[ofa-general] OFED March 10 teleconfrance meeting summary

[Tziporet Koren]

OFED meeting summary:
=====================
1. Decide on fix release criteria and process (see below)
2. OFED 1.4:
   - Target date: Sep 2008
   - Will start with kernel 2.6.25 once it released
   - Next meeting will be devoted to define the features set.
3. OFED meeting frequency - decided to continue with bi-weekly meeting

Meeting Details:
================

1. Maintenance release criteria and process:
--------------------------------------------
Changes guidelines:
1. No changes to kernel base (we should stay with 2.6.24)
2. No API changes (both in kernel and in user libs)
3. Low level driver changes - in the responsibility of the HW vendor,
meaning:
   The HW vendor can enhance/fix bugs in the low level driver
   The QA for the change is the responsibility of the HW vendor
4. Core and ULPs (including MPI): Critical and high priority bug fixes
only
5. Add backports to support a new OS (e.g. SLES10 SP2, FC8, etc.)

Release frequency:
* Will have first release few weeks after the plug-fest (depending on
issues 
  found in the interop events)
* In general we wish to have a maintenance release every two months.

Release verification:
1. All vendors should run at least basic QA/verification cycle
2. If there is a change in a low level driver it's the responsibility of
the 
   HW vendor to run full QA with this HW.

Release process:
1. Publish the maintenance release target date 3 weeks prior to the
release
2. Patches will be sent to Vlad against OFED 1.3 git repositories 
   (this can be done ongoing throughout the period between the releases)
3. A release will be built and tested by all companies in the usual
method.


2. OFED 1.4:
------------
a. Relations between Linux kernel.org and OFED kernel components:
   There is an agreement that it is important to drive any kernel change

   to kernel.org (except for modules with legal limitation like SDP). 
   However, there is a concern that waiting for acceptance to kernel.org

   may hold vendors progress. So it seems that sending a patch to the
kernel 
   is a must, but acceptance to a specific kernel should not be a
pre-requisite 
   for inclusion in OFED.
   Since we have not get to agreement on this subject we decided to
raise it in 
   Sonoma again and decide there.
   Johann - can such a BOF scheduled for Sonoma?
b. OFED 1.4 schedule and features:
   - Since we do a release every half a year and Aug is not a good month
for release 
     we decided on Sep 08
   - First version of release features will be discussed in next
meeting.
   - Final list will be closed in Sonoma based on customers' requests
and vendors' plans.