From 1b73c91db7ae042c04ea2a48d7912b10abea7985 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Joyce Fee Date: Sat, 25 Jul 2026 15:35:38 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 1/2] docs: DOC-2395: Add 26.2 What's New entries for shipped features Adds entries for Cloud Topics enabled by default, shadow link role synchronization, Confluent Schema Registry migration via Shadowing, fetch read coalescing, and per-entity client quota metrics. Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 --- .../pages/release-notes/redpanda.adoc | 30 +++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 30 insertions(+) diff --git a/modules/get-started/pages/release-notes/redpanda.adoc b/modules/get-started/pages/release-notes/redpanda.adoc index a0d27a5b3b..c6638cc30c 100644 --- a/modules/get-started/pages/release-notes/redpanda.adoc +++ b/modules/get-started/pages/release-notes/redpanda.adoc @@ -8,6 +8,36 @@ This topic includes new content added in version {page-component-version}. For a * xref:cloud-data-platform:get-started:cloud-overview.adoc#redpanda-cloud-vs-self-managed-feature-compatibility[Redpanda Cloud vs Self-Managed feature compatibility] +== Cloud Topics enabled by default + +Cloud Topics no longer require a separate cluster property. When cloud storage is enabled for your cluster (xref:reference:properties/object-storage-properties.adoc#cloud_storage_enabled[`cloud_storage_enabled`] set to `true`), you can create Cloud Topics directly. The `cloud_topics_enabled` cluster property is deprecated. + +See xref:develop:manage-topics/cloud-topics.adoc[Manage Cloud Topics]. + +== Shadowing: role synchronization + +Shadow links can now replicate RBAC roles from the source cluster to the shadow cluster, alongside topics, ACLs, consumer group offsets, and Schema Registry data. Configure role filters to select which roles to sync, so authorization is already in place on the shadow cluster when you fail over. + +See xref:manage:disaster-recovery/shadowing/setup.adoc#role-filtering[Configure Shadowing]. + +== Shadowing: migrate schemas from Confluent Schema Registry + +Shadowing can now replicate schemas over the Schema Registry HTTP API, including from a Confluent Schema Registry. A shadow link continuously replicates subjects, versions, and compatibility settings into the shadow cluster's Schema Registry, so your applications keep working after cutover without a separate schema migration step. You can also replicate only selected contexts or subjects, and map source contexts to different destination contexts. + +See xref:manage:disaster-recovery/shadowing/migrate-schemas-confluent.adoc[Migrate Schemas from Confluent]. + +== Fetch read coalescing + +When many consumers fetch the same partitions, each broker repeats the same read work for every consumer. Fetch read coalescing merges these redundant reads on each shard, reducing read CPU and fetch-response memory under high consumer fan-out. This Enterprise feature is disabled by default: enable it with the `kafka_fetch_read_coalescing_enabled` cluster property. + +See xref:manage:cluster-maintenance/fetch-read-coalescing.adoc[Fetch Read Coalescing]. + +== Per-entity client quota metrics + +Aggregate quota metrics can confirm that throttling is happening, but not which client is throttled. Redpanda can now label throttle-time and throughput metrics with the identity of the throttled entity, so you can identify throttled clients by name and right-size quota values based on observed use. These metrics are disabled by default: enable them with the `kafka_per_entity_quota_metrics` cluster property. + +See xref:manage:cluster-maintenance/manage-throughput.adoc#track-quota-use-per-entity[Manage Throughput]. + == Kafka 4.x client compatibility Redpanda version 26.2 validates a broader set of non-Java Apache Kafka® clients at their current versions that support Kafka 4.x, in addition to the Apache Kafka Java client. Newly validated clients include `confluent-kafka-go` and Sarama for Go, and `kafka-python` and `confluent-kafka-python` for Python. Validation confirms connectivity and correctness across core Kafka APIs, such as produce, consume, and transaction operations. From ef389d147c6bf9afbbc91073b3acb75abb63980d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Joyce Fee Date: Mon, 27 Jul 2026 22:27:04 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 2/2] docs: reorder What's New entries; merge beta Order the DOC-2395 entries as requested: Shadowing (Confluent SR migration, role sync) ahead of Kafka 4.x, then fetch read coalescing, per-entity quota metrics, and Cloud Topics enabled by default. Beta's surrounding entries (Iceberg, cluster health, Tiered Storage v2, new configuration properties) keep their positions. Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 --- .../pages/release-notes/redpanda.adoc | 18 +++++++++--------- 1 file changed, 9 insertions(+), 9 deletions(-) diff --git a/modules/get-started/pages/release-notes/redpanda.adoc b/modules/get-started/pages/release-notes/redpanda.adoc index 7eb527dfaa..c410bf1574 100644 --- a/modules/get-started/pages/release-notes/redpanda.adoc +++ b/modules/get-started/pages/release-notes/redpanda.adoc @@ -27,11 +27,11 @@ Redpanda can now export a cluster health summary as Prometheus metrics, so you c To enable them, set xref:reference:properties/cluster-properties.adoc#health_monitor_metrics_enabled[`health_monitor_metrics_enabled`] to `true` and restart your brokers. See xref:manage:monitoring.adoc#cluster-health[Cluster health] for the available metrics and query patterns. -== Cloud Topics enabled by default +== Shadowing: migrate schemas from Confluent Schema Registry -Cloud Topics no longer require a separate cluster property. When cloud storage is enabled for your cluster (xref:reference:properties/object-storage-properties.adoc#cloud_storage_enabled[`cloud_storage_enabled`] set to `true`), you can create Cloud Topics directly. The `cloud_topics_enabled` cluster property is deprecated. +Shadowing can now replicate schemas over the Schema Registry HTTP API, including from a Confluent Schema Registry. A shadow link continuously replicates subjects, versions, and compatibility settings into the shadow cluster's Schema Registry, so your applications keep working after cutover without a separate schema migration step. You can also replicate only selected contexts or subjects, and map source contexts to different destination contexts. -See xref:develop:manage-topics/cloud-topics.adoc[Manage Cloud Topics]. +See xref:manage:disaster-recovery/shadowing/migrate-schemas-confluent.adoc[Migrate Schemas from Confluent]. == Shadowing: role synchronization @@ -39,11 +39,11 @@ Shadow links can now replicate RBAC roles from the source cluster to the shadow See xref:manage:disaster-recovery/shadowing/setup.adoc#role-filtering[Configure Shadowing]. -== Shadowing: migrate schemas from Confluent Schema Registry +== Kafka 4.x client compatibility -Shadowing can now replicate schemas over the Schema Registry HTTP API, including from a Confluent Schema Registry. A shadow link continuously replicates subjects, versions, and compatibility settings into the shadow cluster's Schema Registry, so your applications keep working after cutover without a separate schema migration step. You can also replicate only selected contexts or subjects, and map source contexts to different destination contexts. +Redpanda version 26.2 validates a broader set of non-Java Apache Kafka® clients at their current versions that support Kafka 4.x, in addition to the Apache Kafka Java client. Newly validated clients include `confluent-kafka-go` and Sarama for Go, and `kafka-python` and `confluent-kafka-python` for Python. Validation confirms connectivity and correctness across core Kafka APIs, such as produce, consume, and transaction operations. -See xref:manage:disaster-recovery/shadowing/migrate-schemas-confluent.adoc[Migrate Schemas from Confluent]. +See xref:develop:kafka-clients.adoc[Kafka Compatibility] for the full list of validated clients and known exceptions. == Fetch read coalescing @@ -57,11 +57,11 @@ Aggregate quota metrics can confirm that throttling is happening, but not which See xref:manage:cluster-maintenance/manage-throughput.adoc#track-quota-use-per-entity[Manage Throughput]. -== Kafka 4.x client compatibility +== Cloud Topics enabled by default -Redpanda version 26.2 validates a broader set of non-Java Apache Kafka® clients at their current versions that support Kafka 4.x, in addition to the Apache Kafka Java client. Newly validated clients include `confluent-kafka-go` and Sarama for Go, and `kafka-python` and `confluent-kafka-python` for Python. Validation confirms connectivity and correctness across core Kafka APIs, such as produce, consume, and transaction operations. +Cloud Topics no longer require a separate cluster property. When cloud storage is enabled for your cluster (xref:reference:properties/object-storage-properties.adoc#cloud_storage_enabled[`cloud_storage_enabled`] set to `true`), you can create Cloud Topics directly. The `cloud_topics_enabled` cluster property is deprecated. -See xref:develop:kafka-clients.adoc[Kafka Compatibility] for the full list of validated clients and known exceptions. +See xref:develop:manage-topics/cloud-topics.adoc[Manage Cloud Topics]. == Tiered Storage v2