# Kafka: Managing Access to ACLs

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to configure [#grant-kits](https://docs.abbey.io/how-abbey-works/concepts#grant-kits "mention") to automate access requests to a [Kafka ACL](https://registry.terraform.io/providers/Mongey/kafka/latest/docs/resources/acl). This use case models [Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) using core Kafka](https://docs.confluent.io/platform/current/security/rbac/index.html) components.

We will be using the [Kafka Starter Kit](https://github.com/abbeylabs/abbey-starter-kit-kafka) as a base and replace configuration stubs for our use case.

## Before you start

1. **Make sure you have:**
   * An [Abbey account](https://app.abbey.so/sign-up)
   * An [Abbey API Token](https://docs.abbey.io/admin/managing-api-tokens#creating-new-api-tokens)
2. **Make sure you setup:**
   1. A [Kafka Starter Kit](https://github.com/abbeylabs/abbey-starter-kit-kafka) by following [get-a-starter-kit](https://docs.abbey.io/build-a-grant-kit/get-a-starter-kit "mention")
   2. A Connection to a repo by following [connect-a-repo](https://docs.abbey.io/build-a-grant-kit/connect-a-repo "mention")

## Step 1: Configure Your Grant Kit

### Configure Output

Grant Kits rely on your GitHub account and repository name to output access changes, which we'll set through Terraform local variables. Update the `locals` block in `main.tf` with your `account_name` and `repo_name`

{% code title="main.tf" %}

```hcl
 locals {
  account_name = "" #CHANGEME
  repo_name = "" #CHANGEME
  ...
}
```

{% endcode %}

### Configure Reviewers

Workflow defines who should approve an access request. 

Let's update the `reviewers` block by adding yourself as the reviewer by switching `replace-me@example.com` with the email address you use to sign into Abbey. 

{% code title="main.tf" %}

```diff
 resource "abbey_grant_kit" "..." {
   ...
   workflow = {
     steps = [
       {
         reviewers = {
-          one_of = ["replace-me@example.com"] # CHANGEME
+          one_of = ["alice@example.com"]
```

{% endcode %}

## Step 2: Link Kafka with Abbey

Now you'll need to link [Kafka with Abbey](https://developers.abbey.io/#operation/createAppData).

{% code title="" %}

```diff
curl -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ABBEY_API_TOKEN" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  https://api.abbey.io/v1/users/<user_id>/apps \
  -d '{"type": "kafka", "data": {"principal": "<your Kafka principal>"}}'
```

{% endcode %}

## Step 3: Deploy Your Starter Kit

First, add your GitHub-related secrets to your repo:

* `BOOTSTRAP_SERVERS`

The `BOOTSTRAP_SERVERS` secret takes a [List type](https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/language/values/variables#type-constraints). You can specify a list of bootstrap servers by:

```
# Evaluates to BOOTSTRAP_SERVERS='["host1:port", "host2:port", "host3:port"]'
["host1:port", "host2:port", "host3:port"]
```

<details>

<summary>What should it look like?</summary>

<img src="https://1502779850-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FudoTqG501gLo2MLzBG55%2Fuploads%2FFmzTfegtSyFeJLxtze88%2Fkafka-config.png?alt=media&#x26;token=2c6d4929-cf25-4d68-9b15-ecd8112fce14" alt="" data-size="original">

</details>

To deploy your Starter Kit, follow instructions from [deploying-your-grant-kit](https://docs.abbey.io/build-a-grant-kit/deploying-your-grant-kit "mention").

## Step 4: Automate Access Management

:tada: Congratulations! Abbey is now managing permissions to your Resource for you. :tada:

You can now start requesting and approving access by following the [requesting-access](https://docs.abbey.io/build-a-grant-kit/requesting-access "mention") and [approving-or-denying-access-requests](https://docs.abbey.io/build-a-grant-kit/approving-or-denying-access-requests "mention") guides.

{% hint style="success" %}
Abbey strives to help you automate and secure access management without being intrusive.

To that end, this Pull Request contains native Terraform HCL code using normal open source Terraform Provider libraries. It represents the permissions change. In this case, it's just a simple creation of a new Terraform Resource.
{% endhint %}

## Next Steps

To learn more about what [resources](https://docs.abbey.io/resources "mention") you can configure, try one of our [](https://docs.abbey.io/getting-started/tutorials "mention").&#x20;

For more information on how Abbey works, visit the [concepts](https://docs.abbey.io/how-abbey-works/concepts "mention") or [grant-kits](https://docs.abbey.io/reference/grant-kits "mention") page.