[ogb-discuss] [arc-discuss] Defining OpenSolaris Consolidations

[Stephen Hahn]

* Alan Coopersmith <alan.coopersmith at sun.com> [2007-07-13 10:45]:
> After the discussions on my OpenSolaris ARC policy proposal died down
> a bit, I did some thinking and realized that not only was the lack of
> a definition of "OpenSolaris Consolidation" a hole in the ARC policy,
> it was in fact a replacement approach that should hopefully generate
> less heat and more progress.
> 
> So I went off and did some thinking, made some notes, and when I went
> to type them in, discovered a lot of overlap with the existing
> OpenSolaris Development Process document.   So I wrote my thoughts as
> an extension to that - I present them here for further discussion -
> this isn't yet a fully fleshed out proposal, just a draft to see if
> we more clearly agree about the direction being headed in.
> 
> The most significant change to my previous ARC proposal is that this
> no longer sets a date for compliance - it's up to each consolidation
> to decide when they're ready to join the OpenSolaris community - if
> they wait a year, then they don't have to be open until then, but
> they'll lose a role in the W-Team process until they are ready.
> (In other words, trying to make it more carrot, less stick.)
 
  Generally, I like this proposal--I had a somewhat similar idea,
  although I pictured both Consolidations and the W-Team as committees.
  I have a couple of questions and comments below.

> This thinking was done over the last month or so, and doesn't quite
> mesh with Project Indiana's discussions of reshaping OpenSolaris into
> producing a binary distro as well - if that happens, the W-Team would
> likely adopt additional roles to match.

  Agree.

> I've also got a list in my notes of technical issues I think the
> W-Team should work on (such as the example of finishing service
> migration to SMF, but will leave those out of this discussion to
> avoid rat-holing off-topic).

  (But I'd like to see it--one of the feedback loops in the ARC process,
  "advice to steering committee", might be partially closed by an active
  W-Team.)

> [For the definition of Consolidation see:
>        http://www.opensolaris.org/os/community/on/os_dev_process/ ]
> 
> An OpenSolaris Consolidation is a Project that has been sponsored by
> an OpenSolaris Community, for which the Contributors have agreed to
> follow the policies set forth by the OpenSolaris W-Team, and has been
> accepted by the OpenSolaris W-Team.

  Can any Project become a Consolidation, or must this desire be
  declared up front by a candidate?  

  Can Consolidation status be removed?  Which parties can initiate this
  removal?
  
> The OpenSolaris W-Team is a standing committee of the OpenSolaris
> Community-At-Large.  Membership of the W-Team will consist of a
> representative from each OpenSolaris Consolidation.  At any time in
> which the membership of the W-Team is less than 3 members, including
> at the initial formation of the W-Team, the OGB shall appoint up to 3
> temporary members, whose terms will expire when there are at least 3
> active Consolidations.
 
  What is the membership term?  (Are there term limits?)  Who chairs the
  W-Team?

> The OpenSolaris W-Team will be responsible for the on-going determination
> of the policies and common features of OpenSolaris Consolidations, and
> working with the Consolidations to implement new ones uniformly.
> 
> The initial set of requirements for Consolidations will be:
>   1) They adopt the requirements and processes listed currently in:
>      http://www.opensolaris.org/os/community/on/os_dev_process/
>      [which should move to the W-Team pages when they are established,
>       and be updated/maintained by the W-Team going forward]
>   2) That all decision making for the Consolidation be done in
>      accordance with the Community Meeting & Voting Procedures
>      established in Articles VII and VIII of the OpenSolaris Constitution.
>   3) That Architectural Review as required in the os_dev_process be held
>      following the processes established by the OpenSolaris ARC Community,
>      which like all communities is subject to the Community Meeting & Voting
>      Procedures established in Articles VII and VIII of the OpenSolaris
>      Constitution.
>   4) That all original contributions to the Consolidation be made under a
>      Contributor Agreement assigning joint rights to the OpenSolaris IP
>      Steward designated by the OGB.   The OGB's initial designation of
>      IP Steward is Sun Microsystems, under the terms of the current
>      Sun Contributor's Agreement.   (Requirements for acceptable licenses
>      are already listed in os_dev_process.)

  I don't think, under Charter, the OGB designates the Steward, but I
  agree with the Contributor Agreement requirement.

>   5) That the master repository of all the original source code of the
>      consolidation be hosted on a publically accessible site (preferabbly,
>      but not required to be, src.opensolaris.org) using a SCM selected by
>      the Tools Community.

  "selected" -> "approved", I think.

>   6) That only one Consolidation at a time may deliver the same component
>      (file) to the system at a given location.

  Aha.  This requirement dodges the charter question in a technical
  fashion, but doesn't talk about charter overlap.  (Overlap and the
  possibility of removal of Consolidation status are related.)

> The W-Team is expected to evolve the requirements as the system involves,
> including dealing with coordination and planning of implementing new Best
> Practices put forth by the Architecture Community, new standards with
> which the W-Team believes OpenSolaris should comply, and support for new
> platforms that OpenSolaris is being ported to.   [i.e. they should
> be more pro-active than the current Solaris P-Teams in getting all
> consolidations in sync around efforts like migrating to SMF.]
> 
> When a Community nominates a Project to the W-Team, it must inform the W-Team
> which of the existing requirements are currently met or unmet, and for those
> unmet, ask the W-Team for either a temporary waiver (provided a plan is in
> place for meeting them in the near future) or a permanent waiver.
> 
> Once at least 3 OpenSolaris Consolidations have been designated, a distro
> claiming to be "based on OpenSolaris" should have a significant portion of
> at least one of the OpenSolaris Consolidations.   A distro claiming to be
> "an OpenSolaris Reference distro" must contain the entirety of all current
> OpenSolaris Consolidations at the time of the feature freeze of its release.

  I think there are problems with "contain the entirety", but I think
  exploring these OpenSolaris-ness tests is worthwhile.

  (This draft is really good--I think most of my questions are really
  low-level.  Thanks, Alan.)

  - Stephen

-- 
sch at sun.com  http://blogs.sun.com/sch/