Beyond the Code: Evolving OpenSearch's Release Process for...

Beyond the Code: Evolving OpenSearch’s Release Process for Community Scale - Jiaxiang Zhu & Sayali Gaikawad, Amazon Web Services Releasing in open source isn’t just about CI jobs and artifact builds—it’s about making the process transparent, accessible, and scalable for everyone. In this talk, we unpack how OpenSearch has automated much of its release pipeline—from building and testing to signing and publishing—but still faces real challenges around complexity, communication, and community onboarding. We’ll share why a “1-click release” is no longer realistic, and how we’re designing a process that balances security, flexibility, and contributor experience. Attendees will learn about current gaps, upcoming improvements, and how we’re shaping a release model fit for a foundation-backed, community-led project. Whether you ship code or shepherd releases, join us for insights into building sustainable release systems with open collaboration at the core.