Re: [dpdk-dev] Beyond DPDK 2.0

[Dave Neary <dneary@redhat.com>]

Hi Tim,

On 04/23/2015 07:36 AM, O'Driscoll, Tim wrote:
>> Alternatively, propose some options and vote, but I don't think we have things defined
>> enough for that yet.
> 
> We tried to keep the initial communication neutral and avoid suggesting solutions to give others a chance to comment. At a very high level, there seem to be 3 possible approaches though:
> 
> 1. Do nothing. The project is increasing in size, and the releases are getting delivered according to the roadmap, so one option is to continue as we are.
> 
> 2. Add a more formal governance structure to dpdk.org. This might involve putting in place a Technical Steering Committee to give long-term technical direction to the project, and to resolve any differences of opinion that don't reach a conclusion on the mailing list.
> 
> 3. Transition the project to an organization such as the Linux Foundation, and use their help to implement a more formal governance structure. This would probably involve a TSC, and possibly also a governing board and the creation of some form of centralized marketing/branding/promotional budget for the project.

I see at least one other option, which is to document the process for
becoming a maintainer/core reviewer (whatever terminology we choose),
and move from a single project lead to multiple committers. This would
allow the project to scale, reducing average review time and removing
bottlenecks, but would avoid the potential for "design by committee"
which a TSC would bring, and also avoid the operational and cost
overhead of a formal foundation.

This will not address the issue of how the project's scope, priorities
and roadmap are defined, but will definitely help with both the scaling
of project contributions and the diversity of the project.

The MAINTAINERS file: http://dpdk.org/browse/dpdk/tree/MAINTAINERS is an
awesome step in the right direction by clearly defining where people
maintain a module.

Regards,
Dave.

-- 
Dave Neary - NFV/SDN Community Strategy
Open Source and Standards, Red Hat - http://community.redhat.com
Ph: +1-978-399-2182 / Cell: +1-978-799-3338