Apache Software Foundation: 10 Projects That Are Making a Difference

Apache Software Foundation: 10 Projects That Are Making a Difference

by Sean Michael Kerner

Apache HTTP Continues to Dominate the Web

Apache’s claim to fame has long been that it is the No. 1 HTTP Web server. As of August 2013, Apache HTTP powers 46.96 percent of the Web.

A Simple Configuration File Is at the Core of Apache HTTP

A simple file known as httpd.conf serves as the main configuration file for an Apache Web server, providing all the key directives and options.

Apache Traffic Server Provides a Fast-Caching Proxy

The HTTP Web server is one of many Web-serving technologies that the ASF hosts. The Apache Traffic Server project was first started by Yahoo and provides a fast-caching proxy server that can accelerate page delivery and response times.

Apache Tomcat Is a Widely Deployed Java Application Server

When it comes to Java application deployment, the Apache Tomcat project is a popular choice. There are a number of large Web properties that use Tomcat, including Walmart and The Weather Channel.

Apache Hadoop Leads the Big Data Revolution

The Apache Hadoop project has become synonymous with big data in recent years. The Hadoop project includes multiple associated efforts at Apache, including HBase (a database for structured data storage), Hive for data warehousing and the ZooKeeper coordination service.

Google’s Not the Only Search Engine Technology

While Google dominates the consumer public search engine space, Apache has made a good run of its own, helping enterprises with its open-source Lucene search software project. The Apache Solr project builds on top of Lucene to deliver an enterprise search platform.

OpenOffice Has Been Downloaded Over 60 Million Times

In 2011, a year after Oracle completed its acquisition of Sun Microsystems, Oracle donated the Apache OpenOffice project to the ASF. OpenOffice includes word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, drawing and database components. According to the project, OpenOffice has cumulatively been downloaded over 60 million times.

Apache Bloodhound Tracks Down Development

Among the newer efforts at Apache is the Bloodhound project, which is a fork of the open-source Trac effort. Bloodhound enables users to keep track of tasks and manage projects.

CloudStack Pushes Open-Source Cloud Computing Forward

CloudStack has its roots in a company known as Cloud.com that was acquired by Citrix in July 2011. In April 2012, Citrix moved CloudStack development to the ASF in a bid to expand the community and open-source developer interaction. The most recent version of CloudStack is the 4.1 release that debuted in June of this year.

Will Apache Let the Wookie Win?

Among the lesser known projects at Apache is Wookie. Named after the fictional creature of the same name in the Star Wars universe, Wookie is a Java server for widgets.