April 7, 2021

Build Your Open Source Stack: OpenLogic Stack Builder

Open Source

Open source software is booming. More and more businesses are beginning to adopt more OSS technologies and finding faster innovation freedom. According to Gartner, over 95% of IT organizations use some form of open source software in mission-critical IT workloads.

But that doesn’t mean building an open source stack is easy. In this blog, we discuss the hurdles companies must overcome when selecting open source packages, and give an overview of our newly-redesigned Open Source Stack Builder.

Choosing Your Open Source Technologies

With an ever-expanding catalog of open source packages to choose from, finding the right open source option for your needs can be difficult. Why? Because open source solutions are not like traditional vertically integrated solutions. A full solution is rarely found in a single package, often requiring a combination of packages to achieve the right business outcomes.

This leads to a lot of questions, like:

  • Will using this package help accomplish my goals?
  • Will the package integrate well into my existing or planned infrastructure?
  • Can our team integrate and maintain the package?
  • What is the projected lifecycle for this package?
  • How will we handle support?

Even for teams familiar with integrating open source, the research hours required to answer these questions can add up fast.

Meet the Open Source Stack Builder

The OpenLogic Open Source Stack Builder is a free tool that enables users to easily choose open source technologies for every level of their open source stack. The packages and templates included in the tool are curated, but brand-agnostic, and represent packages that are proven to work together well at enterprise scale. For instance, Camel and Kafka can integrate seamlessly with Cassandra to support your Data Stack.

 

How Does the OpenLogic Technology Stack Builder Work?

By using the stack builder, teams can confidently choose their Front End, App Delivery, Data Layer, Operating System, VM/Container/Cloud, Workflow, and Monitoring packages – either via a pre-selected stack, or by selecting a custom stack.

Step 1a: Pick a Stack Template

For those who want a curated stack building process, our team has built out a number of templates that incorporate proven, integrable technologies, including:

  • JEE Stack
  • Lightweight Java Stack
  • Java Serverless Stack
  • Node.js Serverless Stack
  • PHP Stack

  • Big Data Stack

image showing how to build your open source stack with a stack builder template

The Lightweight Java Stack, for example, uses the following packages:

  • Front End: Nginx
  • App Delivery: Apache Tomcat
  • Data Layer: MariaDB
  • Operating System: CentOS
  • VM/Containers/Cloud: oVirt
  • Workflow: Ansible
  • Monitoring: Hawtio, Prometheus and Grafana

Step 1b: Build a Custom Stack

Need something a little different? No problem! The Open Source Stack Builder can be used to create a custom stack.
Simply select the desired layer, then drag and drop your desired package to the highlighted section.

image showing openlogic open source stack builder tool

Step 2: Get Your Free Report

After you have made all of your selections, you can download a free customized report that shows you:
•    Our recommendations for each open source stack layer.
•    High-level information about why the recommended technologies could work well for you.
•    Additional guidance for other free and open source technologies that could help you meet requirements, including options to help with automation and CI/CD.

Step 3: Rinse and Repeat

Want to get information on alternative packages or stacks? With our Open Source Stack Builder, you can build as many stacks as you want — and get new custom reports to match!

Take the Next Step

At OpenLogic, our team of experts can help you through every stage of your journey, from integration to support. With more than a decade of experience helping industry-leading organizations adopt free and open source technologies, our experts can help make your open source journey an ongoing success.

Talk with an open source expert today to start planning your next steps.

TALK TO AN EXPERT

Additional Resources