refactor: rebrand to Kafka Backup Operator and change CRD API group

Per Strimzi maintainer feedback (discussion #8750), change the CRD API
group from backup.strimzi.io to kafkabackup.com to avoid implying
official Strimzi/CNCF affiliation or colliding with a future official
Strimzi backup project.

- API group: backup.strimzi.io -> kafkabackup.com
- Project name: "Strimzi Backup Operator" -> "Kafka Backup Operator for Strimzi"
- Add non-affiliation disclaimer to README and Helm chart
- Rename Helm chart directory and all template helpers
- Update Cargo package/binary name, Dockerfile, Makefile, CI workflows
- Regenerate CRD YAMLs with new group
- strimzi.io/cluster label intentionally kept (Strimzi convention)

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Author: sionsmith

.github/workflows/release.yaml

@@ -163,12 +163,12 @@ jobs:
         with:
           name: v${{ needs.validate.outputs.version }}
           body: |
-            ## Strimzi Backup Operator v${{ needs.validate.outputs.version }}
+            ## Kafka Backup Operator for Strimzi v${{ needs.validate.outputs.version }}
 
             ### Docker Images
 
             ```bash
-            docker pull ghcr.io/osodevops/strimzi-backup-operator:${{ needs.validate.outputs.version }}
+            docker pull ghcr.io/osodevops/kafka-backup-operator:${{ needs.validate.outputs.version }}
             ```
 
             ### Installation
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ jobs:
             helm repo update
 
             # Install the operator
-            helm install strimzi-backup-operator oso-devops/strimzi-backup-operator \
+            helm install kafka-backup-operator oso-devops/kafka-backup-operator \
               --namespace kafka \
               --create-namespace \
               --version ${{ needs.validate.outputs.version }}
@@ -214,6 +214,6 @@ jobs:
         with:
           token: ${{ secrets.HELM_CHARTS_PAT }}
           repository: osodevops/helm-charts
-          event-type: update-strimzi-backup-operator
+          event-type: update-kafka-backup-operator
           client-payload: '{"version": "${{ needs.validate.outputs.version }}"}'
         continue-on-error: true

.github/workflows/sync-helm-chart.yaml

@@ -5,14 +5,14 @@ on:
     branches:
       - main
     paths:
-      - 'deploy/helm/strimzi-backup-operator/**'
+      - 'deploy/helm/kafka-backup-operator/**'
   workflow_dispatch:
 
 env:
-  SOURCE_CHART_PATH: deploy/helm/strimzi-backup-operator
+  SOURCE_CHART_PATH: deploy/helm/kafka-backup-operator
   TARGET_REPO: osodevops/helm-charts
-  TARGET_CHART_PATH: charts/strimzi-backup-operator
-  BRANCH_NAME: sync/strimzi-backup-operator-chart
+  TARGET_CHART_PATH: charts/kafka-backup-operator
+  BRANCH_NAME: sync/kafka-backup-operator-chart
 
 jobs:
   sync-helm-chart:
@@ -53,11 +53,11 @@ jobs:
           path: target-repo
           branch: ${{ env.BRANCH_NAME }}
           delete-branch: true
-          title: "chore(strimzi-backup-operator): sync chart v${{ steps.chart-version.outputs.version }}"
+          title: "chore(kafka-backup-operator): sync chart v${{ steps.chart-version.outputs.version }}"
           body: |
             ## Summary
 
-            Automated sync of `strimzi-backup-operator` Helm chart.
+            Automated sync of `kafka-backup-operator` Helm chart.
 
             **Chart Version:** `${{ steps.chart-version.outputs.version }}`
             **App Version:** `${{ steps.chart-version.outputs.app_version }}`
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ jobs:
             ---
             *Auto-generated by [Helm Chart Sync Workflow](${{ github.server_url }}/${{ github.repository }}/actions/runs/${{ github.run_id }})*
           commit-message: |
-            chore(strimzi-backup-operator): sync chart v${{ steps.chart-version.outputs.version }}
+            chore(kafka-backup-operator): sync chart v${{ steps.chart-version.outputs.version }}
 
             Source: ${{ github.repository }}@${{ github.sha }}
           labels: |

Cargo.lock

@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 [package]
-name = "strimzi-backup-operator"
+name = "kafka-backup-operator"
 version = "0.1.0"
 edition = "2021"
 rust-version = "1.88"
 license = "Apache-2.0"
-description = "Strimzi-native Kubernetes operator for Kafka backup and restore"
+description = "Kubernetes operator for Kafka backup and restore, integrated with Strimzi"
 repository = "https://github.com/osodevops/strimzi-backup-operator"
 
 [[bin]]
-name = "strimzi-backup-operator"
+name = "kafka-backup-operator"
 path = "src/main.rs"
 
 [[bin]]

Cargo.toml

@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ COPY src ./src
 RUN touch src/main.rs
 
 # Build the actual binary
-RUN cargo build --release --bin strimzi-backup-operator
+RUN cargo build --release --bin kafka-backup-operator
 
 # Runtime stage
 FROM debian:bookworm-slim
@@ -44,16 +44,16 @@ RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
 RUN useradd -r -u 1000 -g root operator
 
 # Copy the binary
-COPY --from=builder /workspace/target/release/strimzi-backup-operator /usr/local/bin/strimzi-backup-operator
+COPY --from=builder /workspace/target/release/kafka-backup-operator /usr/local/bin/kafka-backup-operator
 
 # Set ownership and permissions
-RUN chown operator:root /usr/local/bin/strimzi-backup-operator && \
-    chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/strimzi-backup-operator
+RUN chown operator:root /usr/local/bin/kafka-backup-operator && \
+    chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/kafka-backup-operator
 
 USER 1000
 
 # Expose metrics port
 EXPOSE 9090
 
 ENTRYPOINT ["tini", "--"]
-CMD ["strimzi-backup-operator"]
+CMD ["kafka-backup-operator"]

Dockerfile

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 CARGO ?= cargo
 DOCKER ?= docker
 KUBECTL ?= kubectl
-IMAGE_NAME ?= ghcr.io/osodevops/strimzi-backup-operator
+IMAGE_NAME ?= ghcr.io/osodevops/kafka-backup-operator
 IMAGE_TAG ?= latest
 RUST_LOG ?= info
 
@@ -42,16 +42,16 @@ uninstall-crds:
 	$(KUBECTL) delete -f deploy/crds/ --ignore-not-found
 
 run:
-	RUST_LOG=$(RUST_LOG) $(CARGO) run --bin strimzi-backup-operator
+	RUST_LOG=$(RUST_LOG) $(CARGO) run --bin kafka-backup-operator
 
 clean:
 	$(CARGO) clean
 
 helm-template:
-	helm template strimzi-backup-operator deploy/helm/strimzi-backup-operator
+	helm template kafka-backup-operator deploy/helm/kafka-backup-operator
 
 helm-install:
-	helm install strimzi-backup-operator deploy/helm/strimzi-backup-operator
+	helm install kafka-backup-operator deploy/helm/kafka-backup-operator
 
 helm-uninstall:
-	helm uninstall strimzi-backup-operator
+	helm uninstall kafka-backup-operator

Makefile

@@ -1,28 +1,30 @@
-# Strimzi Backup Operator
+# Kafka Backup Operator for Strimzi
 
 [![License](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-Apache%202.0-blue.svg)](https://opensource.org/licenses/Apache-2.0)
 [![Rust](https://img.shields.io/badge/rust-1.88%2B-orange.svg)](https://www.rust-lang.org)
 [![Kubernetes](https://img.shields.io/badge/kubernetes-1.27%2B-326ce5.svg)](https://kubernetes.io)
 
-A Strimzi-native Kubernetes operator for **Strimzi backup** and disaster recovery of Apache Kafka clusters. Provides dedicated CRDs for automated Kafka backup scheduling, point-in-time recovery, and multi-cloud storage — fully integrated with the Strimzi ecosystem.
+> **Disclaimer:** This project is not part of the [Strimzi](https://strimzi.io/) project or the CNCF. It is an independent, community-built operator designed to work with Strimzi-managed Kafka clusters.
 
-## Why Strimzi Backup?
+A Kubernetes operator for **Kafka backup** and disaster recovery of Strimzi-managed Apache Kafka clusters. Provides dedicated CRDs for automated Kafka backup scheduling, point-in-time recovery, and multi-cloud storage — designed for the Strimzi ecosystem.
+
+## Why Kafka Backup?
 
 Strimzi makes running Apache Kafka on Kubernetes straightforward, but **backup and disaster recovery remain unsolved problems** in the Strimzi ecosystem:
 
 - **MirrorMaker2 is not a backup** — it requires a full secondary cluster, expensive cross-cluster replication, and complex client failover procedures.
 - **PVC snapshots are fragile** — deleting Strimzi CRDs triggers garbage collection of PVCs, and node failures can result in permanent data loss.
 - **No point-in-time recovery** — there is no native mechanism to restore a Strimzi Kafka cluster to a specific moment in time.
-- **No Strimzi-native backup CRD** — backup workflows are entirely manual or require external tools that don't integrate with the Strimzi operator model.
+- **No Strimzi-compatible backup CRD** — backup workflows are entirely manual or require external tools that don't integrate with the Strimzi operator model.
 
-The **Strimzi Backup Operator** solves these problems with a purpose-built Kubernetes operator that follows Strimzi conventions and extends the Strimzi ecosystem with first-class backup and restore capabilities.
+The **Kafka Backup Operator** solves these problems with a purpose-built Kubernetes operator that follows Strimzi conventions and is designed to work with Strimzi-managed clusters, providing first-class backup and restore capabilities.
 
 ## Features
 
-- **Strimzi-native CRDs** — `KafkaBackup` and `KafkaRestore` custom resources under the `backup.strimzi.io` API group, following Strimzi conventions for status conditions, labels, and finalizers
+- **Strimzi-compatible CRDs** — `KafkaBackup` and `KafkaRestore` custom resources under the `kafkabackup.com` API group, following Strimzi conventions for status conditions, labels, and finalizers
 - **Auto-discovery of Strimzi resources** — automatically resolves bootstrap servers, TLS certificates, and KafkaUser credentials from your existing Strimzi `Kafka` CRs
-- **Scheduled Strimzi backups** — cron-based scheduling with timezone support via Kubernetes CronJobs
-- **Point-in-time recovery (PITR)** — restore your Strimzi Kafka cluster to any millisecond-precision timestamp
+- **Scheduled backups** — cron-based scheduling with timezone support via Kubernetes CronJobs
+- **Point-in-time recovery (PITR)** — restore your Kafka cluster to any millisecond-precision timestamp
 - **Multi-cloud storage** — back up to Amazon S3, Azure Blob Storage, Google Cloud Storage, or any S3-compatible store (MinIO, Ceph RGW)
 - **Topic filtering** — include/exclude topics using regex patterns
 - **Topic mapping** — rename topics during restore for migration or testing scenarios
@@ -35,14 +37,14 @@ The **Strimzi Backup Operator** solves these problems with a purpose-built Kuber
 
 ## Architecture
 
-The Strimzi Backup Operator creates Kubernetes Jobs (or CronJobs for scheduled backups) that run the `kafka-backup` CLI to perform backup and restore operations. This provides resource isolation, failure isolation, and pod-level customisation.
+The Kafka Backup Operator creates Kubernetes Jobs (or CronJobs for scheduled backups) that run the `kafka-backup` CLI to perform backup and restore operations. This provides resource isolation, failure isolation, and pod-level customisation.
 
 ```
 +------------------------------------------------------------+
 |                    Kubernetes Cluster                       |
 |                                                            |
 |  +------------------+         +------------------------+   |
-|  |  Strimzi         |         |  Strimzi Backup        |   |
+|  |  Strimzi         |         |  Kafka Backup          |   |
 |  |  Cluster         | <------ |  Operator              |   |
 |  |  Operator        |  reads  |  (watches KafkaBackup  |   |
 |  |                  |  Kafka  |   & KafkaRestore CRs)  |   |
@@ -79,15 +81,15 @@ helm repo add oso-devops https://osodevops.github.io/helm-charts/
 helm repo update
 
 # Install the operator
-helm install strimzi-backup-operator oso-devops/strimzi-backup-operator \
+helm install kafka-backup-operator oso-devops/kafka-backup-operator \
   --namespace kafka \
   --create-namespace
 ```
 
-### Create a Strimzi Backup
+### Create a Backup
 
 ```yaml
-apiVersion: backup.strimzi.io/v1alpha1
+apiVersion: kafkabackup.com/v1alpha1
 kind: KafkaBackup
 metadata:
   name: my-cluster-backup
@@ -121,10 +123,10 @@ spec:
     pruneOnSchedule: true
 ```
 
-### Restore a Strimzi Backup
+### Restore from a Backup
 
 ```yaml
-apiVersion: backup.strimzi.io/v1alpha1
+apiVersion: kafkabackup.com/v1alpha1
 kind: KafkaRestore
 metadata:
   name: my-cluster-restore
@@ -147,8 +149,8 @@ spec:
 
 | CRD | Short Name | API Group | Description |
 |-----|-----------|-----------|-------------|
-| `KafkaBackup` | `kb` | `backup.strimzi.io/v1alpha1` | Defines a Strimzi backup configuration with scheduling, retention, and storage |
-| `KafkaRestore` | `kr` | `backup.strimzi.io/v1alpha1` | Defines a restore operation with PITR, topic mapping, and consumer group restore |
+| `KafkaBackup` | `kb` | `kafkabackup.com/v1alpha1` | Defines a backup configuration with scheduling, retention, and storage |
+| `KafkaRestore` | `kr` | `kafkabackup.com/v1alpha1` | Defines a restore operation with PITR, topic mapping, and consumer group restore |
 
 ## Storage Configuration
 
@@ -207,7 +209,7 @@ storage:
       key: credentials
 ```
 
-## Strimzi Backup Authentication
+## Authentication
 
 The operator automatically discovers TLS certificates and authentication credentials from your Strimzi cluster. You can also reference `KafkaUser` CRs directly:
 
@@ -251,12 +253,12 @@ spec:
 
 | Parameter | Description | Default |
 |-----------|-------------|---------|
-| `image.repository` | Operator container image | `ghcr.io/osodevops/strimzi-backup-operator` |
+| `image.repository` | Operator container image | `ghcr.io/osodevops/kafka-backup-operator` |
 | `image.tag` | Image tag | Chart `appVersion` |
 | `image.pullPolicy` | Image pull policy | `Always` |
 | `replicaCount` | Number of operator replicas | `1` |
 | `watchNamespaces` | Namespaces to watch (empty = all) | `[]` |
-| `logging.level` | Rust log filter | `info,strimzi_backup_operator=debug` |
+| `logging.level` | Rust log filter | `info,kafka_backup_operator=debug` |
 | `logging.format` | Log output format | `json` |
 | `serviceAccount.create` | Create a service account | `true` |
 | `azureWorkloadIdentity.enabled` | Enable Azure Workload Identity | `false` |
@@ -338,7 +340,7 @@ cargo clippy --all-features -- -D warnings
 cargo run --release --bin crdgen
 
 # Build Docker image
-docker build -t strimzi-backup-operator .
+docker build -t kafka-backup-operator .
 ```
 
 ### Local Development

README.md

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-apiVersion: backup.strimzi.io/v1alpha1
+apiVersion: kafkabackup.com/v1alpha1
 kind: KafkaBackup
 metadata:
   name: daily-backup

config/examples/kafka-backup-s3.yaml

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-apiVersion: backup.strimzi.io/v1alpha1
+apiVersion: kafkabackup.com/v1alpha1
 kind: KafkaRestore
 metadata:
   name: pitr-restore

config/examples/kafka-restore-pitr.yaml

@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 apiVersion: apiextensions.k8s.io/v1
 kind: CustomResourceDefinition
 metadata:
-  name: kafkabackups.backup.strimzi.io
+  name: kafkabackups.kafkabackup.com
 spec:
-  group: backup.strimzi.io
+  group: kafkabackup.com
   names:
     categories: []
     kind: KafkaBackup