Ali sister REVIEW: May 4, 2019, Apache Foundation Official Blog announced new 40 Apache Member globe, Alibaba Wang Tao technical experts to become one of them. The global total of 771 ASF Member, China is only 13. He, along the way from a 0-based open-source white, very well. Today, Wang Tao to share out this experience, so that more people can see that, in fact, participate in open source is not so difficult, as long as the persistent pay, there will always be harvested.
Ali Baba's summer programming hot application, click on the text at the end, "read the original", participate in open source to build!
For the first time to participate in open source
2014 I joined Alibaba middleware team, began to take over maintenance of Alibaba Group application container. At that time the vast majority of the Group's container applications are based on JBoss, old and unmaintained, and another run on a small part of the Jetty and Tomcat, then the middleware team maintains a private branch Tomcat, the biggest goal is to unify All the Group's application container is Tomcat. Before that I never had contact with Tomcat development and operation and maintenance, for me, the challenge is great. However, greater challenges from the big boss at the time, led middleware, big boss presents an almost impossible target at the time of my opinion - become a committer Apache Tomcat.
You know, as one of the core projects of the Apache, Tomcat since 1999 published the first edition, and has been the open source Apache Foundation session of Stars project, still in the field to maintain market share in the application container first, after 20 years of development still alive. Tomcat After so many years of development, but never had a Chinese committer. And our small team of only four people, do not have any experience to engage in open source, do not know where to start. Our boss to explain the task, when we asked who would be willing to challenge, and I did not think about, you bear down. So, I started the open source Apache trip.
To tell the truth, in fact, he did not start thinking too much, and began repeatedly Tomcat browse the official website, we hope to be able to query some useful information. All Apache projects almost every new user guide, always ask how to participate in this open-source project which, Tomcat is no exception. Soon I began to fix the bug, the first is a patch to fix a problem Websocket test failed, fix the problem involves the reconstruction of some of the code.
I remember that time very carefully before submitting, and repeated discussions with the boss many times, and finally the formation of a more satisfactory solution. After submitting to the Tomcat community, the community will have a response soon, and merge the patch I submitted. The first submission will get recognized, I was very happy, but also eased the tension. Tomcat see the release note which appeared in his name, really happy.
Apache Roadshow China
October 2015, I was fortunate in Beijing to attend the Apache Roadshow China, regarded as the first and the Apache Foundation has close contact. Discussion at the conference with a speech when he witnessed the Apache Foundation President Brett Porter, vice president of the Apache Foundation Niclas Hedhman and other bigwigs, and the Panel Disussion inside, several chiefs from China and several members of the Apache community-led development processes.
At that time feel that they seem to be very far away from them. By 2015, when the country involved in the open source Apache community of almost all Chinese working in foreign companies. Now look at the extent of domestic companies involved in open source has been significantly improved. The participation of China road show, honor and Niclas heldman made some exchanges, I asked him a question: I am involved in Tomcat community, how to become a committer? He gave me some day I still very far-reaching impact on the advice: to participate in community discussions, from simple novice task to start repair bug, as well as participation in release vote. And after all these years, these recommendations still apply.
Tomcat committer
After tasted the sweetness of contribution, followed by the team's goals have also been adjusted, and the internal version of the Tomcat open source version of the structure, keeping exactly the same: on the one hand makes merge the open source Apache Tomcat becomes very easy; on the other hand, do interior enhancements also more convenient to merge the community. Follow-up comes mainly from three aspects contribute to the community:
The first is the use of Tomcat Ali in the large-scale repair problems encountered in high concurrency scenarios. It was typical wireless gateway application uses a Tomcat NIO + Async Servlet architecture. As a portal application, because once Tomcat exception occurred a relatively large fault in a highly concurrent, and later to troubleshoot this problem spend a lot of energy, eventually completely fix the problem. Details of the investigation process is recorded in "upstream - Alibaba technology growth path," a book of "flash floods, high flow trigger Tomcat bug caused the collapse of a cluster" article. Rehabilitation program to be submitted with the Tomcat community, although not the amount of change, but the combination of quite a lot of team effort.
The second aspect is a large area in Tomcat Ali rolled out, fix the problems encountered, such as found some behavior is not in line with the servlet specification, etc., including the two-eleven to deal with when doing some optimization, parallel class loading, etc. .
The third aspect is to actively participate in the open source community, there has been a number of fixes for the problem. After a year of continued investment contribution, August 23, 2016, in a normal working day in the morning, I opened the mailbox and see a letter from the core development community Tomcat, Java Specification members of the Group EE, when he was Apache Foundation a letter from a member of the Board of Directors will be Mark Thomas, and invited me to become Tomcat committer. Open the message that moment felt my heart was trembling, not their own bit of excitement. At that time indeed beyond their own expectations, I did not think that day was a dream come.
Tomcat PMC Member
After becoming committer, with direct commit access code, in fact, it means greater responsibility. That year has become a Tomcat application container inside the Ali-scale standards, clusters at home and abroad is leading. And I did not stop participating in the community until 2017, ApacheCon North America Conference to be held in May in Miami, received a Call for participation messages, I suddenly sprouted an idea, why not put in a large-scale high Alibaba challenges concurrent share in ApacheCon conference then? ApacheCon annual basic will be open exclusively for Tomcat, TomcatCon. Never before sharing the conference experience abroad, do not know whether the acceptance of the General Assembly, I harbored feelings of apprehension submitted proposals, nor hold too much confidence. Until March of that year, I received an email informing me of ApacheCon Assembly proposal was accepted, the kind of feeling is really great to be recognized.
In the General Assembly in May, I had the opportunity to see a group of developers often exchange inside the community but did not meet the elements, such as from the United Kingdom Mark Thomas, Christopher Schultz from the United States, from France's Jean-Frederic Clere and so on, they are Tomcat is a leading expert community, and some even more than 10 years has been involved in the Tomcat community. Before e-mail and discussion from the question very frank, even harsh distinct impression that they are very cordial, speeches were also present at the day silently support me, the speech was a success, let the world see a China company made the Tomcat community contribution efforts, I feel very proud. Dinner speech the next day, the atmosphere is very relaxed, with lightning going on stage speech, Mark took the beer came and said to me, inviting me to become a Tomcat PMC member. God, I did not expect to be able to and the great God who stood in front of the group the same position, very happy to accept.
Become attached to Dubbo
2017, Ali began just restart Dubbo open-source maintenance work, and the team just took on this important mission. Dubbo was in there for some time before stopping maintenance, community many users can choose their own maintenance branch fork. After the restart maintenance issues to think about is, the community will have similar concerns. In order to dispel this concern, the team decided to Dubbo donated to the Apache Foundation, hope that through "community is greater than the code," "open and transparent", "consensus decision-making" and other Apache Road, dispel concerns. There have been a few years' experience in the Apache community, I naturally assume help Dubbo into the Apache Incubator Foundation work, contact the teacher to modify the proposal, finally Dubbo through the Apache Incubator community vote, officially joined the Apache Incubator to hatch. It was New Year's Eve 2017, I was sitting at home in front of the computer, sending out the message that moment the official voting results, I think this is bound to be a memorable day.
In the Apache incubator hatching, like a prodigal son rampage after many years in the political arena, suddenly stop and begin to study, naturally sequential many rules, there will be a lot of conflict on the cultural consciousness and mentality. I started thinking about how we can help Dubbo better practice Apache Road, and there are a lot of things to do. Dubbo and other items is a little different, Dubbo Prior to joining Apache is already a giant-level project, and thousands of star, large community, is a large-scale domestic use of mail a day of community activity sent to instructor will feel at a loss, simply no way to read. How can this giant under the Apache way of development, has become a big challenge.
There is a very vivid example, when the community discussions in the end should still discuss issues on the mailing list on Github issue. The Dubbo users already accustomed to discussions on Github issue, but one of the mentors Mark has pointed out that the mailing list is still on the planet's most ubiquitous communication tool. When we become accustomed to China in recent years, the rapid development of the Internet brought dividends when they forget this world there are a number of countries, under certain circumstances may speed access to the Internet only a few dozen k / s, and even can dial Internet access. If the discussion on Github, and that under these circumstances for people who want to participate in the community is disastrous. Maybe we can give up that part of the user, but this is not Apache values. There are many similar examples, I was a little disappointed there is no time to put them all recorded. I will try to share in another article.
The first release is an important milestone in the process of incubation, the code is much larger than the significance level work in my opinion release also includes accurate License and copyright notices, code compliant and dependent, accurate and consistent signature etc., Dubbo spent a lot of time to prepare, but also the entire process is fully documented throughout the incubation process, from seven different release manger in turn is responsible to ensure that different people can complete release.
The incubation process, the clean-up of intellectual property rights is an important part, Apache License for trademark and has a near-stringent requirements, every release is going to be carefully examined, the most typical example is github.com/dubbo this group. In fact, people seem normal, but in the perspective of the Apache Foundation, due to Dubbo trademark has been transferred to the Apache, any third party use would constitute infringement, and therefore not allowed. The final solution is to put all the items under this group emptied part of the migration to Apache, another part of the migration back to the other group.
There are many other problems, such as the development of community committer / PMC member, held a compliant meetup, etc., have the opportunity to share in a separate article.
Become Apache Member
On the eve of Dubbo graduating, suddenly one day, I routinely open mail, suddenly found a letter lying Invitation to join The Apache Software Foundation Membership. My heart is a pleasant surprise, I found an invitation to become message Apache Member and very unexpectedly after opening the.
To tell the truth have dreamed of one day becoming the next Apache Member, but did not think this day would come so fast. Apache Member means to become as one of 771 members, has become a shareholder of the Apache Foundation legally. But this does not mean that the contribution of the termination. Like Daguai upgrade, when you pass the current hurdle, you will encounter bigger boss.
As ASF member is pulled out more from a separate project, the lateral affairs more attention Foundation level. But I think to become Member greatest significance lies in my contribution, including the Apache open source values of the road has been recognized by the Apache Foundation, made me feel not alone in the open source this road, especially from China, there are so many Member, more determined to go this route is in China.
After becoming Member, I believe that by means of the Apache Foundation to help China open source software and developers around the world and establish a broader and deeper connection. On the one hand is come in and help expand the influence of the Apache Foundation in China, so that more developers to participate in the world's top open source projects to excellent; the other is to go out and help China open source project into the Apache Foundation hatch, enhance the international influence of Chinese open source software. In fact, the country has a lot of very good open source project, but the lack of a window to show the world the hope that the Apache Foundation can be used as such a bridge.
Written in the last
Here I would like to thank the nomination of Mark Thomas, he is a former board member of ASF Foundation, in charge of the brand's VP, central defenders Tomcat community, Dubbo mentor, also thanked the other partners for my vote. He seems to be my mentor throughout the Apache Foundation, led me step by step to move forward without him and Tomcat community, support community Dubbo other partners, I absolutely can not come to such an extent. The company would also like to thank all the leaders of about trust, without their support, I could not dedicate themselves to the open source community. Gratitude Ali this scenario, only in such a large scene, will have so many opportunities to participate in the contribution of so many high-quality code and excellent project to the open source community.
Original release time: 2019-06-10
Author: Zhang Xing almost
paper from Yunqi community partners, " Ali technology " for information may concern " Ali technology ."