Hi Haiting, We'll publish the LTS and end-of-life policy on the website, with the support dates for each release.
-- Matteo Merli <matteo.me...@gmail.com> On Mon, Feb 13, 2023 at 6:27 PM Haiting Jiang <jianghait...@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi Matteo, > > I noticed that 2.10 is not mentioned to be the first LTS version as > discussed previously. > Should we include this? > > Thanks, > Haiting > > On Mon, Feb 13, 2023 at 10:26 AM Yunze Xu <y...@streamnative.io.invalid> > wrote: > > > > +1 (binding) > > > > Thanks, > > Yunze > > > > On Thu, Feb 9, 2023 at 6:47 PM Nicolò Boschi <boschi1...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > > > > > +1 (binding) > > > > > > Nicolò Boschi > > > > > > > > > Il giorno gio 9 feb 2023 alle ore 11:17 Zike Yang <z...@apache.org> ha > > > scritto: > > > > > > > +1 (non-binding) > > > > > > > > Thanks, > > > > Zike Yang > > > > > > > > On Thu, Feb 9, 2023 at 5:28 PM PengHui Li <codelipeng...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > +1 (binding) > > > > > > > > > > Penghui > > > > > > > > > > > On Feb 9, 2023, at 17:24, Nozomi Kurihara <nkuri...@apache.org> > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > +1 > > > > > > > > > > > > The LTS plan seems clear and helpful for users. > > > > > > > > > > > > Thanks, > > > > > > Nozomi > > > > > > > > > > > > 2023年2月9日(木) 5:44 Matteo Merli <matteo.me...@gmail.com>: > > > > > > > > > > > >> https://github.com/apache/pulsar/issues/15966 > > > > > >> > > > > > >> > > > > > >> > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > >> > > > > > >> > > > > > >> ## Motivation > > > > > >> > > > > > >> In PIP-47 ( > > > > > >> > https://github.com/apache/pulsar/wiki/PIP-47:-Time-Based-Release-Plan), > > > > we > > > > > >> have adopted a time-based release plan. This was the first > attempt at > > > > > >> establishing a new principle on how releases should b > > > > > >> > > > > > >> The main two benefits of this approach have been: > > > > > >> > > > > > >> 1. Clarity for users and developers on when to expect a release > > > > > >> 2. Breaking a hard relationship between feature and release: a > > > > particular > > > > > >> feature will be included in the release if it is completed in > time. > > > > > >> Otherwise, it will be bubbled up to the next release. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> The motivation for the current proposal is to extend the > existing > > > > process > > > > > >> to address the issues that we have seen and that were left out > of the > > > > scope > > > > > >> of PIP-47. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> ## Summary of existing issues in the process > > > > > >> > > > > > >> ### Short maintenance cycles for releases > > > > > >> > > > > > >> Since we're doing a 3 months release cycle, we are ending with 4 > > > > releases > > > > > >> done per year, even though it's more close to 3 releases. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> There is a high cost to maintain a lot of old releases, > backport bug > > > > fixes, > > > > > >> and security patches. In general, we actively support the last > 3 minor > > > > > >> releases while continuing to develop the next release. E.g., > 2.8, > > > > 2.9, and > > > > > >> 2.10, while 2.11 is under development. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> The result is that a user adopting a particular release is > forced to > > > > > >> upgrade in a < 1-year timeframe to keep up to date and use a > supported > > > > > >> release. This timeframe is too short for many users as it > imposes a > > > > lot of > > > > > >> forced upgrades, for which they are not prepared in terms of > > > > available time > > > > > >> and required effort. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> ### Live Upgrade/Downgrade compatibility path > > > > > >> > > > > > >> In Pulsar, we guarantee that users have a way to do live > upgrades and > > > > > >> downgrades with zero downtime. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> This is very powerful because it gives them the freedom to > upgrade to > > > > a new > > > > > >> release with the assurance of being able to roll back to the > previous > > > > > >> release in case any functional or performance regressions are > > > > encountered. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> Today, this compatibility is guaranteed across minor versions. > Eg: I > > > > can do > > > > > >> `2.7 -> 2.8 -> 2.7` as a live upgrade. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> What is not guaranteed is to "skip" releases. E.g.: `2.7 -> 2.9` > > > > might work > > > > > >> or not, but it's not guaranteed. In that case an intermediated > upgrade > > > > > >> would be required: `2.7 -> 2.8 -> 2.9`. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> The reasons for which the "skip" upgrade might not work are > multiple: > > > > > >> 1. Incompatible upgrade of some dependency (e.g., ZooKeeper) > that > > > > might > > > > > >> not be compatible with an older version. > > > > > >> 2. Adoption of a new metadata format or data format on disk. > > > > > >> Every time we introduce a new incompatible format change > (outside > > > > of a > > > > > >> regular Protobuf field addition), we do it in a 2 steps way: > > > > > >> - In a new release, we introduce the new feature/format, > > > > disabled by > > > > > >> default. The new release can read both old and new formats, > though it > > > > keeps > > > > > >> writing the old format by default. > > > > > >> - In a subsequent release, we change the default to the new > > > > format > > > > > >> > > > > > >> Note that this consideration is separate from the compatibility > > > > between > > > > > >> clients and brokers, where we ***never*** break compatibility. > The > > > > oldest > > > > > >> available Pulsar client can still talk with the newest Pulsar > broker, > > > > and > > > > > >> vice versa, a new client, will be perfectly fine with an older > broker > > > > > >> (except the new features won't be working). > > > > > >> > > > > > >> ### Releases getting delayed > > > > > >> > > > > > >> Another problem we have been experiencing is that release > cycles have > > > > been > > > > > >> stretching considerably. Part of this has been because we have > been > > > > > >> reaching the end of the release window, preparing a candidate, > and > > > > then > > > > > >> taking a long time to flush out all issues found at the last > minute > > > > in the > > > > > >> new release. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> We need to ensure that we have a date set in stone to deliver > the > > > > release > > > > > >> to users. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> ## Proposal > > > > > >> > > > > > >> The proposal to address the above issues is composed of 2 parts. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> ### 1. Establish Long Term Support releases > > > > > >> > > > > > >> We need to provide a way for users to quickly understand the > expected > > > > > >> lifecycle timeline of a given release and for that timeline to > be long > > > > > >> enough not to be a constant update mandate. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> At the same time, we need to ensure that we maintainers are not > > > > spending > > > > > >> all the time just maintaining a huge list of old releases. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> For that, we can use the established concept of "Long Term > Releases" > > > > or > > > > > >> LTS. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> We will perform LTS releases at a fixed cadence every 18 > months, and > > > > we > > > > > >> will keep doing regular feature releases every 3 months as we're > > > > currently > > > > > >> doing. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> The LTS releases will be identified by being a `.0` version. For > > > > example: > > > > > >> * `3.0` -> LTS > > > > > >> * `3.1` -> regular release > > > > > >> * `3.2` -> regular release > > > > > >> * `4.0` -> LTS > > > > > >> > > > > > >> The major version bump will not carry any special meaning in > terms of > > > > "big > > > > > >> features" included in the release or breaking API changes. > Instead, it > > > > > >> would simply signal the type of the release. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> #### Compatibility between releases > > > > > >> > > > > > >> It will be guaranteed to be able to do a live upgrade/downgrade > > > > between one > > > > > >> LTS and the next one. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> For example: > > > > > >> > > > > > >> * `3.0 -> 4.0 -> 3.0` : OK > > > > > >> * `3.2 -> 4.0 -> 3.2` : OK > > > > > >> * `3.2 -> 4.4 -> 3.2` : OK > > > > > >> * `3.2 -> 5.0` : Not OK > > > > > >> > > > > > >> #### Release support expectation > > > > > >> > > > > > >> We will publish clear guidelines on the Pulsar website > regarding the > > > > > >> expected timeline for which each release is supported and when > the new > > > > > >> feature and LTS releases will be available. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> The support model will be: > > > > > >> > > > > > >> * LTS > > > > > >> * Released every 18 months > > > > > >> * Support for 24 months > > > > > >> * Security patches for 36 months > > > > > >> * Feature releases > > > > > >> * Released every 3 months > > > > > >> * Support for 6 months > > > > > >> * Security patches for 6 months > > > > > >> > > > > > >> This can be translated into: > > > > > >> * We support the last 2 LTS releases and the last 2 feature > releases > > > > > >> * Security patches are provided for the past 3 LTS releases > and 2 > > > > > >> feature releases > > > > > >> > > > > > >> Users are therefore encouraged to stay in an LTS release until > they > > > > are > > > > > >> ready to jump into the next LTS unless they want to have access > to > > > > some of > > > > > >> the features included in the latest feature releases. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> ### 2. Introduce a code-freeze period in the release cycle > > > > > >> > > > > > >> To address the problem with delayed release cycles, we are > > > > introducing a > > > > > >> code freeze period that will give us time to stabilize the > release > > > > code > > > > > >> while not blocking new changes from being merged into master > for the > > > > > >> subsequent version. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> This code-freeze will only be adopted for LTS/feature releases, > not > > > > for any > > > > > >> patch release. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> In a 3 months release cycle, the last 3 weeks will be marked as > a code > > > > > >> freeze period. The release manager will branch off from master, > and > > > > he will > > > > > >> be responsible for selecting the changes that will be > cherry-picked > > > > in the > > > > > >> release branch. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> From the code-freeze point, to minimize the risk of delaying the > > > > release, > > > > > >> only bug fixes involving a regression of behavior compared to a > > > > previous > > > > > >> release should be allowed. Occasional exceptions will be > possible > > > > after > > > > > >> higher scrutiny of the change. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> At the moment of the code freeze, the release manager will also > > > > prepare a > > > > > >> release candidate in the same way we are doing today. > Committers, > > > > > >> contributors, and users will test this RC to detect issues as > early as > > > > > >> possible. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> A formal vote by the PMC will not be required at this stage > (though > > > > any > > > > > >> disagreement should be sent out ASAP). > > > > > >> > > > > > >> After 1 week, if there are any changes, the release manager will > > > > provide a > > > > > >> new RC release that the community will test again. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> After 1 more week, if there are any changes, a third RC will be > > > > prepared, > > > > > >> and this will be submitted to vote to the PMC. Otherwise, the > vote > > > > will be > > > > > >> held on an earlier RC release if no issues are found. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> The last 1 week will be used for the voting process and for > updating > > > > Pulsar > > > > > >> website and the blog post announcing the release, which should > > > > (hopefully) > > > > > >> happen on the scheduled day. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> > > > > > >> -- > > > > > >> Matteo Merli > > > > > >> <matteo.me...@gmail.com> > > > > > >> > > > > > > > > > >
