Collecting additional information from later parts into the overview

[octopus.git] / docs / scenario-lifecycle / scenario-overview.rst

diff --git a/docs/scenario-lifecycle/scenario-overview.rst b/docs/scenario-lifecycle/scenario-overview.rst
index 9c9c508..4a7ff7a 100644 (file)
--- a/docs/scenario-lifecycle/scenario-overview.rst
+++ b/docs/scenario-lifecycle/scenario-overview.rst
@@ -14,77 +14,146 @@ Overview
 Problem Statement:
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
 Problem Statement:
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 

-OPNFV provides the NFV reference platform in different variants, using different
-upstream open source projects.
-In many cases this includes also different upstream projects providing similar or
-overlapping functionality.
+OPNFV provides the NFV reference platform in different variants, where
+each variant is called a "scenario".

 
 

-OPNFV introduces scenarios to define various combinations of components from upstream
-projects or configuration options for these components.
+OPNFV introduces scenarios in order to provide a way to deploy the stack
+using different combinations of upstream components, or to provide
+different sets of pre-defined configuration options for these
+components.

 
 

-The number of such scenarios has increased over time, so it is necessary to clearly
-define how to handle the scenarios.
+In some cases a scenario is introduced in order to provide isolation of
+a specific development effort from other ongoing development efforts,
+similar to the purpose of a branch in a code repository.

 
 

-Introduction:
+A certain amount of effort and resources is required in order to include
+a scenario in a release. The number of scenarios has increased over
+time, so it is necessary to identify ways to manage the number of
+scenarios and to avoid that their number grows infinitely. To enable
+this, we have to clearly define how to handle the lifecycle of
+scenarios, i.e. how to create, how to terminate, etc.
+
+
+Scenario types:

 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 Some OPNFV scenarios have an experimental nature, since they introduce
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 Some OPNFV scenarios have an experimental nature, since they introduce

-new technologies that are not yet mature enough to provide a stable release.
-Nevertheless there also needs to be a way to provide the user with the
-opportunity to try these new features in an OPNFV release context.
+new technologies or features that are not yet mature or well integrated
+enough to provide a stable release. Nevertheless there also needs to be
+a way to provide the user with the opportunity to try these new features
+in an OPNFV release context.

 
 Other scenarios are used to provide stable environments for users
 
 Other scenarios are used to provide stable environments for users

-that wish to build products or live deployments on them.
+desiring a certain combination of upstream components or interested in
+particular capabilities or use cases.

 
 

-OPNFV scenario lifecycle process will support this by defining two types of scenarios:
+The new OPNFV scenario lifecycle process proposed herein will support
+this by defining two types of scenarios:

 
 * **Generic scenarios** cover a stable set of common features provided
 
 * **Generic scenarios** cover a stable set of common features provided

-  by different components and target long-term usage.
-* **Specific scenarios** are needed during development to introduce new upstream
-  components or new features.
-  They are intended to merge with other specific scenarios
-  and bring their features into at least one generic scenario.
-
-OPNFV scenarios are deployed using one of the installer tools.
-A scenario can be deployed by multiple installers and the result will look
-very similar but different. The capabilities provided by the deployments
-should be identical. Results of functional tests should be the same,
+by different components and target long-term usage and maintenance of
+the scenario. Only stable versions of upstream components are allowed to
+be deployed in a generic scenario. Across all generic scenarios in a
+given OPNFV release, the same version of a given upstream component
+should be deployed. Creation of generic scenarios and promotion of
+specific to generic scenario requires TSC approval, see section 5.
+Generic scenarios will get priority over specific scenarios in terms of
+maintenance effort and CI resources.
+
+* **Specific scenarios** are needed during development to introduce new
+upstream components or new features. They are typically derived from a
+generic scenario and are intended to bring their features back into the
+parent generic scenario once they are mature enough. It is also possible
+that multiple specific scenarios are merged before bringing them back to
+the parent scenario, for example in order to test and develop the
+integration of two specific features in isolation. Specific scenarios
+can consume unreleased upstream versions or apply midstream patches.
+Creation of specific scenarios is not gated, but if a project intends to
+release a specific scenario, it has to indicate that in its release plan
+at milestone MS1. The scenario itself can be created at any time, by
+means of a simple request by a PTL to the release manager.
+
+OPNFV scenarios are deployed using one of the OPNFV installer tools.
+Deploying a scenario will normally be supported by multiple installers.
+The capabilities provided by the resulting deployments should be
+identical. The set of tests to run and their results should be the same,

 independent of the installer that had been used. Performance or other
 independent of the installer that had been used. Performance or other

-behavioral aspects could be different.
-The scenario lifecycle process will also define how to document which installer
-can be used for a scenario and how the CI process can trigger automatic deployment
-for a scenario via one of the supported installers.
+behavioral aspects outside the scope of existing OPNFV tests could be
+different.
+

 
 

-When a developer decides to define a new scenario, he typically will take one
-of the existing scenarios and does some changes, such as:
+Parent-child and sibling relations:
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+When a developer decides to define a new scenario, he typically will
+take one of the existing scenarios and do some changes, such as:

 
 * add additional components
 * change a deploy-time configuration
 
 * add additional components
 * change a deploy-time configuration

-* use a component in a more experimental version
+* use a component in a more experimental version or with midstream
+patches applied
+
+In this case the already existing scenario is called a "parent" and the
+new scenario would be a "child".
+
+Typically parent scenarios are generic scenarios, but it is possible to
+derive from specific scenarios as well. it is expected that the child
+scenario develops its additions over some time up to a sufficient
+maturity, and then merges back to the parent. This way a continuous
+evolution of the generic scenarios as well as a manageable overall
+number of scenairos is ensured.
+
+In some cases a child scenario will diverge from its parent in a way
+that cannot easily be combined with the parent. Therefore, is is also
+possible to "promote" a scenario from specific to generic. If this is
+foreseeable upfront, the specific scenario can also be derived as a
+sibling rather that child.
+
+Promoting a scenario from specific to generic or creating a new generic
+scenario requires TSC approval. This document defines a process for
+this, see section 5.

 
 

-In this case the already existing scenario is called a "parent" and the new
-scenario a "child".

 
 

-Typically parent scenarios are generic scenarios, but this is not mandated.
-In most times the child scenario will develop the new functionality over some
-time and then try to merge its configuration back to the parent.
-But in other cases, the child will introduce a technology that cannot easily
-be combined with the parent.
-For this case this document will define how a new generic scenario can be created.
+Scenario deployment options:
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 
 

-Many OPNFV scenarios can be deployed in a HA (high availability) or non-HA
-configuration.
-HA configurations deploy some components according to a redundancy model,
-as the components support.
-In these cases multiple deployment options are defined for the same scenario.
+Many OPNFV scenarios can be deployed in different variants that do not
+justify creation of separate scenarios. An example would be HA (high
+availability) or non-HA configuration of otherwise identical scenarios.
+HA configurations deploy some components according to a redundancy
+model. Deployment options will also be used if the same scenario can be
+deployed on multiple types of hardware, i.e. Intel and ARM.

 
 

-Deployment options will also be used if the same scenario can be deployed
-on multiple types of hardware, i.e. Intel and ARM.
+In these cases multiple deployment options are defined for the same
+scenario. The set of distinguishable deployment option types (e.g.
+redundancy, processor architecture, etc.) will be pre-determined and
+each scenario will have to define at least one option for each option
+type.
+
+It is emphasized that virtual deployments vs. bare-metal deployments are
+intentionally not considered as deployment options. This should be a
+transparent feature of the installer based on the same scenario
+definition.
+
+For generic scenarios, there are certain expectations on the set of
+supported deployment options, e.g. a generic scenario should support at
+least an HA deployment and preferably both HA and non-HA.
+
+
+Scenario descriptor file:
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 
 Every scenario will be described in a scenario descriptor yaml file.
 This file shall contain all the necessary information for different users, such
 as the installers (which components to deploy etc.),
 
 Every scenario will be described in a scenario descriptor yaml file.
 This file shall contain all the necessary information for different users, such
 as the installers (which components to deploy etc.),

-the ci process (to find the right resources),
-the test projects (to select correct test cases), etc.
+the ci process (resource requirements in order to identify the right pod, machines, etc.).
+
+The scenario descriptor file will also document which installer
+can be used for a scenario and how the CI process can trigger automatic deployment
+for a scenario via one of the supported installers.
+
+
+MANO scenarios:
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 
 In early OPNFV releases, scenarios covered components of the infrastructure,
 that is NFVI and VIM.
 
 In early OPNFV releases, scenarios covered components of the infrastructure,
 that is NFVI and VIM.