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Apache Portable Runtime VS Apache Karaf

Compare Apache Portable Runtime VS Apache Karaf and see what are their differences

Apache Portable Runtime logo Apache Portable Runtime

The Apache Portable Runtime (APR) is a supporting library for the Apache web server.

Apache Karaf logo Apache Karaf

Apache Karaf is a lightweight, modern and polymorphic container powered by OSGi.
  • Apache Portable Runtime Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-16
  • Apache Karaf Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-29

Apache Portable Runtime features and specs

  • Portability
    APR provides a consistent API across various platforms, enabling developers to write applications that are portable between different operating systems.
  • Performance
    APR is designed to provide high-performance solutions for common programming tasks, such as file I/O, network communication, and memory management, optimized for each supported platform.
  • Rich API Set
    APR provides a comprehensive set of APIs for handling tasks like file operations, network sockets, shared memory, and threading, which can simplify application development.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source library, APR allows developers to inspect, modify, and distribute the source code, fostering community collaboration and trust.
  • Apache Integration
    APR is used by Apache HTTP Server and other Apache projects, offering proven stability and performance tested in enterprise environments.

Possible disadvantages of Apache Portable Runtime

  • Complexity
    The wide range of functionality and extensive API set can introduce complexity, making the learning curve steeper for new developers.
  • Limited Language Support
    APR is primarily designed for use with C and C++. Developers using other programming languages may find it less accessible or require additional bindings.
  • Platform Specific Issues
    Despite its goal of portability, certain platform-specific issues or limitations may arise, requiring additional effort to ensure consistent application behavior.
  • Dependency Overhead
    Using APR can introduce additional dependencies into a project, potentially complicating the build process and increasing the size of the deployed application.
  • Not Always Necessary
    For applications that do not require cross-platform compatibility or for environments where minimal external dependencies are preferred, the use of APR might not be justified.

Apache Karaf features and specs

  • Modular architecture
    Apache Karaf features a highly modular architecture that allows users to deploy, control, and monitor applications in a flexible and efficient manner. This makes it easy to manage dependencies and extend functionalities as needed.
  • OSGi support
    Karaf fully supports OSGi (Open Services Gateway initiative), which is a framework for developing and deploying modular software programs and libraries. This enables dynamic updates and replacement of modules without requiring a system restart.
  • Extensible and flexible
    Karaf's extensible architecture allows developers to integrate various technologies and custom modules, fostering a flexible environment that can suit a wide range of application types and requirements.
  • Enterprise features
    It provides a range of enterprise-ready features such as hot deployment, dynamic configuration, clustering, and high availability, which can help in building robust and scalable applications.
  • Comprehensive tooling
    Karaf comes with comprehensive tooling support including a powerful CLI, web console, and various tools for monitoring and managing the runtime environment. These tools simplify everyday management tasks.

Possible disadvantages of Apache Karaf

  • Steeper learning curve
    Due to its modular and extensible nature, Apache Karaf can have a steeper learning curve for new users, especially those unfamiliar with OSGi concepts and enterprise middleware.
  • Resource intensity
    Running and managing an Apache Karaf instance can be resource-intensive, especially when dealing with large-scale or highly modular applications. Adequate memory and processing power are required to maintain optimal performance.
  • Complex deployment
    While Karaf can handle complex deployment scenarios, setting it up and configuring it properly can be more involved compared to other simpler solutions. This complexity can increase the initial setup time and effort.
  • Limited community support
    Despite being an Apache project, the community around Apache Karaf might not be as large or active as other popular frameworks, potentially making it harder to find ample resources or immediate support.
  • Dependency management challenges
    Managing dependencies in Karaf, especially when dealing with multiple third-party libraries and their versions, can become cumbersome and lead to conflicts if not handled carefully.

Apache Portable Runtime videos

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Apache Karaf videos

EIK - How to use Apache Karaf inside of Eclipse

More videos:

  • Review - OpenDaylight's Apache Karaf Report- Jamie Goodyear

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Apache Portable Runtime and Apache Karaf)
Cloud Storage
44 44%
56% 56
Cloud Computing
24 24%
76% 76
Cloud Hosting
0 0%
100% 100
Storage
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Apache Portable Runtime should be more popular than Apache Karaf. It has been mentiond 5 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Apache Portable Runtime mentions (5)

  • Giving C++ std:regex a C makeover
    Something like that would probably end up similar to GLib or the Apache Portable Runtime. https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/glib/ https://apr.apache.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • My review of the C standard library in practice
    There are many libraries available that you can use as a libc replacement instead of CCAN, if that’s what you prefer [1-3]. Taking on a beefy dependency like that can be overkill, though, if all you need is a linked list or dynamic array implementation. [1] http://library.gnome.org/devel/glib/ [2] http://apr.apache.org/ [3] https://libcork.io/. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • Is there a custom "C Standard Library" out there?
    There are many. APR is one of them. APR stands for Apache Portable Runtime. It includes arrays(aprarray) and hash tables(aprhash), but not trees. Source: over 2 years ago
  • A C Standard Library
    A library that already implements some of this called libapr is what I’d consider a good example of libraries of this Ilk. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Git's list of banned C functions
    It's not really complacency: it's that the standard library is intentionally minimalistic to maintain portability and backwards compatibility. If you want sensible string handling, it's usually best to use a high level utility library like GLib(https://developer.gnome.org/glib/stable/) or Apache Portable Runtime(http://apr.apache.org/), or roll your own safe string type (preferably non-null terminating). - Source: Hacker News / about 4 years ago

Apache Karaf mentions (1)

  • Need advice: Java Software Architecture for SaaS startup doing CRUD and REST APIs?
    Apache Karaf with OSGi works pretty nice using annotation based dependency injection with the declarative services, removing the need to mess with those hopefully archaic XML blueprints. Too bad it's not as trendy as spring and the developers so many of the tutorials can be a bit dated and hard to find. Karaf also supports many other frameworks and programming models as well and there's even Red Hat supported... Source: about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Apache Portable Runtime and Apache Karaf, you can also consider the following products

rkt - App Container runtime

Docker - Docker is an open platform that enables developers and system administrators to create distributed applications.

GlusterFS - GlusterFS is a scale-out network-attached storage file system.

Google App Engine - A powerful platform to build web and mobile apps that scale automatically.

Apache ServiceMix - Apache ServiceMix is an open source ESB that combines the functionality of a Service Oriented Architecture and the modularity.

Amazon S3 - Amazon S3 is an object storage where users can store data from their business on a safe, cloud-based platform. Amazon S3 operates in 54 availability zones within 18 graphic regions and 1 local region.