:_mod-docs-content-type: CONCEPT

// Module included in the following assemblies:
//
// assembly-deploy-intro-operators.adoc

[id='con-operators-namespaces-{context}']

= Operator-watched Kafka resources

[role="_abstract"]
Operators watch and manage Kafka resources within defined Kubernetes namespaces.
The namespace scope of where each operator can watch these resources differs.

You can choose the namespace scope for the Cluster Operator.
The Topic Operator and the User Operator can only watch a single Kafka cluster in a namespace. 
And they can only be connected to a single Kafka cluster.

WARNING:  While the operator can be configured to watch multiple namespaces, each watched namespace should contain only one instance of a specific component type, such as one Kafka cluster, to avoid conflicts.

.Operator resource and scope
[cols="3,4m,3",options="header"]
|===
| Operator | Watched resources | Namespace scope

| **Cluster Operator**
|
Kafka +
KafkaNodePool +
KafkaConnect +
KafkaConnector +
KafkaMirrorMaker2 +
KafkaBridge +
KafkaRebalance +
| Single, multiple, or all

| **Topic Operator**
| KafkaTopic
| Single namespace (one Kafka cluster only)

| **User Operator**
| KafkaUser
| Single namespace (one Kafka cluster only)
ifdef::Section[]
| **Access Operator**
| KafkaAccess
| Single or all
endif::Section[]
|===

NOTE: For a standalone deployment of the Topic Operator or User Operator, you specify a namespace and connection to the Kafka cluster to watch in the configuration.