---
title: "Docker Quick Start - Pilot Docs"
description: "Run Pilot with Docker in minutes"
url: "https://docs.calinora.io/getting-started/quickstart-docker/"
---

# Docker Quick Start

Run a multi-broker Kafka cluster with Pilot using Docker Compose. This setup mirrors a environment with two brokers, rack awareness, and replication.

## Prerequisites

- Docker and Docker Compose installed
- Ports 8080 (Pilot), 9092-9093 (Kafka) available

## 1. Create docker-compose.yml

```yaml title="docker-compose.yml"
services:
  controller:
    image: apache/kafka:latest
    container_name: controller
    environment:
      KAFKA_NODE_ID: 0
      KAFKA_PROCESS_ROLES: controller
      KAFKA_LISTENERS: CONTROLLER://:9093
      KAFKA_CONTROLLER_LISTENER_NAMES: CONTROLLER
      KAFKA_LISTENER_SECURITY_PROTOCOL_MAP: CONTROLLER:PLAINTEXT,PLAINTEXT:PLAINTEXT
      KAFKA_CONTROLLER_QUORUM_VOTERS: 0@controller:9093
      KAFKA_GROUP_INITIAL_REBALANCE_DELAY_MS: 0

  broker-1:
    image: apache/kafka:latest
    container_name: broker-1
    depends_on: [controller]
    ports:
      - "9092:9092"
    environment:
      KAFKA_NODE_ID: 1
      KAFKA_PROCESS_ROLES: broker
      KAFKA_LISTENERS: PLAINTEXT://:9092
      KAFKA_ADVERTISED_LISTENERS: PLAINTEXT://broker-1:9092
      KAFKA_CONTROLLER_LISTENER_NAMES: CONTROLLER
      KAFKA_LISTENER_SECURITY_PROTOCOL_MAP: CONTROLLER:PLAINTEXT,PLAINTEXT:PLAINTEXT
      KAFKA_CONTROLLER_QUORUM_VOTERS: 0@controller:9093
      KAFKA_OFFSETS_TOPIC_REPLICATION_FACTOR: 2
      KAFKA_TRANSACTION_STATE_LOG_REPLICATION_FACTOR: 2
      KAFKA_TRANSACTION_STATE_LOG_MIN_ISR: 1
      KAFKA_DEFAULT_REPLICATION_FACTOR: 2
      KAFKA_MIN_INSYNC_REPLICAS: 1
      KAFKA_BROKER_RACK: rack-a
    healthcheck:
      test: /opt/kafka/bin/kafka-broker-api-versions.sh --bootstrap-server localhost:9092
      start_period: 15s
      interval: 10s
      timeout: 10s
      retries: 5

  broker-2:
    image: apache/kafka:latest
    container_name: broker-2
    depends_on: [controller]
    ports:
      - "9093:9092"
    environment:
      KAFKA_NODE_ID: 2
      KAFKA_PROCESS_ROLES: broker
      KAFKA_LISTENERS: PLAINTEXT://:9092
      KAFKA_ADVERTISED_LISTENERS: PLAINTEXT://broker-2:9092
      KAFKA_CONTROLLER_LISTENER_NAMES: CONTROLLER
      KAFKA_LISTENER_SECURITY_PROTOCOL_MAP: CONTROLLER:PLAINTEXT,PLAINTEXT:PLAINTEXT
      KAFKA_CONTROLLER_QUORUM_VOTERS: 0@controller:9093
      KAFKA_OFFSETS_TOPIC_REPLICATION_FACTOR: 2
      KAFKA_TRANSACTION_STATE_LOG_REPLICATION_FACTOR: 2
      KAFKA_TRANSACTION_STATE_LOG_MIN_ISR: 1
      KAFKA_DEFAULT_REPLICATION_FACTOR: 2
      KAFKA_MIN_INSYNC_REPLICAS: 1
      KAFKA_BROKER_RACK: rack-b
    healthcheck:
      test: /opt/kafka/bin/kafka-broker-api-versions.sh --bootstrap-server localhost:9092
      start_period: 15s
      interval: 10s
      timeout: 10s
      retries: 5

  pilot:
    image: calinora/pilot:latest
    container_name: pilot
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
    environment:
      KAFKA_BOOTSTRAP_SERVERS: broker-1:9092,broker-2:9092
      LOG_LEVEL: INFO
      PILOT_EXCLUDE_TOPICS: __consumer_offsets,__transaction_state
    depends_on:
      broker-1:
        condition: service_healthy
      broker-2:
        condition: service_healthy
```

## 2. Start the Stack

```bash
docker compose up -d
```

Pilot will wait for both brokers to be healthy before starting.

## 3. Access the Dashboard

Open <http://localhost:8080> in your browser. You should see both brokers with their rack assignments.

## 4. Verify Connectivity

```bash
# Health check
curl http://localhost:8080/api/v1/health

# Cluster info - should show 2 brokers
curl http://localhost:8080/api/v1/cluster
```

## 5. Create Test Data

Create topics with replication and produce messages to generate activity:

```bash
# Create topics with RF=2 so partitions are spread across both brokers
docker exec broker-1 /opt/kafka/bin/kafka-topics.sh --create \
  --topic orders --partitions 6 --replication-factor 2 \
  --bootstrap-server localhost:9092

docker exec broker-1 /opt/kafka/bin/kafka-topics.sh --create \
  --topic events --partitions 4 --replication-factor 2 \
  --bootstrap-server localhost:9092

# Produce messages to generate activity
docker exec broker-1 /opt/kafka/bin/kafka-producer-perf-test.sh \
  --topic orders --num-records 10000 \
  --record-size 256 --throughput 1000 \
  --command-property bootstrap.servers=localhost:9092

docker exec broker-1 /opt/kafka/bin/kafka-producer-perf-test.sh \
  --topic events --num-records 5000 \
  --record-size 128 --throughput 500 \
  --command-property bootstrap.servers=localhost:9092
```

Refresh the dashboard to see topics with activity scores and partition distribution across both brokers.

## 6. View the Proposal

Click **Proposals** in the navigation. With two brokers and multiple topics, Pilot will show whether the partition distribution is balanced and suggest moves if needed.

## Cleanup

```bash
docker compose down -v
```

## Next Steps

- [Quick Start](https://docs.calinora.io/getting-started/quickstart/) - connect to an existing cluster
- [Docker Compose](https://docs.calinora.io/deployment/docker-compose/) - production-like 3-broker setup with SASL authentication
- [Configuration](https://docs.calinora.io/configuration/) - environment variables and security