[OpenAFS] Re: [OpenAFS-announce] Why I Have Stepped Down as OpenAFS Elder

[Kim Kimball]

Nicely put, Jeff, and entirely true IMO -- regarding the best interests
of OpenAFS.

I'll try calling later this p.m.

Kim

On 9/7/2012 10:20 AM, Jeffrey Altman wrote:
> Earlier this month I resigned from the OpenAFS Elders.  I want to
> briefly explain the reasons why I felt the need to step down.
>
> After the OpenAFS Gatekeepers presented the unfunded OpenAFS Wish List
> at the Spring 2007 HEPiX meeting, the OpenAFS Elders realized that it
> would be impossible for OpenAFS to make headway in the current
> environment.  Lustre would soon be purchased by Sun Microsystems for
> $250 million.  NFSv4 was far behind AFS in capabilities but was backed
> by dozens of companies that were devoting significant resources and a
> IETF working group had been formed to standardize it.  Various operating
> system vendors indicated that they would contribute to funding the
> development of missing first class file system functionality such as
> alternate data streams, extended attributes, byte range locking, etc.
> but only if we could clarify the trademark issues with IBM and that was
> not forthcoming.  If OpenAFS was going to have a stable future it needed
> a technology company that was dependent on its functionality but sold a
> service that was not itself a file system.
>
> In October 2007, with the support of the OpenAFS Elders I founded Your
> File System, Inc. (YFSI) to create a services business on top of a next
> generation successor to AFS3.  YFSI's long term goal is to supply a file
> storage ecosystem that permits individuals and organizations to stretch
> their storage across internally managed data centers, external host
> providers such as Rackspace and Cloud IAAS systems such as Azure and
> EC2.  On top of the ecosystem YFSI will sell a secure federated file
> sharing service that will knock the socks off DropBox, Box, and other
> copy-and-sync services.
>
> For more than six years I have fulfilled the fiduciary responsibilities
> required of an OpenAFS Elder and placed OpenAFS ahead of my other
> responsibilities.  YFSI has funded the gatekeepers and their roles as
> bug fixers of last resort, release managers, code reviewers, and code
> integrators.  YFSI has sponsored various AFS workshops, given
> presentations at AFS Workshops and HEPiX on its progress, and directly
> contributed significant quantities of code to OpenAFS across the entire
> code base.  This included the majority of the Windows native client
> work, RX stability and performance improvements, corrections to the use
> of pthreads, and much more.
>
> In order for YFSI to meet the critical needs of the community,  YFSI
> must accelerate its growth and product development cycle.  I have
> resigned as OpenAFS Elder because I can no longer put OpenAFS first.  I
> believe that I am best able to serve the needs of the OpenAFS community
> by making Your File System, Inc. a success.  I look forward to
> continuing my participation in the community in my role as OpenAFS
> Gatekeeper.
>
> Jeffrey Altman
>