Each stage of the LFN project lifecycle comes with various benefits and access to resources. The availability of these benefits is dependent on the project's lifecycle stage, and the adoption of services is optional. LFX tooling is available for all projects, regardless of their current stage. New projects joining the LFN are not required to start at a lower lifecycle stage if they already meet the requirements for a higher stage.
The following table serves as a reference for the different Project Lifecycle states. For more information, please refer to LFN Lifecycle States & Guidelines.
| Project State | Summary | Benefits | Tools/Services | Community Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Projects looking to integrate with LFN. Must meet LFN's best practices. | - Staff assistance in governance, diversity, and community growth - Networking opportunities - Guidance from TAC and LFN projects | - Demonstrate alignment with LFN mission - Integrate with existing LFN projects | |
| Sandbox | Lightweight entry for early-stage projects. | - Staff assistance - LFX tools - Networking opportunities - Guidance from TAC | - LFX Tools: Collaboration tools, Documentation - Collaboration Opportunities: Workshops, Forums - LFN Mailing Lists | - Explore community, governance, and roadmap - Align with LFN mission |
| Incubation | Demonstrated progress towards open source best practices. | - All Sandbox benefits - Release management support - Marketing inclusion - Cross-project collaboration | - Release Management Tools - Marketing Support - Cross-Project Collaboration Platforms - LFN Infrastructure | - Active integration with LFN projects - Contributor diversity - Open governance |
| Graduated (TAC Project) | Exemplary projects meeting diversity, best practices, and LFN integration. | - All Incubation benefits - Budget for project-specific requests - TAC representation - Marketing inclusion - Cross-project collaboration | - Budget Allocation - TAC Representation - Extended Marketing Support - Cross-Project Collaboration Platforms | - Sustained adherence to best practices - Collaborate with other LFN projects |
An open source project may request a review from the Technical Advisory Council at any time. Project Reviews are held for a variety of reasons. For each review, the project must instantiate the Project Data Template. If the project has already submitted a template for a past review, you can update it (taking into account any changes to the base template) for the new review.
Additionally, a project must publicly announce its intention to undergo a review at least two weeks prior to the date of the review. The announcement must include a link to the instantiated Project Data Template for review. The public may comment on the document. The project must engage with comments, answer questions and address feedback.
Reviews must be conducted in a manner that allows a global community to participate. For example, at a time that is amenable to as many stakeholders as possible and using tooling that is generally accessible.
The LFN Board and TAC both evaluate proposals for new projects to be admitted into the LFN. Projects can be inducted at any level of maturity, provided they meet the necessary requirements. The TAC conducts the review first, followed by the Board.
Information and Criteria for TAC LFN Induction Review
To apply for an LFN Induction Review, projects must provide an up-to-date Project Data Template, and inbound code must pass an "intake scan" as defined by LF Legal. The review focuses on the project's accessible governance, which must minimally specify project roles, release processes, decision-making bodies, dispute resolution mechanisms, and more. The review also checks whether the project scope is within the scope of the LFN.
Step-by-Step instructions can be found in our guide: How to Join the LFN as a Project.
As an outcome of the TAC's LFN Induction Review, the TAC will provide the following feedback to the LFN Governing Board for use as input to the LFN Board's LFN Induction Review:
It is up to the Board to define its own criteria and process for the Board's LFN Induction Review. Such review may include legal, trademark, and license reviews. The TAC strongly recommends the Board make its LFN Induction Review criteria and process public and accept design input from the public.
Budget Guidance: The TAC recommends that the Governing Board allocate no or limited funding to Sandbox projects and that those projects cannot use cross-project funding buckets. Sandbox projects should still be able to take advantage of LFN membership that does not require additional funding, such as logo inclusion in marketing materials or attendance at LFN events.
Projects already inducted into the LFN Community will have their community reviewed on a periodic basis by the TAC.
The LFN Project Health Review aims to assist the projects in participating in LFN and ensure the project's community remains healthy. The reviews will be based on the content available from LFX tools to minimize the burden on the project's community. Health Reviews can be completed by updating an existing Project Data Template or creating a new one. Once the Project Data Template is submitted, please notify the TAC at lfn-tac@lists.lfnetworking.org of your request for review.
If a project that has already been inducted into the LFN Community wishes to change its Lifecycle State, it can request a Lifecycle Review. Before doing so, it is recommended that the project team reviews the LFN Lifecycle States & Guidelines to understand the expectations for each Lifecycle State. Once the team has decided to seek a Lifecycle State review from the TAC, the Project TSC shall proceed by taking a vote. The review process involves updating an existing Project Data Template or creating a new one. After submitting the Project Data Template, the TAC should be notified at lfn-tac@lists.lfnetworking.org to request the review.
A project, whether in the Graduated or Incubation state, may be reverted to a previous lifecycle state if the TAC, by majority vote, if the TAC determines that the project no longer fulfills the criteria for its current status. Additionally, if the Project's Technical Steering Committee (TSC), by majority vote, requests to move the project back to a lower lifecycle state. Before initiating a Reversion to a different lifecycle state, the TAC must make a sincere effort to reach out to the Project's TSC to discuss the project's future.
The mandatory criteria for moving a TAC project to a lower lifecycle state are one of:
The TAC will notify the Board immediately of any decision to move a project back to lower lifecycle states.
A Project may be Archived if it has received no significant commits within the previous 12 months or by a majority vote of the Project's TSC to request the project be Archived. Prior to TAC initiation of an Archival Review of a Project, a good faith effort must be made to contact the Project's TSC and initiate a dialog about the future of the Project.
Mandatory criteria for Archiving a project are one of:
A Project may be revived by following the same steps as an Induction Review.
A Project may request to leave the LFN by a majority vote of its TSC.
Should a project request to leave the LFN, it is the obligation of the TAC to forward that request to the Board immediately upon notification.
The Board may cause a project to exit LFN at its discretion.
As of , OpenDaylight, Anuket, FD.io, and ONAP are in state Graduated (TAC). Tungsten Fabric is in state Incubation. EMCO, XGVela, L3AF and ODIM are in a state of Sandbox.
This Technical Governance may be amended by a 2/3 vote of the TAC subject to approval by the LFN Board.