I'd like to start a discussion about promoting HBase from a Hadoop sub-project to a top-level Apache project (TLP).
This is not yet a vote. Once we have established general understanding and agreement, I'll call a vote. I propose we move HBase from hadoop.apache.org/hbase to hbase.apache.org. HBase would then have it's own Project Management Committee (PMC) so that it can elect committers and create releases on its own. Currently these actions require votes by the Hadoop PMC. However I think HBase now has a sufficiently large, diverse and distinct community that it can fend for itself. I suggest that initial HBase PMC consist of all active HBase committers at the time we make the formal proposal. This is typical for new TLPs. (Subsequently PMCs tend to promote committers to the PMC. The Hadoop PMC generally promotes committers to the PMC after a year of consistent activity, while some projects immediately add new committers to their PMC. But we don't need to decide our policy for new PMC membership now, only the makeup of the initial PMC.) I nominate myself as the initial chair of the HBase PMC, with the proviso that we adopt a policy of regular chair replacement. I suggest that HBase PMC chairs serve a one or two-year term. A PMC chair has no more power than other PMC members, but rather has a few more duties. In particular, the chair must submit written quarterly reports to the board describing the health of the projects developer community. The chair also maintains subversion permissions and committer account creation. Do these proposal sound reasonable? Any improvements or questions? For some background, please read: http://www.apache.org/foundation/how-it-works.html#roles The steps I imagine are roughly: - discussion by HBase developers (what I'm starting here today) - vote by HBase developers - discussion by Hadoop PMC - vote by Hadoop PMC - draft resolution sent to board - board votes on resolution to form TLP Formally, the board alone has the power to create a TLP: all prior steps are merely an ordered means to make the case to the board that all involved parties support such an action. Thanks, St.Ack (Above is a message Doug Cutting sent to the Avro dev list after doing a s/Avro/HBase/)
