> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.lenses.io/latest/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.lenses.io/latest/k2k/runbooks/validation-checklist.md).

# Validation checklist

Pre-deployment validation workflow for K2K pipelines.

Use this checklist before starting a new pipeline or after changing cluster connections, security settings, or feature toggles.

## 1. License and pipeline structure

* [ ] `license.acceptEula` and `license.token` are set — see [License](/latest/k2k/configuration-reference/licenses.md)
* [ ] Pipeline has `name`, `source.kafka`, `target.kafka`, and both source and sink replication stages — see [Minimal Configuration](/latest/k2k/minimal-configuration.md) and [Topic selection and data routing](/latest/k2k/configuration-reference/topic-selection-and-data-routing.md)
* [ ] Secrets are in an overlay file, not committed to source control — see [Secrets and templates](/latest/k2k/configuration-reference/secrets-and-templates.md)

## 2. Connectivity

* [ ] Bootstrap servers resolve from the K2K host or pod
* [ ] SASL/TLS credentials are valid on both clusters — see [Kafka connectivity and authentication](/latest/k2k/configuration-reference/kafka-connectivity-authentication.md)
* [ ] Schema Registry endpoints are reachable if schema migration is enabled
* [ ] Enable `features.checkKafkaConnectionOnStartup: enabled` for first run — see [Startup validation](/latest/k2k/configuration-reference/startup-validation.md)

## 3. Permissions

* [ ] Source cluster grants READ on replicated topics and consumer group join
* [ ] Target cluster grants WRITE on replicated topics and control topics
* [ ] Admin API permissions match enabled features — see [Security and permissions](/latest/k2k/configuration-reference/security-and-permissions.md)

## 4. Dry run

Validate routing and schema handling without writing to the target cluster:

```shell
k2k dry-run -f my_pipeline.yml
```

`dry-run` prints replicated records to stdout and disables offset commits. Telemetry is not available on `dry-run`. See [Deployment](/latest/k2k/deployment.md#replicator).

## 5. Deployment

* [ ] Replicator started: `k2k start -f my_pipeline.yml`
* [ ] If offset mapping is enabled, offset mapper also started: `k2k-offset-mapping start -f my_pipeline.yml` — see [Deployment](/latest/k2k/deployment.md#offset-mapping-both-applications-required)
* [ ] Metrics exporter configured (`-t` flag and `OTEL_*` env vars) — see [Observability](/latest/k2k/configuration-reference/observability.md)

## 6. Post-start verification

* [ ] Replication lag metrics are stable and decreasing toward zero
* [ ] Replicated topics contain expected records on the target cluster
* [ ] If offset mapping is enabled, target consumer group offsets advance — verify with `k2k-tool describe` — see [K2K Standalone Tool](/latest/k2k/k2k-standalone-tool.md)
* [ ] Control topics exist on the target cluster — see [Topic creation](/latest/k2k/configuration-reference/topic-creation.md)

## 7. Before production cutover

* [ ] Run failover or migration drill in a non-production environment
* [ ] Document rollback procedure (stop consumers, revert DNS/config, restart on source)
* [ ] Alerting configured on replication lag and error rates


---

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