Axon Server FAQ

Zero-configuration message router and event store

Is Axon Server just an alternative to other messaging systems like Kafka?

No, as it is more than that. Kafka is a great Event Streaming solution, but it does not deal with Commands or Queries like Axon Server nor does it take the same approach to an Event Store. Check out these two (one and two) articles for more on the subject.

How does Axon Server communicate with other applications?

The communication in Axon Server is done with gRPC, using ProtoBuf. We chose it because of its flexibility and efficiency. On top of that, it allows the construction of connection points in different programming languages. By the way, the API for it is open-source, and you can find it here.

How do I migrate to/from Axon Server?

That’s a good question, but also a long story to share. We do have a blog post explaining how to migrate from or to Axon Server, however. You can find the blog here.

Can I use Axon Server without Axon Framework?

Most definitely! Axon Server is a great addition next to Axon Framework, but they are not necessarily paired up. You can access the Message Routing and Event Store capabilities just as well without using Axon Framework by using the Connector.

Can I use Axon Server from non-Java applications?

You can, but it might require some handy work. Axon Server’s API is based on gRPC (ProtoBuf), allowing you to construct a connector in many languages. There are a couple of community connector implementations such as Rust, Go, and NodeJS that are supported by the community and not AxonIQ.

Can I use Axon Server free in production environments?

Sure you can! That would be the “Axon Server Standard” edition, to be exact. This version of Axon Servers provides you with command, event, and query distribution and an Event Store implementation.

What levels of security does Axon Server provide?

Securing data in transit (TLS)
- Securing communication between AS cluster and clients
- Securing intracluster communication
Securing data at rest (ADP)
RBAC

What is the difference between Axon Server Enterprise and Axon Server Standard?

Enterprise Edition (EE) has clustering
EE supports multi contexts
EE supports more granularity in terms of security
EE is paid edition

How many nodes do I need to run an Axon Server Cluster?

First of all, it is recommended to have an odd number of nodes, preferably 3 or 5 - having more nodes would increase latency. This is explained by the underlying Consensus Protocol that we use, RAFT, as it states that an even number of nodes will reduce availability.

How do I migrate to/from Axon Server Enterprise?

Please read our article regarding this matter here.

How can I backup my data?

Having a cluster of nodes already gives you a form of backup. However, it is possible to backup events and snapshots, control DB and replication log in addition to clustering.