20 milestones at the Apache Software Foundation
Not at all a question of parts unknown, more a case of parts where some are better known than others.
The Apache Software Foundation (ASF)’s Jim Jagielski and Sally Khudairi have detailed 20 major milestones that exist under the auspicious auspices of the ASF today.
Without detailing every project (and the ASF holds stewardship over 350 community-led projects and initiatives) and repeating the entire story linked above… we’ll tour a handful in celebration of the fact that the ASF passed its 20th Anniversary on 26 March 2019.
It would be tough not to mention Apache HTTP Server. This is most popular open source HTTP server on the planet — it provides a secure and extensible server that provides HTTP services observing the latest HTTP standards.
Serving operating systems including UNIX, Microsoft Windows and Mac OS/X, the Apache HTTP Server played a key role in the initial growth of the World Wide Web.
Further down the Apache way
The Apache Incubator serves as the entry path for projects and codebases wishing to officially become part of the efforts at The Apache Software Foundation. All code donations from external organisations and existing external projects go through the incubation process to ensure all donations are in accordance with the ASF legal standards.
Apache Maven is a build automation tool that helps Java developers build and release software. Maven streamlines continuous builds, integration, testing and delivery processes with a central repository and plug-in ecosystem.
Apache Ignite is used for transactional, analytical and streaming workloads at petabyte scale for the likes of American Airlines, ING, Yahoo Japan and others on premises, on cloud platforms, or in hybrid environments. Apache Ignite’s in-memory data fabric provides an in-memory data grid, compute grid, streaming, and acceleration solutions.
Deep in Apache territory
Apache Edgent (currently incubating) is focused on the boom of IoT – personal assistants, smart phones, smart homes, connected cars, Industry 4.0 and beyond. You want ‘empowered edge’ in open source… this is where to look.
Apache Daffodil (incubating) is also growing.
According to Jagielski and Khudairi, “Governments handle massive amounts of complex and legacy data across security boundaries every day. In order for such data to be consumed, it must be inspected for correctness and sanitized of malicious data. Whilst traditional inspection methods are often proprietary, incomplete, and poorly maintained, Apache Daffodil streamlines the process with an open source implementation of the Data Format Description Language specification (DFDL) that fully describes a wide array of complex and legacy file formats down to the bit level.”
The ASF also has Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) in the shape of Apache OFBiz. Apache SIS stands for Spatial Information System for the development of standards-based interoperable geospatial applications.
Apache Syncope manages digital identity data in enterprise applications and environments to handle user information such as username, password, first name, last name, email address, etc.
Apache Cordova is the developer tool used to build cross-platform, cross-device mobile apps using a Write-Once-Run-Anywhere solution, which enabling developers to create a single app that will appear the same across multiple mobile device platforms.
The ASF says that the ‘commercially-friendly and permissive’ Apache License v2.0 has become an open source industry standard.
