How do projects go for graduation? Open Questions

[mattfarina]

We would like to take the Helm project through the graduation process. But, we are unsure of what to do in the new process.

The graduation section reads:

Graduation process follows the pattern of incubation, but the majority of DD should have happened at the incubation phase so it should be a less onerous process for graduation.

1. TOC vote
   • TOC members assess whether project meets the Graduation criteria
   • Projects get accepted to incubation via a 2/3 supermajority vote of the TOC

I've asked many of this in SIG App Delivery and of CNCF staff (e.g., Amye) who have tried to answer them and track down answers but the current state is that they do not know.

How much of the incubation pattern is followed? In incubation there is a process that starts with triage, has SIG presentations, there is due diligence, and more. Which of these steps does a graduating project need to go through?

In the due diligence (DD) template how much of what should be filled in? For example, since this is new do the current incubating projects need to fill in the details to get into the incubating step even through they are going for graduation because this is new? Should there be an intro written on the projects to add context for the TOC members who are new? I'm guessing that the only required part of this template is answering the questions but it's not entirely clear.

Should the pull request to add the DD also update the project proposal to graduation? The DD might be accepted separate from a vote and PR for that. Or, it might all be the same. When should the project proposal be updated to reflect graduation?

Depending on the answer to the first question there may be more as we figure out which parts of the process need to be done.

[technosophos]

It is my understanding that we are not obligated to re-do the incubation steps just because the requirements have been changed for new projects entering incubation. For example, it doesn't make sense that we would retroactively be accountable to a SIG after we've been in incubation for a couple of years and have a demonstrable track record of success.

I am assuming that projects get accepted in incubation... is just a copy/paste typo and should read projects get accepted into graduation....

Given the above, my reading of the new process doc suggests that the only thing left for Helm to graduate is a TOC vote. If that is not the case, can someone from the TOC or CNCF please clarify what we are misunderstanding.

I know that my focus is project-specific, and you (Matt) are asking for a general statement...

[mattfarina]

@technosophos this is partially where my confusion comes in.

It is my understanding that we are not obligated to re-do the incubation steps just because the requirements have been changed for new projects entering incubation.

I was told to fill out the incubation due diligence information which would be covering material from previous steps. I would like to know if we do not need to do that.

[amye]

Closing as we've updated graduation processes since!