BigData Boutique and Aiven joined forces for an OpenSearch fireside chat, packed with insights for optimizing OpenSearch clusters!

Our experts, led by CTO Itamar Syn-Hershko, along with Arkadii Chumachenko (OpenSearch Support Engineer) and Lior Friedler (Data Team Lead), shared their experience managing a staggering 10,000+ OpenSearch clusters. Joining them from Aiven were Andriy Redko (Open Source Program Office) and Lorna Mitchell (Principal Developer Advocate).



Here's a rundown of the key takeaways:

OpenSearch vs. Elasticsearch: Why the Switch?

While the panelists acknowledged some similarities between OpenSearch and Elasticsearch, the discussion highlighted OpenSearch's unique advantages. As Lior pointed out, OpenSearch takes an "opt-out of indexing" approach, making search a core functionality rather than an afterthought. This is a game-changer for those working heavily with searchable data.

OpenSearch: Developer Friendly and More

Andriy emphasized the developer-friendliness of OpenSearch. The Apache Lucene core provides a solid foundation, while OpenSearch offers a user-friendly layer that simplifies complex tasks. This makes OpenSearch an attractive option for those seeking a powerful yet approachable search solution.

Beyond the Basics: Best Practices Revealed

The session delved into valuable best practices for optimizing OpenSearch performance. Lior stressed the importance of proper monitoring and cautioned against neglecting data backups (and even more importantly, testing restores!). Additionally, the panel discussed the growing maturity of OpenSearch, with sensible configurations becoming the default.

The Future of OpenSearch

The conversation wasn't just about the present; it explored the exciting future of OpenSearch. The panelists anticipate advancements in several areas, including:

  • Enhanced Lucene Integration: Leveraging more of Lucene's powerful functionalities.
  • Improved Clustering: Enabling smoother operations for large-scale deployments.
  • Serverless Deployments: Offering greater flexibility and scalability.
  • Multilingual and Integrated: Supporting a wider range of languages and seamless integrations.
  • Vector Search and AI/ML: Unlocking exciting possibilities for advanced search and data analysis.

OpenSearch is Here to Stay

The BigData Boutique and Aiven fireside chat painted a clear picture: OpenSearch is a powerful and rapidly evolving search engine with a bright future. Whether you're a seasoned OpenSearch user or just starting your journey, this technology is definitely worth considering.

For those who want to delve deeper, check out the full webinar replay.