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By Ashish Kasamaauthor-img
March 26, 2025|7 Minute read|
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/ / A Step-by-Step Guide to Installing ZooKeeper
At a Glance:

This blog provides a step-by-step guide on installing and configuring ZooKeeper on Linux, macOS, and Windows. It covers the prerequisites, installation process, key configuration settings in the zoo.cfg file, and how to test ZooKeeper using the CLI. The article also includes tips for optimal performance.

Introduction

Zookeeper is a distributed coordination service for distributed applications, ensuring coordination and synchronization across multiple nodes. Simply, it provides a way for applications to coordinate with each other in a reliable and fault-tolerant way. However, setting it up can be a daunting task, especially for beginners. So, we are here with a step-by-step guide that simplifies the installation process, making it accessible for developers and system administrators. 

You will also learn about prerequisite steps, installation steps, and crucial configuration settings in the zoo.cfg file. Moreover, this guide also includes testing Zookeeper using the Command-line interface (CLI) and further tips. 

How to Install Zookeeper in Linux, macOS, and Windows?

By installing Zookeeper, developers and system administrators can enjoy the benefits of its API, robust fault tolerance, and the ability to manage partial network failures. Follow the steps below for the installation of a zookeeper on Windows and other systems. 

Prerequisites

Before you can install ZooKeeper, you will need to have the following prerequisites:

  • A Java Development Kit (JDK) version 8 or higher
  • A Linux, macOS, or Windows machine

Installing ZooKeeper on Linux (Ubuntu)

To install ZooKeeper on Linux, you can follow these steps:

  • Download the ZooKeeper distribution from the Apache ZooKeeper website: https://zookeeper.apache.org/
  • Extract the distribution to a directory of your choice.
  • Open the conf/zoo.cfg file and configure the settings for your ZooKeeper cluster.
  • Start ZooKeeper by running the following command:
bin/zookeeper-server-start.sh conf/zoo.cfg

Steps to Install ZooKeeper on macOS

To install ZooKeeper on macOS, you can follow these steps:

  • Download the ZooKeeper distribution from the Apache ZooKeeper website: https://zookeeper.apache.org/
  • Extract the distribution to a directory of your choice.
  • Open the conf/zoo.cfg file and configure the settings for your ZooKeeper cluster.
  • Start ZooKeeper by running the following command:
bin/zookeeper-server-start.sh conf/zoo.cfg

How to Install Zookeeper on Windows

Follow the below steps to run Zookeeper on Windows;  

  • Download Zookeeper from the official website: https://zookeeper.apache.org/releases.html and download the latest binary.
  • Extract it using 7-Zip to a directory of your choice. 
  • Open the conf\zoo.cfg file and configure the settings for your ZooKeeper cluster.
  • Start ZooKeeper by running the following command: 
bin\zookeeper-server-start.cmd conf\zoo.cfg

Configuring ZooKeeper

The conf/zoo.cfg file contains the configuration settings for your ZooKeeper cluster. These settings include the following:

  • The number of ZooKeeper servers in the cluster
  • The hostname and port of each ZooKeeper server
  • The ticking time
  • The sync limit
  • The data directory

For more information on the configuration settings, please refer to the ZooKeeper documentation: https://zookeeper.apache.org/doc/r3.1.2/zookeeperStarted.html

Starting and Testing Zookeeper

Once you have installed and configured ZooKeeper, you can test it by connecting to it using the ZooKeeper CLI. The ZooKeeper CLI is a command-line tool that allows you to interact with ZooKeeper.

Run the following command to start;

bin/zkCli.sh start

Next, you will see the following standard response; 


ZooKeeper JMX enabled by default
Using config: /opt/zookeeper/bin/../conf/zoo.cfg
Starting zookeeper ... STARTED

Now, you can test it by connecting to it using the ZooKeeper CLI. The ZooKeeper CLI is a command-line tool that allows you to interact with ZooKeeper.

Security Consideration for Apache Zookeeper

  • Use ACLs to restrict access and configure permissions for create, delete, read, and write for granular control.  

  • Enable SSL/TLS for secure client and server communication.  

  • Utilize firewalls to allow only trustworthy IPs to connect.  

  • Monitor regularly to detect any suspicious acts.  

Implement these security measures to ensure a secure setup.  

Conclusion

In this blog, we go through the step-by-step guide for installing Zookeeper on Windows, Linux, and macOS. This will help you get started with Zookeeper, no matter the operating system you are using. Here, we also discussed some additional tips for securing the zookeeper setup. Hope this helps! 

Ashish Kasama
Ashish Kasama

Co-founder & Your Technology Partner

One-stop solution for next-gen tech.

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