Apache Karaf OSGi Application Runtime

This is a repackaged open source software product wherein additional charges apply for cloudimg support services.

## Apache Karaf - Production-Ready OSGi Application Runtime AMI

Deploy a fully configured Apache Karaf application runtime on AWS in minutes - not hours. This AMI delivers Karaf preinstalled and managed as a system service, so you can deploy OSGi bundles and Karaf features immediately after launch.

### What Karaf Is

Apache Karaf is a modern, polymorphic application runtime - a lightweight OSGi-based container for running modular Java applications. Deploy applications as OSGi bundles or higher-level Karaf features, hot-deploy artifacts by dropping them into the deploy directory, and administer the whole runtime interactively over a secure SSH console. It is the runtime foundation under many enterprise integration and middleware stacks.

### Why This AMI Instead of a DIY Install

• Versus manual EC2 setup: Skip downloading, unpacking, wiring a systemd unit, provisioning a dedicated service account, and hardening the console credentials. This image handles all of that at launch.
• Versus a stock Karaf download: Stock Karaf ships a well-known default administrator login. This appliance NEVER ships that default - a unique administrator password is generated on every instance at first boot and stored in a root-only file.
• Versus other community images: Benefit from a hardened first-boot process, a dedicated unprivileged service account owning the runtime, a per-instance SSH host key, and 24/7 professional support from cloudimg.

### Application Stack

• Apache Karaf installed under /opt/karaf, run by a dedicated unprivileged service account
• Headless OpenJDK Java runtime
• systemd service that starts the runtime on boot and restarts on failure, gated so it never starts with placeholder credentials
• Secure SSH administration console for deploying bundles and features and running console commands

### Security

Secure First Boot: A one-shot service generates a fresh administrator password unique to each instance, renders it into the users configuration, provisions a per-instance SSH host key, and stores the password in a root-only file. No shared or default credentials ship in the image.

Console Network Isolation: The recommended security group opens only SSH for operating-system management. Open the administration console port only to your trusted operator network - it is never exposed to the internet by default. Deploy in a private VPC subnet and restrict access with security groups.

Encryption at Rest: The runtime and its deploy directory can leverage AWS EBS encryption to protect artifacts at rest. Enable EBS encryption when launching the instance or use encrypted snapshots.

### Administration Console

The runtime is administered over its SSH console. Sign in with the generated administrator credentials to install features, deploy and inspect bundles, and run console commands. Retrieve the per-instance credentials over SSH from the root-only credentials file after launch.

### Use Cases

• Running modular Java applications as OSGi bundles and Karaf features
• A runtime foundation for enterprise integration and middleware stacks
• Hot-deploying and managing application artifacts without full redeploys
• Building a controlled, hardened base for OSGi microservices

### Evaluation Path

Launch this AMI on a small instance type to evaluate the runtime with minimal AWS infrastructure cost. The runtime is fully functional on any supported instance size, letting you validate console access, feature installation, and bundle deployment before scaling up for production.

### 24/7 cloudimg Support

Technical support by email and live chat covers runtime deployment, feature and bundle management, console and credential administration, JVM tuning, and security hardening.

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