How OpenSearch Plugins Really Work: Architecture & Extension Points

OpenSearch is powerful out of the box, but its true flexibility comes from plugins. Yet most developers treat plugins as black boxes: you install them, they work, and you move on. But what if you need to build one? Or understand why a plugin broke after an upgrade? Or design a system that integrates with OpenSearch's plugin ecosystem? In this post, I'll walk you through how plugins actually work: compilation, packaging, installation, and the extension points that make customization possible. By