On Thu, May 30, 2013 at 1:44 AM, Henry Saputra <henry.sapu...@gmail.com>wrote:
> Hi Arvind, > > For concern 1 I will let the lead engineer Kasper to answer. I believe if > the contributors already signed copyright agreement to Human Inference then > it should be fine since it means all code contributions belong to Human > Inference which will then be transferred to ASF. > > Someone might want to help clarifying this if I am mistaken. > As long as Human Inference holds the copyright for ALL code, I am pretty sure this is fine. A single SGA from Human Inference should suffice. > > As for concern 2, I have scanned the master pom.xml's dependencyManagement > section and looks like all dependencies are Apache 2.0 friendly. Again, > Kasper could help verify if this is the case. > > > - Henry > > > > On Wed, May 29, 2013 at 10:31 PM, Arvind Prabhakar <arv...@apache.org > >wrote: > > > Henry, > > > > Thank you for submitting this proposal. I am very glad to be a mentor for > > this project and look forward to working with you and the broader > > community. I have a couple of comments with regards to the stated > proposal > > - > > > > First - as noted in the proposal MetaModel has been an open source > project > > with contributions coming from various corners of the world. Given this > > development model, do the individual contributors hold copyright over > their > > contributed code? If so, you will likely need their consent in order to > > provide this code to the Incubator for the purposes of starting this > > project. > > > > Second - I noticed that the proposal calls out the LGPL dependency that > > will be removed before sourcing the initial drop. Along the same lines, I > > urge you to go through the the legal FAQ [1] to make sure that there are > no > > other dependencies that merit removal or special handling. > > > > [1] http://www.apache.org/legal/resolved.html > > > > Regards, > > Arvind Prabhakar > > > > > > On Tue, May 28, 2013 at 11:20 AM, Henry Saputra <henry.sapu...@gmail.com > > >wrote: > > > > > Dear ASF members, > > > > > > We would like to propose MetaModel for the incubator. > > > > > > Matt Franklin will be the Champion for this project and the proposal > > draft > > > is available at: > > > > > > https://wiki.apache.org/incubator/MetaModelProposal > > > > > > Looking forward to all of your suggestions and feedback. > > > > > > Thanks, > > > > > > Henry Saputra > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------- > > > > > > = MetaModel – uniform data access across datastores = > > > > > > Proposal for Apache Incubator > > > > > > == Abstract == > > > > > > MetaModel is a data access framework, providing a common interface for > > > exploration and querying of different types of datastores. > > > > > > == Proposal == > > > > > > MetaModel provides a uniform meta-model for exploring and querying the > > > structure of datastores, covering but not limited to relational > > databases, > > > various data file formats, NoSQL databases, Salesforce.com, SugarCRM > and > > > more. The scope of the project is to stay domain-agnostic, so the > > > meta-model will be concerned with schemas, tables, columns, rows, > > > relationships etc. > > > > > > On top of this meta-model a rich querying API is provided which > resembles > > > SQL, but built using compiler-checked Java language constructs. For > > > datastores that do not have a native SQL-compatible query engine, the > > > MetaModel project also includes an abstract Java-based query engine > > > implementation which individual datastore-modules can adapt to fit the > > > concrete datastore. > > > > > > === Background === > > > > > > The MetaModel project was initially developed by eobject.dk to service > > the > > > DataCleaner application (http://datacleaner.org). The main requirement > > was > > > to perform data querying and modification operations on a wide range of > > > quite different datastores. Furthermore a programmatic query model was > > > needed in order to allow different components to influence the query > > plan. > > > > > > In 2009, Human Inference acquired the eobjects projects including > > > MetaModel. Since then MetaModel has been put to extensive use in the > > Human > > > Inference products. The open source nature of the project was > reinforced, > > > leading to a significant growth in the community. > > > > > > MetaModel has successfully been used in a number of other open source > > > projects as well as mission critical commercial software from Human > > > Inference. Currently MetaModel is hosted at > > http://metamodel.eobjects.org. > > > > > > === Rationale === > > > > > > Different types of datastores have different characteristics, which > > always > > > lead to the interfaces for these being different from one another. > > > Standards like JDBC and the SQL language attempt to standardize data > > > access, but for some datastore types like flat files, spreadsheets, > NoSQL > > > databases and more, such standards are not even implementable. > > > > > > Specialization in interfaces obviously has merit for optimized usage, > but > > > for integration tools, batch applications and or generic data > > modification > > > tools, this myriad of specialized interfaces is a big pain. > Furthermore, > > > being able to query every datastore with a basic set of SQL-like > features > > > can be a great productivity boost for a wide range of applications. > > > > > > === Initial goals === > > > > > > MetaModel is already a stable project, so initial goals are more > oriented > > > towards an adaption to the Apache ecosystem than about functional > > changes. > > > > > > We are constantly adding more datastore types to the portfolio, but the > > > core modules have not had drastic changes for some time. > > > > > > Our focus will be on making ties with other Apache projects (such as > POI, > > > Gora, HBase and CouchDB) and potentially renaming the ‘MetaModel’ > project > > > to something more rememberable. > > > This includes comply with Apache Software Foundation license for third > > > party dependencies. > > > > > > == Current status == > > > > > > === Meritocracy === > > > > > > We intend to do everything we can to encourage a meritocracy in the > > > development of MetaModel. Currently most important development and > design > > > decisions have been made at Human Inference, but with an open window > for > > > anyone to participate on mailing lists and discussion forums. We > believe > > > that the approach going forward should be more encouraging by sharing > all > > > the design ideas and discussions in the open, not only just the topics > > that > > > have been “dragged” into the open by third parties. We believe that > > > meritocracy will be further stimulated by granting the control of the > > > project to an independent committee. > > > > > > === Community === > > > > > > The community around MetaModel already exists, but we believe it will > > grow > > > substantially by becoming an Apache project. With MetaModel used in a > > wide > > > range of both open and closed source application, both at Human > Inference > > > (HIquality MDM), it’s open source projects DataCleaner, SassyReader and > > > AnalyzerBeans and by other parties (such as the Quipo data warehouse > > > automation project), we believe that the critical mass to sustain a > > > community is there. > > > > > > === Core developers === > > > > > > MetaModel was founded by Kasper Sørensen in 2009. Later it was > > incorporated > > > as a core library by Human Inference, meaning that more than 20 > > developers > > > have been involved in its making in this commercial setting. > Furthermore > > a > > > smaller number of contributors have submitted patches for the library. > > > Others have started building other interesting data-oriented libraries > on > > > top of MetaModel, for instance the ‘vasc’ open source project by Willem > > > Cazander, which is an implementation of the Java Persistence API (JPA) > > for > > > all the datastores supported by MetaModel. > > > > > > === Alignment === > > > > > > MetaModel already makes good usage of existing Apache projects such as > > POI, > > > CouchDB and OpenOffice. Furthermore developers from the Apache Gora > > project > > > have indicated a need for a project like MetaModel to solve specific > > > uniform datastore access needs. > > > > > > == Known risks == > > > > > > === Orphaned products === > > > > > > The contributors and the contributing organization (Human Inference) > > have a > > > very strong dependence on MetaModel already and will continue to have > > that > > > for a long time. The continued need for this vendor to support new > types > > of > > > datastores and maintain existing functionality will ensure that > MetaModel > > > is not in the risk of being orphaned. > > > > > > === Inexperience with Open Source === > > > > > > MetaModel is already open source, and has been so for many years. Main > > > contributors of the project have also contributed to other open source > > > projects such as DataCleaner and Apache Mahout. The openness of Apache > is > > > arguably more extensive, but we are only encouraged and delighted to be > > > handling the project in a more open manner. > > > > > > === Homogenous Developers === > > > > > > Frequent committers are currently located in Denmark, The Netherlands > and > > > India. They are used to working in a distributed environment. > > > > > > === Reliance on Salaried Developers === > > > > > > Initial committers for MetaModel will depends on salaried based > > developers > > > to contribute to this project, but given the dependence on MetaModel > from > > > both commercial and open source projects, the project would continue > > > without issue if no salaried developers contributed to the project. > > > > > > The goal is build diverse community to contribute back to MetaModel > > > project. > > > > > > === Relationship with Other Apache Products === > > > > > > MetaModel depends on several Apache products including: commons-lang, > > > commons-io, commons-codec, http-components, POI, CouchDB, OpenOffice > and > > > XMLBeans. > > > > > > Furthermore MetaModel is built by Apache Maven. > > > > > > === An Excessive Fascination with the Apache Brand === > > > > > > The ASF has a strong brand, and that brand is in itself very > attractive. > > > > > > We are interested in joining the ASF in order to increase our contacts > > and > > > visibility in the open source world. > > > Furthermore, we have been enthusiastic users of Apache Software > > Foundation > > > projects, and would feel honored by getting the opportunity to join and > > > contribute back to the community. > > > > > > == Documentation == > > > > > > Information on MetaModel can be found at: > http://metamodel.eobjects.org > > > > > > === Initial source === > > > > > > MetaModel has been developed since 2009 and have undergone a couple of > > > major changes (indicated by the 2.x and 3.x versions). > > > > > > The code is used in mission critical systems and is considered very > > stable > > > and high performing. > > > > > > The source includes a fork of the xBaseJ project’s code, which will be > > > removed upon incubation. This code was originally GPL licensed, but > > granted > > > with a special license to MetaModel to be forked and relicensed using > the > > > current LPGL license of MetaModel. > > > > > > Removal of the xBaseJ code will effectively mean that the Apache > variant > > of > > > MetaModel will not have support for dBase database files. We imagine > that > > > the dBase module could live on as a separate pluggable module under the > > > LGPL license, outside of Apache. > > > > > > === External dependencies === > > > > > > The dependencies all have Apache compatible licenses. These include BSD > > and > > > MIT licensed dependencies. > > > > > > == Required resources == > > > > > > === Mailing lists === > > > > > > * metamodel-private (with moderated subscription) > > > * metamodel-dev > > > * metamodel-commits > > > > > > === Subversion directory === > > > A subversion ( > http://svn.apache.org/repos/asf/incubator/metamodel/trunk/ > > ) > > > or git ( > https://git-wip-us.apache.org/repos/asf/incubator-metamodel.git) > > > repository is needed. > > > > > > Currently MetaModel’s code is hosted at > > > http://eobjects.org/svn/MetaModelbut will be moved to an Apache > > > repository. > > > > > > === Issue tracking === > > > > > > JIRA MetaModel (METAMODEL) > > > > > > === Other resources === > > > > > > We would like to have wiki page located at: > > > http://wiki.apache.org/MetaModel > > > > > > In later development phase a set of database servers (specifically > > MongoDB, > > > CouchDB, MySQL, PostgreSQL, MS SQL Server (Express), Firebird) should > be > > > made available for integration testing. > > > Currently this is done internally at Human Inference. > > > > > > === Initial committers === > > > > > > Kasper Sørensen (i.am.kasper.sorensen [at] gmail.com), Project > Founder, > > > works at Human Inference > > > > > > Ankit Kumar (ak.ankitkumar [at] gmail.com), works at Human Inference > > > > > > Sameer Arora (sameer11sep [at] gmail.com) > > > > > > Henry Saputra (hsaputra [at] apache.org) > > > > > > Juan José van der Linden (delostilos [at] gmail.com), works for Quipu > > > > > > Arvind Prabhakar (arvind at apache dot org) > > > > > > Matt Franklin (mfranklin at apache dot org) > > > > > > > > > == Sponsors == > > > > > > === Champion === > > > > > > Matt Franklin (mfranklin at apache dot org) > > > > > > === Nominated mentors === > > > > > > Henry Saputra (hsaputra at apache dot org) > > > > > > Arvind Prabhakar (arvind at apache dot org) > > > > > > Matt Franklin (mfranklin at apache dot org) > > > > > > === Sponsoring entity === > > > > > > The Apache Incubator. > > > > > >
