Introduction

OpenSearch is a community-driven open-source search and analytics suite. This guide will walk you through the installation process for OpenSearch on a Windows VPS.

Prerequisites

• A Windows VPS with administrative access.
• Java JDK 11 or later installed (OpenSearch requires Java).
• Internet access to download OpenSearch.

Step 1: Install Java Development Kit (JDK)

If you don’t have Java installed on your VPS, you need to install it. Follow these steps:

• Download the latest JDK from the Oracle JDK downloads page or from AdoptOpenJDK.
• Run the installer and follow the prompts to complete the installation.
• Set the JAVA_HOME environment variable:

setx JAVA_HOME "C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-"

• Update the PATH environment variable (if necessary):

setx PATH "%PATH%;%JAVA_HOME%\bin"

Step 2: Download OpenSearch

Go to the OpenSearch downloads page. Select the latest version of OpenSearch and download the ZIP package for Windows.

Step 3: Extract OpenSearch

Once the download is complete, locate the ZIP file and unzip it to a directory of your choice. For example, you could extract it to C:\OpenSearch.

Step 4: Configure OpenSearch

Navigate to the OpenSearch configuration directory:

cd C:\OpenSearch\config

You can modify the opensearch.yml configuration file as per your requirements. Use a text editor to open the file and make the necessary changes.

Step 5: Run OpenSearch

Navigate to the OpenSearch bin directory and start the service:

cd C:\OpenSearch\bin
opensearch.bat

This will start OpenSearch as a foreground process in the command prompt. You may want to run it in a separate command prompt window.

Step 6: Verify OpenSearch Installation

To check if OpenSearch is running, open your web browser and navigate to:

http://localhost:9200

You should see a response similar to the following JSON output:

{
  "name": "node-1",
  "cluster_name": "opensearch-cluster",
  "cluster_uuid": "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
  "version": {
    "number": "1.x.x",
    "build_flavor": "default",
    "build_type": "zip",
    "build_hash": "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "build_date": "202x-xx-xxTxx:xx:xxZ",
    "build_snapshot": false,
    "lucene_version": "x.x.x",
    "minimum_wire_compatibility_version": "x.x.x",
    "minimum_index_compatibility_version": "x.x.x"
  },
  "tagline": "The open source search and analytics suite"
}

Step 7: Run OpenSearch as a Windows Service (Optional)

If you want OpenSearch to run as a Windows service, you can use a tool like NSSM – Non-Sucking Service Manager to manage it:

• Download NSSM from its official website.
• Extract NSSM and run the following commands:

C:\path\to\nssm install OpenSearch
nssm set OpenSearch AppPath "C:\OpenSearch\bin\opensearch.bat"
nssm start OpenSearch

Conclusion

You have successfully installed OpenSearch on your Windows VPS. You can now use OpenSearch for searching and analyzing your data.

Resources

• OpenSearch Documentation
• Installation Guide for OpenSearch