// This assembly is included in:
//
// overview/overview.adoc
// deploying/assembly_deploy-intro.adoc

[id="overview-components_{context}"]
= Strimzi Operators

[role="_abstract"]
Operators are a method of packaging, deploying, and managing Kubernetes applications.
They provide a way to extend the Kubernetes API and simplify the administration tasks associated with specific applications.

Strimzi operators support tasks related to a Kafka deployment.
Strimzi custom resources provide the deployment configuration.
This includes configuration for Kafka clusters, topics, users, and other components.
Leveraging custom resource configuration, Strimzi operators create, configure, and manage Kafka components within a Kubernetes environment.
Using operators reduces the need for manual intervention and streamlines the process of managing Kafka in a Kubernetes cluster.

Strimzi provides the following operators for managing a Kafka cluster running within a Kubernetes cluster.

Cluster Operator:: Deploys and manages Apache Kafka clusters, Kafka Connect, Kafka MirrorMaker, Kafka Bridge, Kafka Exporter, Cruise Control, and the Entity Operator
Entity Operator:: Comprises the Topic Operator and User Operator
Topic Operator:: Manages Kafka topics
User Operator:: Manages Kafka users

The Cluster Operator can deploy the Topic Operator and User Operator as part of an *Entity Operator* configuration at the same time as a Kafka cluster.

.Operators within the Strimzi architecture

image:operators.png[Operators within the Strimzi architecture]

//description of Cluster Operator
include::../../modules/overview/con-overview-components-cluster-operator.adoc[leveloffset=+1]

//description of Topic Operator
include::../../modules/overview/con-overview-components-topic-operator.adoc[leveloffset=+1]

//description of User Operator
include::../../modules/overview/con-overview-components-user-operator.adoc[leveloffset=+1]

//description of feature gates
include::../../modules/overview/con-feature-gates-overview.adoc[leveloffset=+1]
