Status
This report is for DISCUSSION - TTC members are asked to ENDORSE the general actions detailed below.
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Information for TTC Members
The Greenhouse approach was first presented to the TTC in September 2013. Following on from that meeting a wiki space and mailing list were created and some initial brainstorming in to the process was undertaken. The description "Differentiating the Greenhouse" is a useful reminder of why TERENA / now GÉANT Association is asked to be involved in this activity. Since then, very little work has been undertaken in this area due to other priorities with very fixed deadlines (procurements) and a recognition that this could be a financially risky area for TERENA / now GÉANT Association to be involved in. The following has been taken forward:
- Nicole Harris has been lending her expertise gained from creating the Shibboleth Consortium to Filesender in order to help them write a consortium agreement.
- Expressions of interest have been received from Filesender, MediaMosa, OpenConext, SimpleSAMLPhP and possible Shibboleth.
- A presentation was given at the Nordunet conference.
In order to move this area forward, the PDOs held a joint brainstorming meeting in October. At this meeting, three core issues were pulled out:
- It was recognised that the Greenhouse concept would mean different things to different people and that a product needs assessment should be produced documenting requirements of different products against a set framework. ACTION: NH to draft an initial assessment approach.
- We need to carry out a full risk assessment on the idea of handling finances for individual software products. ACTION: LF / PS to pull together a risk assessment.
- We need to better understand the position on accepting funds from non-members in the framework of the GÉANT Association. ACTION: PS to discuss with relevant financial people.
- We should consider a role where the GÉANT Association does not actually implement a framework but stimulates development elsewhere. As such we should reach out to relevant parties and ask about their current vision of software conservancy in Europe. ACTION: NH to talk to Apereo and OSSWatch, AS to talk to NLnetLabs.
It was felt that the Greenhouse offered a good opportunity to work jointly as PDOs on a project, utilising our different skill-sets on appropriate tasks. PS will take overall lead for the project.
Types of Service
The following issues were identified as possible services products might expect from a Greenhouse product:
- A means to collect funds from interested customers / participants.
- A means to distribute funds and manage legal agreements: developer contracts.
- A means to distribute funds: general bill paying (e.g. licenses, domains etc).
- A means to manage legal frameworks (consortium agreements).
- A registered home for information purposes (again, domain registration etc)
- A hosting organisation: wiki, website, bug tracker, software.
- A place to source, recommend and distribute good developers / developers at software houses.
- A project management function for the project.
- A helpdesk manager.
- A promotional unit for the project (s).
- A place to come to purely for advice and guidance (the OSSWatch model).
It is known that each of the product teams we have spoken to would tick a different set of those boxes, meaning the Greenhouse offer could be complex.