Package Maintenance Tracks and Process
This is still a WIP, but we are looking for feedback:
7. Package Maintenance Tracks
Date: 2024-07-01
Status
Proposed
Context
As a large opensource project we need to keep our maintenance burden as small as possible to keep our efforts focused and value generating.
Decision
Projects will have 3 different maintenance tracks: Big Bang Integrated, Big Bang Maintained, and Community Maintained. There will be processes to add packages to each of these tracks as well as processes to move them between each other. Every package should include the track it is on in its top level README.md.
Definitions
BBTOC Approval Process
A user must submit an issue to the BBTOC, show up to the meeting to present and request a decision on the issue, and upon being accepted work with the Big Bang team to get the work defined, scoped, and scheduled.
Track Change Notification
Big Bang sending out a warning of the move of the package 90, 45, 30, 15, 7, 3, and 1 day before the move between. Those notifications should be send in:
- Big Bang Universe Slack #announcements channel
- IL2 Platform One Mattermost Platform One Team Value Stream - Big Bang channel
- IL4 Platform One Mattermost P1 Big Bang Team Big Bang Release Engineering channel
- IL4 Platform One Mattermost Platform One Team All: Announcements channel
- Included in the release notes of every release until the track change is complete
- Included in the Helm Upgrade Notes until the track change is complete
Example Track Change Notices:
---
## ⚠️ ∭ -> 🧹 TRACK CHANGE NOTICE ∭ -> 🧹 ⚠️
MyApp
Jan 01, 0001
On Jan 01, 0001 MyApp will be transitioning from the Big Bang Integrated track to the Big Bang Maintained Track. Please note that this means while the Big Bang team will still provide updates to this package and test it deployed in isolation, they will not: test it with the rest of Big Bang (including on demand and nightly k8s distribution specific tests), test it in production-like environments, or include it as a direct option in the Big Bang chart. This will also limit the support the Big Bang team will be able to provide for this package to its deployment in isolation.
------
## ⚠️ 🧹 -> ֍ TRACK CHANGE NOTICE 🧹 -> ֍ ⚠️
MyApp
Jan 01, 0001
On Jan 01, 0001 MyApp will be transitioning from the Big Bang Maintained track to the Community Maintained Track. Please note that this means this application will no longer get updates from the Big Bang Team. This will eliminate support the Big Bang team will be able to provide for this package. The new CODEOWNERS have been identified as @john.doe35 and @bob.smith12. If you would like to volunteer to be a CODEOWNER please reach out to the Big Bang team.
---Big Bang Integrated
This track includes packages that are owned and maintained by the Big Bang value stream, and are integrated to the Big Bang chart, i.e. all core and addon packages.
- + Big Bang Integrated: To add new packages to this track a user must follow the BBTOC Approval Process. After approval, the work will include, but isn't limited to: defining the upstream (if applicable), selecting a mission team to own the package, identifying security needs, and following the Definition of Done Checklist.
- -> Big Bang Maintained: To move a package from BB Integrated to BB Maintained a user must follow the BBTOC Approval Process. After approval, the track change notifications should begin as soon as possible. The work to move the package should not be released until the target date identified in the notification. That work will include, but is not limited to: updating the track badge, removing references in the Big Bang chart, updating the documentation to reflect its new deployment strategy (likely wrapper).
- -> Community Maintained: This should be done by changing to Big Bang Maintained first. This is give customers that rely on the package longer to find alternatives. However, if it is known at the outset that a package will move all the way to Community Maintained that should be called out as an eventual goal in the track change notification.
Big Bang Maintained
This track includes packages that are owned and updated by Big Bang, but will only be tested in isolation, e.g. package pipelines. The packages here will not be included in the Big Bang chart. The support that the community will receive will be limited to the package running in isolation, i.e. interactions with other package, networking issues, and emergent issues would not be supported.
- -> Big Bang Integrated: To move a package from BB Maintained to BB Integrated a user must follow the BBTOC Approval Process. No notifications are required for this move. After approval, the work will include, but isn't limited to: updating the track badge, adding references in the Big Bang chart, updating the documentation to reflect its new deployment strategy (likely as a Big Bang Addon).
- + Big Bang Maintained: To add new packages to this track a user must follow the BBTOC Approval Process. After approval, the work will include, but isn't limited to: defining the upstream (if applicable), selecting a mission team to own the package, identifying security needs, and following the Definition of Done Checklist.
- -> Community Maintained: To move a package from BB Maintained to Community Maintained a user must follow the BBTOC Approval Process. After approval, the track change notifications should begin as soon as possible. Finding new CODEOWNERS is preferred, but not required. If they haven't been identified by the time the a notification is sent, it should request volunteers to become CODEOWNERS. The work to move the package should not be released until the target date identified in the notification. That work will include, but is not limited to: updating the track badge, removing references in the Big Bang chart, moving the repo to the third-party group, updating the documentation to reflect its new deployment strategy (likely wrapper).
Community Maintained
This track includes packages that are owned and updated by the community. The Big Bang team will not provide updates or support for these packages.
- -> Big Bang Maintained: To move a package from Community Maintained to BB Maintained a user must follow the BBTOC Approval Process. No notifications are required for this move. After approval, the work will include, but is not limited to: updating the track badge, adding references in the Big Bang chart, moving the repo to the Big Bang Universe group, updating the documentation to reflect its new deployment strategy (likely as a Big Bang Addon).
- -> Big Bang Integrated: To move a package from Community Maintained to BB Integrated a user must follow the BBTOC Approval Process. No notifications are required for this move. After approval, the work will include, but isn't limited to: updating the track badge, adding references in the Big Bang chart, moving the repo to the Big Bang Universe group, updating the documentation to reflect its new deployment strategy (likely as a Big Bang Addon).
- + Community Maintained: To add new packages to this track a user must open an issue in the Big Bang repo and request the package be added to the Community Maintained track. The Big Bang team will create the repo and add a CODEOWNERS file with the user that requested the package as the CODEOWNER.
Consequences
The Big Bang team will be able to significantly reduce its testing and support burden by moving packages to the Community Maintained track. This will allow the team to focus on the core packages that are most important to the mission. The community will be able to take over packages that are important to them and continue to maintain them. This also grants a clear path for packages to move between tracks as their importance to the mission changes. This also adds a new level of maintenance where Big Bang will support the package, but only in isolation. This will allow the team to support more packages than they would be able to otherwise.
The biggest downside is that the community will have to take over packages that are important to them. This will require them to have the knowledge and resources to maintain the package. This means that some packages that users may rely on today may not be maintained in the future.
To mitigate this the Big Bang team will need to be clear about the track a package is on and when it will be moved to a different track. This will also require the Big Bang team to be clear about the support that will be provided for packages on each track and the process to move a package between tracks.