> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.kafka-eagle.org/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.kafka-eagle.org/4.architecture/1.introduction.md).

# 1.Introduction

## 4.1.1 Overview

In the development work, consumer in the Kafka cluster message, data change is our concern, when the premise of business is not complicated, we can use the Kafka command to provide tools with Zookeeper client tools, you can easily finish our work. With the complexity of the business, increase Group and Topic, then we use Kafka to provide command tools, already felt powerless, then the Kafka monitoring system at the moment is particularly important, we need to observe the details of consumer applications.

There are so many excellent open source monitor systems in the industry. In the early stage, we were useing open source system, but with the rapid development of business, as well as some specific requirements of Internet Co, the current open source monitor systems does not quite meet the criteria of performance, extendibility and efficiency.

Therefore, in the past time, starting from the needs of the Internet Co, starting from the DEVS you use experience and feedback, combined with some of the industry's large open source Kafka monitoring system, starting with some thoughts on monitoring, we were designed and developed of the kafka monitoring system. So we called [EFAK](https://github.com/smartloli/EFAK).

{% hint style="info" %}
EFAK aims at becoming a distributed and high-performance monitoring system.
{% endhint %}

## 4.1.2 Background

There are four reasons to design EFAK system:

* Apache Kafka does not officially provide monitoring systems or pages.
* Open source Kafka monitoring system has too few functions or suspension of maintenance.
* It is difficult to configure and use the existing monitoring system.
* Some monitoring system can not satisfy integration with existing IM, such as wechat or dingding.


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