# Monitor Pipeline Status > For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.redpanda.com/llms.txt). Component-specific: [connect-full.txt](https://docs.redpanda.com/connect-full.txt) --- title: Monitor Pipeline Status latest-connect-version: 4.104.0 latest-operator-version: v26.2.1 latest-console-tag: v3.9.0 latest-redpanda-tag: v26.2.1 docname: monitor-pipeline-status page-component-name: connect page-version: master page-component-version: master page-component-title: Connect page-relative-src-path: monitor-pipeline-status.adoc page-edit-url: https://github.com/redpanda-data/rp-connect-docs/edit/main/modules/guides/pages/monitor-pipeline-status.adoc description: Monitor Redpanda Connect pipeline health using status events, set up alerts for connection failures, and troubleshoot common issues. learning-objective-1: Consume status events from a Kafka topic learning-objective-2: Configure alerts for pipeline failures and connection errors learning-objective-3: Troubleshoot common status reporting issues page-git-created-date: "2026-06-16" page-git-modified-date: "2026-06-16" --- > 📝 **NOTE** > > This component requires an [enterprise license](https://docs.redpanda.com/connect/get-started/licensing/). You can either [upgrade to an Enterprise Edition license](https://www.redpanda.com/upgrade), or [generate a trial license key](http://redpanda.com/try-enterprise) that’s valid for 30 days. Monitor your Redpanda Connect pipelines in real-time by consuming status events. Status events help you detect connection failures, track pipeline health, and troubleshoot issues before they impact data processing. After reading this page, you will be able to: - Consume status events from a Kafka topic - Configure alerts for pipeline failures and connection errors - Troubleshoot common status reporting issues For status event type definitions and message format, see [`status_topic` configuration reference](https://docs.redpanda.com/connect/components/redpanda/about/#status_topic). ## [](#prerequisites)Prerequisites - Configure the [`redpanda` service](https://docs.redpanda.com/connect/components/redpanda/about/) with `status_topic` enabled - Ensure you have a valid Enterprise Edition license - status reporting is an enterprise feature - Have access to consume from the status topic ## [](#consume-status-events)Consume status events Use `rpk` to consume status events in real-time: ```bash rpk topic consume __redpanda.connect.status --format json ``` Or use any Kafka consumer configured to read from the status topic. ## [](#understand-the-pipeline-lifecycle)Understand the pipeline lifecycle Status events follow this lifecycle: | Event type | Description | | --- | --- | | Startup: TYPE_INITIALIZING | Pipeline parsed configuration and is starting | | Running: TYPE_CONNECTION_HEALTHY | Heartbeat every 30 seconds when connections are healthy | | Errors: TYPE_CONNECTION_ERROR | One or more connections have failed (heartbeat every 30 seconds) | | Shutdown: TYPE_EXITING | Pipeline is stopping (gracefully or due to error) | ## [](#set-up-monitoring-alerts)Set up monitoring alerts Configure alerts based on these patterns: ### [](#startup-tracking)Startup tracking Alert if `TYPE_INITIALIZING` is not followed by `TYPE_CONNECTION_HEALTHY` within 60 seconds. This indicates the pipeline failed to establish connections during startup. Example alert condition: ```text last_event_type = "TYPE_INITIALIZING" AND time_since_last_event > 60 seconds AND no TYPE_CONNECTION_HEALTHY received ``` ### [](#health-monitoring)Health monitoring Alert if no `TYPE_CONNECTION_HEALTHY` received for a `pipeline_id` for more than 60 seconds. Since heartbeats occur every 30 seconds, missing two consecutive heartbeats indicates the pipeline may have crashed without sending `TYPE_EXITING`. Example alert condition: ```text last_event_type = "TYPE_CONNECTION_HEALTHY" AND time_since_last_event > 60 seconds ``` ### [](#error-detection)Error detection Alert on any `TYPE_CONNECTION_ERROR` events. These indicate connection failures to inputs, outputs, or other external systems. Use the event fields to identify failures: - `connection_errors[].path` - The configuration path of the failing connector (e.g., `input.kafka_franz`) - `connection_errors[].label` - Custom label if assigned to the connector - `connection_errors[].message` - Error message describing the failure Example alert condition: ```text event_type = "TYPE_CONNECTION_ERROR" ``` ### [](#shutdown-tracking)Shutdown tracking Alert on `TYPE_EXITING` events that include an `exit_error.message` field. This indicates unexpected shutdown due to an error rather than graceful termination. Example alert condition: ```text event_type = "TYPE_EXITING" AND exit_error.message IS NOT NULL ``` ## [](#example-monitoring-query)Example monitoring query For a log aggregation system (Splunk, Elasticsearch, etc.): ```text source="__redpanda.connect.status" | where type="TYPE_CONNECTION_ERROR" OR (type="TYPE_EXITING" AND exit_error.message IS NOT NULL) | stats count by pipeline_id, type, connection_errors[0].path ``` This query identifies pipelines with connection errors or unexpected shutdowns. ## [](#troubleshoot-status-events)Troubleshoot status events ### [](#status-events-not-appearing)Status events not appearing If you’ve configured `status_topic` but don’t see events: 1. **Check license**: Status reporting requires a valid Enterprise Edition license - Verify license is installed and valid - Check logs for license validation errors 2. **Verify topic creation**: Ensure the status topic exists and has proper permissions - Create the topic manually if it doesn’t exist: ```bash rpk topic create __redpanda.connect.status --partitions 1 --replicas 3 ``` - Verify Connect instance has write permissions to the topic 3. **Check broker connectivity**: Ensure Connect can reach the Kafka brokers - Verify `seed_brokers` configuration is correct - Check network connectivity and firewall rules 4. **Review configuration**: Verify `status_topic` is set and not empty string ```yaml redpanda: seed_brokers: ["localhost:9092"] pipeline_id: my-pipeline status_topic: __redpanda.connect.status # Must be non-empty ``` ### [](#connection-errors-not-resolving)Connection errors not resolving If you see persistent `TYPE_CONNECTION_ERROR` events: 1. Check the `connection_errors[].path` to identify the failing connector 2. Review configuration for that specific connector (input or output) 3. Verify the external system (database, API, etc.) is accessible 4. Check connector-specific authentication and credentials 5. Review Connect logs for detailed error messages from the connector ### [](#missing-heartbeats)Missing heartbeats If heartbeats (`TYPE_CONNECTION_HEALTHY`) stop but no `TYPE_EXITING` was sent: 1. The pipeline process likely crashed or was killed (SIGKILL) 2. Check system logs for out-of-memory errors or other system issues 3. Check container orchestrator logs (Kubernetes pod events, etc.) 4. Review resource limits and adjust if necessary ## [](#suggested-reading)Suggested reading - [`status_topic` configuration reference](https://docs.redpanda.com/connect/components/redpanda/about/#status_topic) - [Monitoring with metrics and health checks](https://docs.redpanda.com/connect/guides/monitoring/) - [Logger configuration](https://docs.redpanda.com/connect/components/logger/about/)