The text provides an in-depth look at Kora, Confluent's next-generation cloud data service that enhances Apache Kafka's capabilities for managed cloud environments. Kora was developed to address various challenges associated with cloud systems, such as multi-tenancy and operational efficiency, while maintaining compatibility with Kafka's protocol. Unlike self-managed open-source Kafka, Kora is designed from the ground up as a true cloud service, offering significant advantages in scalability, reliability, performance, and cost-efficiency. It supports thousands of customers across over 85 cloud regions, with robust mechanisms for data locality, real-time usage optimization, and automated management to ensure high availability and performance. The system's architecture is built to handle the unique demands of cloud-based data streaming, utilizing a cellular-based approach for tenant distribution and a sophisticated storage hierarchy to balance data between memory, local storage, and object storage. Kora's automation and health checks mitigate operational burdens, allowing for continuous updates and rapid innovation without customer intervention, ultimately providing a more efficient and cost-effective alternative to traditional self-managed systems.