**Subject: Stream Connect for Apache Kafka â Clarification on Hermes mode vs Direct Kafka mode**
Hi everyone,
I'm working on a Stream Connect for Apache Kafka design (Hermes mode vs Direct Kafka mode) and would like to confirm two points with the community/product team:
1. **In Hermes mode, is a message replicator always required?**
From the documentation, it seems that Hermes mode always relies on a replicator (Mirror Maker, custom replicator, or MID Server) to move messages between the customer's Kafka environment and Hermes. Can someone confirm there is no scenario in Hermes mode where messages reach Hermes without going through one of these replicators?
2. **Is a MID Server always mandatory in Hermes mode, or just one of several replicator options?**
I understand Direct Kafka mode never requires a MID Server. But in Hermes mode, is the MID Server one option among others (Mirror Maker, custom replicator), or is it always required regardless of the replicator type chosen?
Any clarification from someone who has implemented this in production (especially around licensing/infra implications) would be very helpful.
Thanks in advance!
