The OpenSearch Project has found a new home with the Linux Foundation. This news, announced by AWS on September 16, 2024, is a major milestone for OpenSearch, a powerful search and analytics engine built on Apache Lucene.
Originally launched in 2021 by AWS, OpenSearch has grown rapidly, with over 700 million downloads and contributions from thousands of people and more than 200 project maintainers.
Moving to a vendor-neutral foundation shows a strong commitment to more collaboration and faster innovation within the OpenSearch community.
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Why OpenSearch Joined with the Linux Foundation?
The decision to move OpenSearch to the Linux Foundation was driven by a desire for more openness and community involvement. While AWS has been a key player in the project's early success, there was a recognition that a vendor-neutral foundation would encourage even more participation.
The Linux Foundation, known for successfully nurturing projects like Linux and Kubernetes, was seen as the perfect place to help OpenSearch grow.
What's in It for the OpenSearch Community?
This transition brings several benefits to the OpenSearch community. Some of notable benefits are:
1. Enhanced Collaboration:
The Linux Foundation's established processes and vendor-neutral stance are expected to attract more contributors and organizations to the OpenSearch Project. This expanded collaboration is likely to drive innovation and speed up the development of new features.
2. Strong Governance:
The OpenSearch Project will now operate under a transparent governance model. A Technical Steering Committee will guide technical direction, while an elected governing board will oversee the foundation's funds. This structure ensures accountability and community representation in the project's development.
3. Access to Resources:
Joining the Linux Foundation gives OpenSearch access to a wealth of resources, including training programs, certifications, documentation, and global events. These resources are important for supporting a thriving open-source community and driving wider adoption of OpenSearch.
What Stays the Same?
While this transition brings significant changes, several aspects of OpenSearch will remain consistent:
- The software development will continue on its existing GitHub organization.
- The software will remain available under the open-source Apache License 2.0.
- Existing communication channels, including the website, blog, forum, and Slack instance, will continue to serve the OpenSearch community.
Community Support and Excitement
The OpenSearch community is excited about this transition, with many members and stakeholders pledging their support.
AWS sees this move as essential for OpenSearch's continued growth, and led to broader collaboration and innovation under vendor-neutral governance.
SAP recognizes the significance of this milestone for their strategic involvement in OpenSearch, and acknowledges the importance of community support and co-innovation.
Uber is excited about OpenSearch joining the Linux Foundation, emphasizing the project's role in enhancing their consumer products and driving customer satisfaction.
Aiven, a long-time supporter of OpenSearch, welcomes the move to open governance, and appreciates the project's robust search and analytics capabilities.
There are also many prominent members extended their support. They are:
- Mehul Shah, CEO, Aryn.ai
- Taroon Mandhana, Head of Product Engineering, Atlassian
- Cedric Gegout, VP of Product at Canonical
- Bratin Saha, CPTO, DigitalOcean
- Jochen Kressin, Co-Founder & Director, Eliatra
- Robert Rea, CTO, Graylog
- Ben Slater, Chief Product Officer, NetApp Instaclustr
- Pakshi Rajan, Head of Products, Portal26
Looking Ahead: A Future of Collaborative Innovation
The transition of the OpenSearch Project to the OpenSearch Software Foundation under the Linux Foundation will definitely encourage broader collaboration and innovation.
With strong community support and the backing of a renowned open-source organization, OpenSearch is well-positioned for continued growth and widespread adoption in the world of search and analytics.
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