Elasticsearch, initially released in 2010, has evolved from a flexible and versatile tool into a robust search and analytics engine, now focusing on stability, security, and performance over flexibility. By 2016, it had been downloaded by millions and was a core technology for many users and companies. The evolution to version 5.0 saw a shift towards a more controlled and secure environment, with Elasticsearch recommended to run as a standalone server communicating via a client, rather than being embedded, to enhance security and reliability. This version introduced stricter configuration guidelines, runtime safeguards, and a formalized plugin API to reduce complexity and improve stability, while the introduction of a Java HTTP client aimed to streamline communication and eventually replace the Java transport client. These changes, although limiting some of the previous flexibility, aim to create a more dependable product, with a focus on clear error messaging, early problem detection, and protection against unsafe operations.