Hello 👋 We would like to propose CEP-51: Support Include Semantics for cassandra.yaml for adoption by the community: https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/CASSANDRA/CEP-51+Support+Include+Semantics+for+cassandra.yaml
This CEP proposes adding completely optional include directives to Cassandra's configuration system, allowing users who need it to split their cassandra.yaml into multiple files for better security, organization, and deployment flexibility. No changes are made to the default cassandra.yaml, and this feature is entirely opt-in. The proposed include directives (include, include_if_exists, and include_dir) enable organizations to: - Apply the principle of least privilege by separating sensitive security configurations into files with restricted permissions - Better organize large configuration files by logical subsystems - Simplify configuration management in environments where different teams manage different aspects of the cluster - Follow established patterns already present in PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis, NGINX, and other widely-used systems Key design principles: - Zero impact on users who don't use the feature - No recursive includes (only the main cassandra.yaml can contain include directives) - No duplicate configuration keys allowed (each setting must appear in exactly one file) - Clear error messages for troubleshooting This enhancement addresses real operational challenges faced by organisations with strict security requirements or complex deployment needs, while maintaining complete backward compatibility and requiring no changes to existing deployments. Thanks in advance for your time and feedback. Please keep the discussion on this mailing list thread. Regards, Johnny
