First, configure Chargebee to send real-time data updates to your custom endpoint by setting up webhooks. Navigate to the Chargebee dashboard, go to the "Settings" section, and select "Configure Webhooks". Define the events you want to capture, such as subscription changes or invoice creations, and specify the URL of your custom server endpoint that will handle these webhook notifications.

Develop a custom server application to receive webhook notifications from Chargebee. This server should listen for incoming HTTP POST requests. Choose a suitable programming language and framework (e.g., Node.js with Express, Python with Flask, or Java with Spring Boot) to set up your server. Ensure this endpoint can parse JSON payloads and verify the authenticity of incoming requests using Chargebee's signature.

Implement logic within your webhook receiver to parse the JSON payload received from Chargebee. Validate the data to ensure it meets your requirements. This may involve checking for required fields, data types, and verifying the event type. Ensure you handle any potential discrepancies or errors gracefully.

Once validated, format the data appropriately for Kafka. This involves transforming the Chargebee event payload into a message format compatible with your Kafka topic schema. Consider using JSON or Avro format for the Kafka messages. Ensure you include relevant metadata and structure the message to support your consuming applications.

Develop a Kafka producer within your custom application to send messages to your Kafka cluster. Use a Kafka client library compatible with your programming language (e.g., KafkaJS for Node.js, Confluent's Kafka library for Java, or kafka-python for Python). Configure the producer with your Kafka cluster details, including brokers, and specify the topic where you want to publish messages.

Integrate the Kafka producer with your webhook receiver logic. For each Chargebee event received, use the producer to send the formatted message to the appropriate Kafka topic. Handle any potential exceptions or errors during the publishing process, such as network issues or Kafka unavailability, and implement retry logic as necessary.

Finally, thoroughly test the entire data pipeline from Chargebee to Kafka. Simulate various Chargebee events to ensure they are correctly received, processed, and published to Kafka. Set up monitoring and logging within your application to track the flow of data and quickly identify and troubleshoot any issues. Regularly review logs and metrics to maintain data integrity and system performance.

By following these steps, you can successfully move data from Chargebee to Kafka without relying on third-party connectors or integrations.