+1 Best regards
Pierre On Fri, 15 Dec 2017 at 08:13 Luciano Resende <luckbr1...@gmail.com> wrote: > +1 > > On Thu, Dec 14, 2017 at 3:19 PM Justin Mclean <jus...@classsoftware.com> > wrote: > > > Hi All, > > > > I would like to start a VOTE to propose the PLC4X project as a podling > > into the Apache incubator. > > > > The ASF voting rules are described: > > > > https://www.apache.org/foundation/voting.html < > > https://www.apache.org/foundation/voting.html> > > > > A vote for accepting a new Apache Incubator podling is a majority vote > for > > which only Incubator PMC member votes are binding. > > > > This vote will run for at least 72 hours. Please VOTE as follows > > [] +1 Accept PLC4X into the Apache Incubator > > [] +0 Abstain. > > [] -1 Do not accept PLC4X into the Apache Incubator because ... > > > > The proposal is listed below, but you can view it on the wiki: > > https://wiki.apache.org/incubator/PLC4XProposal > > > > = PLC4XProposal = > > > > == Abstract == > > > > PLC4X is intended to become a set of libraries for communicating with > > industrial programmable logic controllers (PLCs) using a variety of > > protocols > > but with a shared API. > > > > For the most used of these protocols, PLC4X will provide implementations > of > > drivers. Each protocol driver is hereby provided by an individual > artifact. > > > > In a first step, we are concentrating on Java but will be hoping to be > > able to > > port implementation to C and other languages. > > > > == Background == > > > > Industrial machines have been controlled by PLCs for more than 30 years. > In > > simpler pieces of machinery these may operate autonomously, in more > complex > > ones several to hundreds of these industrial computers communicate with > > each > > other. > > > > == Rationale == > > > > Currently software for communicating with PLCs is mainly proprietary > > software > > and a whole ecosystem of closed-source solutions exist. Usually this > > software > > is very expensive and licensing implies a lot of restrictions on its > usage. > > There is a small set of open-source libraries available, but > unfortunately > > most > > of these are GPL licensed and hereby disqualify themselves from > commercial > > use. > > Most of these are direct ports from C/C++ implementations and therefore > > inherit > > their API. Usually these are implemented blocking socket operations and > > have > > great problems with concurrency. Also, the APIs of these tools differ > > quite a > > lot, so porting a software from communicating with one type of PLC to > > another > > sometimes requires re-writing a great part of the software. > > > > There are multiple rationales behind this project: > > > > 1. By providing libraries with Apache license, it will be possible to > > create > > commercial applications which access PLCs > > 2. By providing a universal API for different protocols, it reduces the > > vendor > > lock-in when creating software > > 3. Most of the proprietary commercial solutions are based on Windows > > systems, > > especially the Siemens solutions, sometimes require maintaining > un-patched > > versions of older Windows version in order to run, this is a huge > security > > risk > > (See Stuxnet) > > 4. Most of the proprietary commercial solutions don't scale. Running > them > > in > > public/private clouds and/or in containers is completely out of the > > question. > > > > As a result of above, it would be possible to start writing secure, > > scalable > > and reliable software using the full stack of open-source solutions and > > hereby > > open a complete new market for developers. In order to make this even > > easier, > > we are planning on directly providing adapters and examples for using > PLC4X > > together with other Apache frameworks. > > > > == Initial Goals == > > > > Develop a universal API for accessing industrial programmable logic > > controllers > > in a protocol-agnostic way. Also implement Java versions of drivers for > the > > most prominent protocols: S7, Modbus and OPC-UA - but not limited to > > those. On > > the side of the adapters, for existing OS solutions, we are currently > > working > > on adapters for: Apache Edgent (incubating), Apache Camel and eventually > > even > > Apache Brooklyn. > > > > Also, we will be providing a Scala wrapper to ease integration of PLC4X > in > > Scala based systems with an API Scala developers should easily adopt. > > > > As soon as a C version exists, we are planning on providing an Apache > > Mynewt > > adapter as we see great benefits on this combination. > > > > == Current Status == > > > > === Meritocracy === > > > > PLC4X was initially created by Christofer Dutz. He is an Apache Member > and > > also > > involved in a variety of Apache and Non-Apache Open-Source projects. > Being > > PMC > > of the Apache Flex, Apache Kibble and the Apache Travel Assistance he > > definitely knows how Apache works and is a strong advocate of the Apache > > Way. > > He is also currently helping the Apache Edgent project as member of the > > PPMC. > > However, the team working on PLC4X also includes a diverse set of > > additional > > Apache Committers and Members as well as people, that are not yet > > affiliated > > with any Apache project. The team working on PLC4X are both working for > > codecentric as well as other entities, such as commercial companies as > > well as > > universities. > > > > === Community === > > > > Currently the PLC4X community exists out of a set of core developers > > working on > > a private code repository provided by codecentric (the company Christofer > > Dutz > > is working for). However, the set of developers, working on PLC4X is not > > limited to codecentric employees as we are also inviting outside > > contributors. > > > > The main reason for using a private repo instead of a public one, is that > > we > > were planning on starting incubation at Apache within a few weeks after > > initiating the project. Therefore, we wanted to start writing everything > > with > > Apache package names and Apache Maven coordinates. Even our logo is > > directly > > designed including the Apache Feather and "Apache" inside the name. As > only > > real Apache projects are allowed to use "Apache", we decided to go down > the > > private repository path. > > > > === Core Developers === > > > > (In alphabetical order) > > > > * Benedikt Ritter (codecentric) (Apache Member) > > * Christofer Dutz (codecentric) (Apache Member) > > * Dale LaBossiere (IBM) (PPMC Member of the Apache Edgent incubator > > podling) > > * Frank Stibane (codecentric) > > * Greg Trasuk (Web Age Solutions) (Apache Member) > > * Justin McLean (External) (Apache Member) > > * Kai Herings (codecentric) > > * Lukas Friedrichsen (Hochschule Bochum) > > * Mark Keinhörster (codecentric) > > * Rolf Felker (codecentric) > > * Sebastian Rühl (codecentric) > > > > === Alignment === > > > > The build system is based on Apache Maven. Also, it uses Apache Edgent > > (incubating) and Apache Camel libraries for providing adapters to these > > systems. Being a full-blown Apache enthusiast, for Christofer there > hasn't > > been > > any thought in bringing this project into any other collaboration > platform > > or > > foundation. This idea is shared by a big majority of the core > contributors. > > > > === Project Name === > > > > As we know that renaming a codebase can be a huge pain, we have invested > > quite > > a lot of time into finding a suitable name. In the end, we came up with a > > list > > of about 20 project names, which we did the fully required background > > checks > > for. On the options surviving these checks, we internally voted on the > > name. It > > was a pretty close tie between PLC4J and PLC4X, but we decided to go for > > the > > later as we are planning on providing libraries for multiple languages > > beyond > > Java. > > > > PLC4X has no registered trademarks that we could find and the only > > potential > > problem would be a hardware LPT Breakout Board by a Russian Company > called > > Purelogic (https://purelogic.ru/doc/PDF/Controller/PLC4x.pdf) English > > version > > (http://www.zappautomation.co.uk/productattachments/index/download?id=99 > ) > > But we don't see any problems to arise from this. If there would be > > problems, > > we would probably fallback to using PLC4J, which had no conflicts at all > > and > > would eventually name our sub-products PLC4S (Scala) and PLC4C (C/C++). > > > > == Known Risks == > > > > === Orphaned projects === > > > > PLC4X is a new Project, which has just been started. The feedback from > the > > industry has been overwhelming so the risk of the project being orphaned > is > > minimal. > > > > === Inexperience with Open Source === > > > > The set of core developers of this project consists of a large set of > > experienced open-source developers, most of these even being Apache > > Members. > > > > === Homogeneous Developers === > > > > Even if a big part of the projects initial committer team is affiliated > > with > > codecentric, we have been successful and continuing to be in actively > > recruiting people from other commercial and non-commercial entities. > > > > === Reliance on Salaried Developers === > > > > Currently only Christofer Dutz is being paid to work on this project > > exclusively. > > > > === Relationships with Other Apache Products === > > > > PLC4X makes great used of Apache Maven for the build system and Apache > > Commons > > for providing a lot of basic functionality. > > > > Also does it currently have direct relations to the Apache Camel and > Apache > > Edgent projects as it provides modules for direct integration of PLC4X > into > > these frameworks. > > > > In the future we are planning on also adding such modules for Apache > > Brooklyn > > and as soon as a C-based version of PLC4X is available Apache Mynewt. > > > > Currently there is no competing project at the Apache Software > Foundation. > > > > === An Excessive Fascination with the Apache Brand === > > > > We are certain that PLC4X itself will profit from being an official > Apache > > project, in terms of attracting a community and establishing a solid > group > > of > > developers and users, but also to ease the interaction with other Apache > > projects, used in PLC4X or project PLC4X provides adapters for as all > will > > share the same base. > > > > Our general belief in the Apache way as well as the reasons mentioned > > above are > > the main reasons for us to send this proposal. We think that a good > > community > > is needed to build and maintain good software, such as PLC4X. Also do we > > need a > > big community to support a big variety of systems. However, even if PLC4X > > would > > not be accepted, development would definitely continue elsewhere. Apache > is > > just our primary foundation of choice. As such, there is no need to, or > > reason > > to, "abuse" the Apache Brand. > > > > === Possibility of legal actions === > > > > Some of the protocols are not publicly defined. Existing open-source > > implementations contain licensing restrictions. To avoid licensing issues > > we > > made sure the license of information used to implement drivers in PLC4X > are > > compatible with the Apache license and added references to these sources > > in the > > project documentation to prove this. This documentation is part of the > > codebase. We are therefore not expecting any real problems on this side. > > > > === Test setup could require hardware === > > > > A test-suite for PLC4X could involve tests run against virtual or real > > hardware. It could be problematic to include these in automated builds > run > > on > > build.apache.org, but Apache infra have already signaled that there > > should be > > options to work this out. > > > > == Documentation == > > > > Currently all documentation and information is stored alongside the code > > in a > > private corporate GIT repository and is available as part of the website > > which > > is generated as part of the build. > > > > == Initial Source == > > > > Development of PLC4X started at codecentric in October of 2017. The > source > > currently is located on a private corporate GIT repository. All the code > is > > available at https://gitlab.codecentric.de/iot/plc4x (Accounts can be > > created > > on a request basis) > > > > == Source and Intellectual Property Submission Plan == > > > > PLC4X is currently mainly developed by, but not limited to, codecentric > > employees. However, all code has been developed completely from scratch > it > > was > > ensured from the start that each document is already fully licensed under > > the > > Apache 2.0 license. All source will be donated to Apache without any > > exceptions. > > > > == External Dependencies == > > > > * Apache Commons-IO, Apache License 2.0 > > * Apache Edgent, Apache License 2.0 > > * Netty, Apache License 2.0 > > * Metrics Core, Apache License 2.0 > > * Google Gson, Apache License 2.0 > > > > These sources can be included, according to > > http://www.apache.org/legal/resolved.html > > > > * Logback, EPL 1.0 > > > > This source can NOT be included, according to > > http://www.apache.org/legal/resolved.html > > > > == Cryptography == > > > > Not applicable. > > > > == Required Resources == > > > > === Mailing Lists === > > > > * plc4x-dev > > * plc4x-private > > > > === Git Repository === > > > > https://gitbox.apache.org/repos/asf/incubator-plc4x.git > > > > === Issue Tracking === > > > > JIRA PLC4X > > > > === Confluence Wiki === > > > > To be able to provide help, documentation, faq etc, a wiki is needed. > > > > == Initial Committers == > > > > (In alphabetical order) > > > > * Benedikt Ritter (brit...@apache.org) > > * Christofer Dutz (cd...@apache.org) > > * Dale LaBossiere (dlab...@apache.org) > > * Frank Stibane (frank.stib...@codecentric.de) > > * Greg Trasuk (gtra...@apache.org) > > * Justin McLean (jmcl...@apache.org) > > * Kai Herings (kai.heri...@codecentric.de) > > * Lukas Friedrichsen (friedrichsen....@googlemail.com) > > * Mark Keinhörster (mark.keinhoers...@codecentric.de) > > * Rolf Felker (rolf.fel...@codecentric.de) > > * Sebastian Rühl (sebastian.ru...@codecentric.de) > > > > == Affiliations == > > > > Currently most of the initial committers are employees of codecentric. > > Currently Christofer Dutz is the only contributor paid to work on PLC4X > > full-time. The others participate as part of their so-called "+1 time" > (At > > codecentric employees get to spend 20% of their time to work on > > open-source, > > education, etc. and they invest a lot of this time on the project). > > > > Besides these we also have contributors from companies other than > > codecentric > > (Dale, Greg, Justin) as well as universities (Lukas). > > > > == Sponsors == > > > > === Champion === > > > > * Justin McLean > > > > === Nominated Mentors === > > > > (In alphabetical order) > > > > * Greg Trasuk > > * Justin McLean > > * Luciano Resende > > * Stefan Bodewig > > > > === Sponsoring Entity === > > > > PLC4X is a new project and proposed is to release to code under the > > sponsorship > > of the Incubator. > > > > Thanks, > > Justin Mclean > > -- > Sent from my Mobile device > -- Pierre Smits ORRTIZ.COM <http://www.orrtiz.com> OFBiz based solutions & services OEM - The OFBiz Extensions Marketplace1 http://oem.ofbizci.net/oci-2/ 1 not affiliated to (and not endorsed by) the OFBiz project
