> > > implementations.
> > > >
> > > > I tried to clarify in the KIP. Let me know your thoughts!
> > > >
> > > > On Thu, Jan 22, 2026 at 10:56 AM Sean Quah <[email protected]>
> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > dl01: Could we mention the handling when the group metadata or
> > > > >> topic partition metadata is changed or deleted during the async
> > > assignor
> > > > >> run?
> > > > >
> > > > > Thanks! I've added a paragraph to the Assignment Offload section
> > > > > describing the handling of group metadata changes. Topic metadata
> > > changes
> > > > > already bump the group epoch and we don't need to handle them
> > > specially.
> > > > >
> > > > > dl02: This might be a question for the overall coordinator
> executor -
> > > do
> > > > >> we have plans to apply an explicit size limit to the executor
> queue?
> > > If
> > > > >> many groups trigger offloaded assignments simultaneously, should
> we
> > > apply
> > > > >> some backpressure for protection?
> > > > >
> > > > > There aren't any plans for that right now. We actually don't have a
> > > size
> > > > > limit for the event processor queue either.
> > > > >
> > > > > On Thu, Jan 22, 2026 at 10:56 AM Sean Quah <[email protected]>
> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > >> Hi all, thanks for the feedback so far.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> dj01: In the proposed changes section, you state that the
> timestamp of
> > > > >>> the last assignment is not persisted. How do you plan to
> bookkeep it
> > > if it
> > > > >>> is not stored with the assignment? Intuitively, I would add a
> > > timestamp to
> > > > >>> the assignment record.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Thinking about it, it's easier to add it to the assignment
> record. I
> > > will
> > > > >> update the KIP. One thing to note is that the timestamp will be
> > > subject to
> > > > >> rollbacks when writing to the log fails, so we can allow extra
> > > assignment
> > > > >> runs when that happens.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> dj02: I wonder whether we should also add a "thread idle ratio"
> metric
> > > > >>> for the group coordinator executor. What do you think?
> > > > >>
> > > > >> I think it could be useful so I've added it to the KIP. The
> > > > >> implementation will have to be different to the event processor,
> > > since we
> > > > >> currently use an ExecutorService.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> dj03: If the executor is not used by the share coordinator, it
> should
> > > not
> > > > >>> expose any metrics about it. Is it possible to remove them?
> > > > >>
> > > > >> I've removed them from the KIP. We can add a parameter to the
> > > coordinator
> > > > >> metrics class to control whether they are visible.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> dj04: Is having one group coordinator executor thread sufficient
> by
> > > > >>> default for common workloads?
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Yes and no. I expect it will be very difficult to overload an
> entire
> > > > >> thread, ie. submit work faster than it can complete it. But
> updating
> > > the
> > > > >> default to two threads could be good for reducing delays due to
> > > > >> simultaneous assignor runs. I've raised the default to 2 threads.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> dj05: It seems you propose enabling the minimum assignor interval
> > > with a
> > > > >>> default of 5 seconds. However, the offloading is not enabled by
> > > default. Is
> > > > >>> the first one enough to guarantee the stability of the group
> > > coordinator?
> > > > >>> How do you foresee enabling the second one in the future? It
> would
> > > be great
> > > > >>> if you could address this in the KIP. We need a clear motivation
> for
> > > > >>> changing the default behavior and a plan for the future.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> I initially thought that offloading would increase rebalance
> times by
> > > 1
> > > > >> heartbeat and so didn't propose turning it on by default. But
> after
> > > some
> > > > >> more thinking, I believe both features will increase rebalance
> times
> > > by 1
> > > > >> heartbeat interval and the increase shouldn't stack. The minimum
> > > assignor
> > > > >> interval only impacts groups with more than 2 members, while
> > > offloading
> > > > >> only impacts groups with a single member. This is because in the
> other
> > > > >> cases, the extra delays are folded into existing revocation +
> > > heartbeat
> > > > >> delays. Note that share groups have no revocation so always see
> > > increased
> > > > >> rebalance times. I've updated the KIP to add the analysis of
> rebalance
> > > > >> times and propose turning both features on by default.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> dj06: Based on its description, I wonder whether `
> > > > >>> consumer.min.assignor.interval.ms` should be called `
> > > > >>> consumer.min.assignment.interval.ms`. What do you think?
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Thanks, I've renamed the config options in the KIP. What about the
> > > > >> assignor.offload.enable configs?
> > > > >>
> > > > >> dj07: It is not possible to enable/disable the offloading at the
> group
> > > > >>> level. This makes sense to me but it would be great to explain
> the
> > > > >>> rationale for it in the KIP.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Thinking about it, there's nothing stopping us from configuring
> > > > >> offloading at the group level. In fact it might be desirable for
> some
> > > users
> > > > >> to disable offloading at the group coordinator level to keep
> > > rebalances
> > > > >> fast and only enable it for problematic large groups. I've added a
> > > > >> group-level override to the KIP.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> On Tue, Jan 20, 2026 at 1:38 PM Lianet Magrans <
> [email protected]>
> > > > >> wrote:
> > > > >>
> > > > >>> Hi Sean, thanks for the KIP.
> > > > >>>
> > > > >>> LM1: About group.initial.rebalance.delay.ms, I expect the
> > > interaction
> > > > >>> with the interval is just as described for the streams initial
> delay
> > > and
> > > > >>> interval, correct? Should we clarify that in the KIP (it only
> > > mentions the
> > > > >>> streams case)
> > > > >>>
> > > > >>> LM2: The KIP refers to batching assignment re-calculations
> triggered
> > > by
> > > > >>> member subscriptions changes, but I expect the batching mechanism
> > > applies
> > > > >>> the same when the assignment re-calculation is triggered by
> metadata
> > > > >>> changes (i.e topic/partition created or deleted), without any HB
> > > changing
> > > > >>> subscriptions. Is my understanding correct?
> > > > >>>
> > > > >>> LM3: About this section: "*When there is an in-flight assignor
> run
> > > for
> > > > >>> the group, there is no new target assignment. We will trigger the
> > > next
> > > > >>> assignor run on a future heartbeat.*". I expect that the next
> > > assignor
> > > > >>> run will be triggered on the next HB from this or from any other
> > > member of
> > > > >>> the group, received after the interval expires (without the
> members
> > > > >>> re-sending the subscription change). Is my expectation correct?
> If
> > > so,
> > > > >>> it may be worth clarifying in the KIP to avoid confusion with
> > > client-side
> > > > >>> implementations.
> > > > >>>
> > > > >>> Thanks!
> > > > >>> Lianet
> > > > >>>
> > > > >>>
> > > > >>>
> > > > >>> On Tue, Jan 13, 2026 at 1:23 AM Sean Quah via dev <
> > > [email protected]>
> > > > >>> wrote:
> > > > >>>
> > > > >>>> sq01: We also have to update the SyncGroup request handling to
> only
> > > > >>>> return
> > > > >>>> REBALANCE_IN_PROGRESS when the member's epoch is behind the
> target
> > > > >>>> assignment epoch, not the group epoch. Thanks to Dongnuo for
> > > pointing
> > > > >>>> this
> > > > >>>> out.
> > > > >>>>
> > > > >>>> On Thu, Jan 8, 2026 at 5:40 PM Dongnuo Lyu via dev <
> > > > >>>> [email protected]>
> > > > >>>> wrote:
> > > > >>>>
> > > > >>>> > Hi Sean, thanks for the KIP! I have a few questions as
> follows.
> > > > >>>> >
> > > > >>>> > dl01: Could we mention the handling when the group metadata or
> > > topic
> > > > >>>> > partition metadata is changed or deleted during the async
> assignor
> > > > >>>> run?
> > > > >>>> >
> > > > >>>> > dl02: This might be a question for the overall coordinator
> > > executor -
> > > > >>>> do we
> > > > >>>> > have plans to apply an explicit size limit to the executor
> queue?
> > > If
> > > > >>>> many
> > > > >>>> > groups trigger offloaded assignments simultaneously, should we
> > > apply
> > > > >>>> some
> > > > >>>> > backpressure for protection?
> > > > >>>> >
> > > > >>>> > Also resonate with dj05, for small groups default `
> > > > >>>> > min.assignor.interval.ms`
> > > > >>>> > to 5s might not be necessary, so not sure if we want to make
> the
> > > batch
> > > > >>>> > assignment default. Or it might be good to have a per group
> > > > >>>> enablement.
> > > > >>>> >
> > > > >>>> > Thanks
> > > > >>>> > Dongnuo
> > > > >>>> >
> > > > >>>>
> > > > >>>
> > >
>

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