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Recently, Elastic revealed a shift in their software licensing approach, opting not to release future iterations of Elasticsearch and Kibana under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (ALv2). Instead, the new versions will be governed by the Elastic License—which imposes restrictions on usage—or the Server Side Public License, which many in the open-source community find unacceptable. This decision effectively moves Elasticsearch and Kibana away from being open-source projects. In light of this change, AWS is proud to announce its commitment to creating and sustaining an ALv2-licensed fork of both Elasticsearch and Kibana.
Implications for the Open Distro for Elasticsearch Community
Launched in 2019, Open Distro for Elasticsearch was designed to provide users with a comprehensive Elasticsearch distribution that upholds the freedoms afforded by ALv2 licensing. This distribution is entirely open source and includes essential features that nearly all users and developers of Elasticsearch require, such as network encryption and access controls. Throughout the development of Open Distro, we adhered to the “upstream first” principle, submitting all changes to Elasticsearch as upstream pull requests, ensuring collaboration with original developers rather than merely forking the software.
Forking a project is a significant decision and is only made when community needs diverge, as they have in this case. A core advantage of open-source software is that it empowers developers to take initiative whenever necessary. Numerous successful forks exist, including Grafana, which stemmed from Kibana 3.
When AWS commits to offering a service based on an open-source project, we ensure we have the capability to maintain it independently if required. Our experience with these codebases and upstream contributions to both Elasticsearch and Apache Lucene—over 230 contributions to Lucene in 2020 alone—prepare us for this responsibility.
Our forthcoming forks of Elasticsearch and Kibana will be derived from the latest ALv2-licensed codebases, specifically version 7.10. We’ll be launching new GitHub repositories shortly. Eventually, these will be integrated into existing Open Distro distributions, replacing the ALv2 builds previously provided by Elastic. We are dedicated to long-term sustainability and will work toward fostering healthy open-source practices, which includes establishing shared governance with a community of contributors.
What This Means for Amazon Elasticsearch Service Customers
Customers can be assured that Elastic’s licensing changes and our decision to fork will not adversely affect the Amazon Elasticsearch Service (Amazon ES) currently in use. Presently, we provide 18 versions of Elasticsearch on Amazon ES, all of which remain unaffected by this licensing change.
Looking ahead, Amazon ES will leverage the new fork of Elasticsearch and Kibana. We will continue to deliver new features, fixes, and enhancements without requiring clients to alter their code or applications. Our commitment to providing a seamless upgrade path to new software versions remains unchanged. In fact, a community-driven Elasticsearch codebase could expedite improvements in stability, scalability, resiliency, and performance.
Impact on the Open Source Community
Developers are drawn to open-source software for various reasons, with the freedom to utilize it according to their own needs being paramount. The term “open source” has maintained a specific definition since its inception in 1998. Elastic’s claims that the SSPL is “free and open” are misleading and incorrect. They are attempting to harness the advantages of open source while undermining its very definition. The SSPL, in particular, is a non-open-source license masquerading as an open-source one, which creates confusion.
In April 2018, when Elastic combined their proprietary software with the ALv2 code, they guaranteed that they would not alter the license of any Apache 2.0 code associated with Elasticsearch and related projects. However, after recently backtracking on this promise, they have attempted to justify their actions by claiming external pressure from AWS. Most observers are unconvinced. While Elastic has the right to modify their license, they should accept responsibility for their decision.
We are enthusiastic about our ongoing journey with Open Distro for Elasticsearch. We look forward to providing a genuinely open-source solution for Elasticsearch and Kibana under the ALv2 license, and to building this future alongside our community. If you’re interested in enhancing your career path, consider reading about designing a successful career blueprint. Additionally, for insights on employment law compliance, refer to the Southwest Airlines COVID-19 vaccination mandate, an authoritative resource on the topic. Moreover, check out this excellent resource on how fulfillment centers train new hires.