Cloudera Docs

Securing Streams Messaging Manager

As a cluster administrator, you can combine Kerberos authentication and Ranger authorization to secure the Streams Messaging Manager (SMM) web user interface (UI). After you secure the SMM web UI, the login page appears, which does not appear by default.

If you deploy SMM without security, the login page is not enabled on the SMM UI by default. When you enable Kerberos authentication, SMM uses SPNEGO to authenticate users and allows them to view or create topics within Kafka by administering Ranger Kafka Policies. For information on enabling browsers to use SPNEGO, see How to Configure Browsers for Kerberos Authentication.

After you secure SMM, anyone within the organization can login to SMM. However, if they do not have the correct policy configuration in Ranger, then they may not have the necessary privileges to perform their required tasks through SMM.

  • Configure Kafka in Ranger

    For more information, see Configure a resource-based service: Kafka.

  • Enable Kerberos authentication for Kafka

    For more information, see Enable Kerberos authentication.

  • Add and configure SMM

    For more information, see Creating your first Streams Messaging cluster.

  1. Go to Cloudera Manager > SMM, and click Configuration.
  2. Enable Ranger for SMM.


  3. Go to the Ranger service UI and configure the Kafka policies.
  4. Click cm_kafka in the Ranger service UI.


    The List of Policies page appears.

  5. Click Add New Policy.


    The Policy Details page appears.



  6. Add a policy name and select cluster from the dropdown.


  7. Type * in the field beside cluster, and select the * from the values that appear.
  8. Go to the Allow Condition section and select the user.
  9. Add permissions by clicking the + under Add Permissions.


  10. Select Create and Describe permissions.
  11. Click Add.