As software practitioners, we review different technologies and frameworks. They are nothing but a tool. A toolbox contains many tools for different purposes. The challenge for us while picking a tool is to know which is the right one to apply to the situation. If we pick up a hammer and try to use it for everything, we will probably end up with a mess. The art of designing software is knowing its purpose, and when to use each tool. Apache Ignite adds another tool to our toolbox that we can pick up when the right situation arises. When you learn a new concept or framework, you should always ask: why do I need a new framework?

The why explains the purpose, how tells you about the process, and what talks about the result of why.

As technologists, we can adhere to Simon Sinek's Golden Circle theory that people don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it. Our clients don't care about our technology stack, they care about business functionalities.

Let's explore the why of Apache Ignite. The following topics are covered in this chapter:

• Why Apache Ignite?
• Exploring the features
• Refactoring the architecture
• Installing Apache Ignite
• Running HelloWorld
• Classifying Apache Ignite