If you take a moment to view the different projects, committees and work groups that are currently underway within the OpenStack project, 2013 is looking to be a very exciting year for cloud computing. I could easily write an entire dissertation about the accomplishments the community will make this year now that the OpenStack Foundation is launched and the Technical Committee (TC) and OpenStack Board are formed. For this update, I’ll spare you the lengthy dissertation and focus on our effort to improve the existing open source incubation process for OpenStack. For ease, let’s call the incubation process update the IncUp effort.
The incubation process provides new projects the oversight, guidance and time needed to grow and mature. The goal is to assure projects meet a high standard of usefulness and quality as they mature and become an integral part of OpenStack. The current process has served OpenStack well. Through that process the project has developed several key technologies that are core to OpenStack.
I read a funny quote attributed to Mark Twain, “A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.” The TC has done a wonderful job with the current incubation process, with lessons learned and experience gained. With formally outlined roles and responsibilities by the Foundation bylaws the TC and Board have increased responsibility to ensure the incubation process is a success.
The goal of the OpenStack Foundation is to serve developers, users, and the entire ecosystem by providing a set of shared resources to grow the footprint of public and private OpenStack clouds, enable technology vendors targeting the platform and assist developers in producing the best cloud software in the industry.
To better meet this challenge, the Technical Committee (TC) and OpenStack Board have kicked off the IncUp effort to update the current incubator process. The effort is significant to all of us within the community because it’s a fundamental part of how a project’s destiny is determined. A clearly defined incubation process influences the way we work together, facilitates growth, and ensures success through fair equitable and open processes.
Gandhi said, “be the change that you wish to see in the world.” Which profoundly articulates how much of IncUp we’ve already accomplished through our current state of “being.” The launch of the Foundation established an independent, vendor neutral, secure and safe environment for OpenStack technologies to grow. Today, members of the board and the technical committee work together for the proper advancement of OpenStack technologies. And support from our members, sponsors, community and dedicated resources foretell the many projects underway within the OpenStack Foundation are already positioned to succeed.
Over the past several weeks, the IncUp committee has spent much time ensuring we understand the current incubation process and the issues at hand. Many questions were raised and we’re listening closely to feedback from project leads. The information we’re collecting is helping us rapidly paint the improved process. Once that step is complete we will quickly draft the updated process, conduct reviews and prepare to roll out the updates.
Much of the fun of open source is the feeling of being part of and contributing to a recognized, successful project. The continued purpose of the IncUp effort is to help ensure that projects receive the focus, visibility and resources needed to be successful via a fair, equitable and open process. A process that ensures open source projects support the mission of the Foundation and the purpose of OpenStack.
I agree with Mark Collier when he said one day cloud computing will power our global economy. I believe this can only be accomplished with the mindset to make technology collaborative, affordable and available to all. OpenStack is an exciting place to be for 2013. The IncUp effort is one of many great things happening this year. Be sure to join a project, committee or work group to be a part of the future of cloud computing.
