“The Apache Way” and how it can help research projects

openlaws.eu - OS Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria

“The Apache Way” and How it can help Research

ProjectsJakob Frank

jakob.frank@salzburgresearch.at

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

About MeJakob Frank

● Researcher @ KMT, Salzburg Researchjakob.frank@salzburgresearch.at

● Solution Architect @ Redlink GmbHjakob.frank@redlink.co

● Committer, PMC Member @ Apache Marmotta, ASFjakob@apache.org

http://at.linkedin.com/in/jakobfrank

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

Background● Apache Marmotta

○ Donated to the ASF in 2012○ Previously

■ KiWi (FP7 Project)■ LMF (SNML-TNG, K-Project)

○ Currently■ MICO (FP7 Project)■ Fusepool P3 (FP7 Project)

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

Background● Apache Stanbol

○ Donated to the ASF in 2011○ Originated from IKS (FP7 Project)○ Currently used in Fusepool P3 (FP7 Project)

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

“The Apache Way”Although the term is deprecated, “The Apache Way” relates to how the ASF (and its projects) work and operate

… but what is the ASF and how does it work?

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

The ASFASF == Apache Software Foundation

● Non-profit corporation, founded 1999● 501(c)3 charity (US)● Volunteer organization● Virtual world-wide organization● Exists to provide the organizational, legal, and financial

support for various OSS projects

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

The ASF - today● > 400 members● > 150 TLPs● ~ 40 podlings● Tons of committers (literally)

○ (> 4900 people, and growing)● Very large and growing infrastructure

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

The ASF’s Mission● Provide open source software to the public free of

charge● Provide a foundation for open, collaborative software

development projects by supplying hardware, communication, and business infrastructure

● Create an independent legal entity to which companies and individuals can donate resources and be assured that those resources will be used for the public benefit

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

The ASF’s Mission● Provide a means for individual volunteers to be

sheltered from legal suits directed at the Foundation’s projects

● Protect the ‘Apache’ brand, as applied to its software products, from being abused by other organizations

● Provide legal and technical infrastructure for open source software development and to perform appropriate oversight of such

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

How the ASF worksThe Apache Software Foundation provides support for the Apache community of open-source software projects. The Apache projects are characterized by a collaborative, consensus based development process, an open and pragmatic software license, and a desire to create high quality software that leads the way in its field. We consider ourselves not simply a group of projects sharing a server, but rather a community of developers and users.

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

How the ASF works - 2nd try

● Community over code

● The code should be exceptional

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

Structure of the ASF - dev● Volunteer Driven Organization ● Software Projects are managed by Project

Management Committees (PMCs) ● PMCs vote in new PMC members and

committers ● At the end of the day: People / Individual

focused

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

Structure of the ASF - legal● Member-based corporation - individuals only ● Members nominate and elect new members ● Members elect a board - 9 seats ● Semi-annual meetings via IRC● Each PMC has a Chair - eyes and ears of

the board (oversight only)

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

ASF “Org Chart”

PMC Members

Committers

Contributors

Patchers

Users

Members

Officers

Board

Projects Foundation

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

The Apache Way - Basic Memes● Meritocracy● Peer-based● Consensus decision making● Collaborative development● Responsible oversight

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

Meritocracy● “Govern by Merit”● Merit is based on what you do● Merit never expires● Those with merit get more responsibility

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

Peer-based● Developers represent themselves -

individuals● Mutual trust and respect● All votes hold the same weight● Community over code

○ Healthy communities create healthy code

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

Consensus decision making● Key is the idea of voting

○ +1 - yes○ +0 - no real comment○ -1 - veto

● Often you also see things like -0, -0.5, ...

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

Voting● The rule of 3 and 72

○ 3 voters is the minimal acceptable quorum○ 72 hours minimum time frame for votes

● Everyone is welcome to vote○ committers have “binding” votes

● Vetos○ must be justified and have sound technical merit○ cannot be overruled if valid○ very rare

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

Collaborative Development● Code is developed by the community● Voting ensures at least 3 active developers● Development happens publicly, online and

on-list○ “If it didn’t happen on the list, it didn’t happen”

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

Collaborative Development● Mailing lists are the preferred method

○ Archived○ Asynchronous○ Available to anyone - public list

● Other methods are OK, if not primary○ Wiki, IRC, F2F○ Always bring the essence back to the list

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

Responsible oversight● PMCs

○ provide technical oversight of all project releases○ ensure clean IP in all Apache releases○ new committers/PMC member

● Board ○ provides organizational oversight of all Apache

projects○ ensure PMCs function independently

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

The Apache Incubator● New projects (podling) start in the incubator● Mentors teach how the ASF works● Graduation

○ prove to be a healthy and growing community○ prove to be able to release the software○ IP clearance

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

Apache Software License 2.0● open source● permissive● commercial usage allowed

Additional Guarantee for Apache Projects:● All direct dependencies are ASL2 compatible

http://www.apache.org/legal/resolved.html#category-a

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

Apache for Research Projects● ASL2 - clear licensing

○ partners can use the outcome● Long-Term perspective

○ Software and Community beyond the project● Broadens community

○ It’s likely that people from outside the research project join

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

Apache for Research Projects● “The Apache Way”

○ works good for diverse & distributed teams○ mailing-lists○ voting

● Dissemination○ “Apache” makes good marketing○ marketing opportunity, also great in reviews

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

Apache for Research Projects● Giving up control

○ no guarantee - contributions can be rejected by the community

○ research-project cannot force direction● Overhead

○ Community building, releases, licensing, ...● Licensing limitations

○ strict rules for 3rd-party libraries (e.g. no GPL)○ work-arounds available

OpenSource Workshop, 26.06.2015, Vienna, Austria Jakob Frank

Thanks“The Apache Way” and How it can help Research Projects

based on material from http://community.apache.org/speakers/slides.html

The Apache Software Foundation● http://www.apache.org/ ● http://incubator.apache.org/● http://community.apache.org/

Apache Marmotta ● http://marmotta.apache.org/

Apache Stanbol ● http://stanbol.apache.org/

acknowledgements to the MICO FP7 project(grant no. 610480) http://www.mico-project.eu/