Apache

Powering a Global E-commerce Giant with Apache Software Stack

Challenge:

A rapidly growing e-commerce enterprise faced the challenge of scaling its infrastructure to meet explosive demand while maintaining reliability, security, and cost-effectiveness. The company’s existing platform, built on proprietary and commercial solutions, struggled to keep pace with increasing traffic and transaction volume. Additionally, vendor lock-in and high licensing costs posed major constraints for future growth.

Solution:

The e-commerce giant embarked on a strategic migration to an open-source Apache software stack, guided by UGi’s expertise. The new infrastructure leveraged the following key Apache components:

  • Apache Web Server (httpd): A highly scalable and efficient web server, handling millions of user requests per day with minimal resource consumption.
  • Apache Tomcat (Catalina): A robust Java Servlet container, seamlessly serving dynamic web content and powering the e-commerce platform’s core functionalities.
  • Apache Cassandra (NoSQL database): A highly distributed and scalable database, offering fault tolerance, high availability, and efficient handling of large-scale data sets like customer information, product listings, and order data.
  • Apache Solr (search engine): A powerful and flexible search platform, enabling lightning-fast product searches and personalized recommendations for an enhanced user experience.
  • Apache ZooKeeper (distributed coordination service): A robust framework for distributed configuration management and service discovery, ensuring seamless coordination and high availability across the microservices architecture.

Results:

The migration to the Apache software stack delivered significant benefits for the e-commerce platform:

  • 50% Reduction in Infrastructure Costs: Eliminating vendor lock-in and replacing expensive commercial licenses with freely available open-source alternatives led to substantial cost savings.
  • 30% Improvement in Scalability: The inherent scalability of Apache technologies accommodated significant traffic growth without performance bottlenecks, ensuring smooth user experience even during peak seasons.
  • Enhanced Security: Open-source software benefits from a large and active community of developers, ensuring continuous security updates and patches, and minimizing vulnerability risks.
  • Increased Agility & Customization: The modular nature of Apache components allowed for flexible customization and integration with other open-source tools, tailoring the platform to specific business needs.
  • Improved Development Efficiency: Developers experienced enhanced productivity due to the widespread adoption and familiar codebases of Apache technologies, accelerating development cycles and innovation.

CTO Testimonial:

“Moving to an Apache-based infrastructure was a game-changer for our e-commerce platform. We achieved significant cost savings, gained flexibility and scalability, and empowered our developers. The open-source community ensures robust security and continuous improvements, allowing us to focus on our core business and deliver an exceptional experience for our customers.”

Conclusion:

The e-commerce platform’s successful migration to the Apache software stack demonstrates the power of open-source technology in building cost-effective, scalable, and secure solutions for high-demand applications. This case study highlights the benefits of leveraging a vibrant community, increased agility, and continuous innovation to gain a competitive edge in the dynamic e-commerce landscape.