Resolution: Mandatory Repository Retirement

See the transcript of the 2019-07-11 TC meeting for background:

http://eavesdrop.openstack.org/meetings/tc/2019/tc.2019-07-11-14.00.log.html#l-214

Corresponding ML thread:

http://lists.openstack.org/pipermail/openstack-discuss/2019-July/007749.html

Change-Id: I27131c648b65365098e3e533c1edfbe1877943ad

resolutions/20190711-mandatory-repository-retirement.rst

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+============================================
+ 2019-07-11 Mandatory Repository Retirement
+============================================
+
+When development ceases on any official OpenStack team deliverable
+repository and it is no longer maintained, its contents are replaced
+by a clear statement describing this status, all open changes for it
+in code review are abandoned with an explanatory message, and access
+controls are modified to automatically reject future proposed
+changes. This act is known as **repository retirement**.
+
+When a repository which was governed by the OpenStack Technical
+Committee ceases to be its responsibility any longer, the
+deliverable repository entry in the official `list of projects
+<https://opendev.org/openstack/governance/src/branch/master/reference/projects.yaml>`_
+is moved to a `legacy projects list
+<https://opendev.org/openstack/governance/src/branch/master/reference/legacy.yaml>`_
+with its proximate ``retired-on`` date recorded. This act is known
+as **governance removal**.
+
+Following conclusion of the *Train* development cycle, any new
+**governance removal** for a repository in the `openstack Git namespace
+of OpenDev <https://opendev.org/openstack/>`_ must undergo
+**repository retirement** even if development will be continuing in
+another Git namespace on OpenDev. The OpenStack Technical Committee
+may defer this requirement if responsibility over the repository is
+being transferred to another official OpenStack governance body with
+which it shares the ``openstack`` Git namespace on OpenDev (for
+example, a recognized `OpenStack special interest group
+<https://governance.openstack.org/sigs/>`_ or `OpenStack User
+Committee working group
+<https://governance.openstack.org/uc/#working-groups>`_), but can
+still enforce it at a later date if the repository moves to a
+different OpenDev Git namespace or leaves OpenDev hosting entirely.
+
+Rationale
+---------
+
+With the 2019-03-22 resolution to :doc:`Namespace Unofficial
+Projects <20190322-namespace-unofficial-projects>`, only currently
+or previously-official OpenStack deliverable repositories (or those
+managed by SIGs, working groups and other officially-recognized
+bodies) remain within the ``openstack`` Git namespace prefix on
+OpenDev. Formerly-official software, which left OpenStack governance
+with the intent of continuing development outside it, was in many
+cases subsequently abandoned in place by its authors. This created
+an attractive nuisance and unwitting surprise for source code
+consumers who (in at least some cases) likely continued unaware that
+it was no longer supported by anyone at all.
+
+When OpenStack ceases development on a source code repository,
+OpenDev's recommended `retirement process
+<https://docs.openstack.org/infra/manual/drivers.html#retiring-a-project>`_
+is followed. This process replaces the repository's source code with
+a prominent ``README`` message indicating its new situation, makes
+sure open changes for it are abandoned, and sets Gerrit to reject
+future change proposals for review. When projects choose to continue
+development for formerly-official OpenStack deliverables outside
+OpenStack governance, no corresponding process exists to clarify to
+users that OpenStack is no longer responsible for these
+repositories. This problem is further complicated by OpenDev's use
+of Gitea and its automatic redirect feature. Simply renaming those
+projects to move them to a new Git prefix namespace leaves their old
+``openstack`` URLs working for browsers and Git client operations so
+many existing users may never notice the transition.
+
+The solution to this problem is to follow the repository retirement
+process in ``openstack`` any time a deliverable repository is
+removed from current governance, regardless of whether its authors
+intend to continue development on it outside governance. OpenDev
+allows multiple repositories to have the same base names across
+different namespaces, so this does not mean a project has to change
+its new name. It does however mean that the repository must be
+forked into the new namespace, leaving behind its Gerrit reviews and
+no redirection (the ``README`` file can certainly mention where to
+find continued development however). This forces existing consumers
+of the source code to take note of the change in governance,
+clarifying that no official OpenStack project team is responsible
+for it any longer.
+
+Because this is a significant change in policy, it cannot easily be
+retroactively applied to old repositories which are no longer under
+OpenStack's governance (but the damage this would mitigate for them
+is probably already done anyway). To provide ample warning for any
+existing projects considering exiting OpenStack in the near future,
+only removals after the conclusion of the Train development cycle
+will be subject to the new mandatory retirement policy. Removals
+prior to the end of the Train cycle can be renamed to new namespaces
+in OpenDev (with redirects) per our previous de facto process, if
+maintainers prefer.