Re: Improving and Restructuring the Routing Area

[Giles Heron <[e-mail]>]

please also note that discussion will happen on [e-mail].  So if you want to participate then please join that list.

Giles

On 10 Jun 2014, at 21:43, Giles Heron <[e-mail]> wrote:

> please do read this.	
> 
> Begin forwarded message:
> 
>> Resent-From: <[e-mail]>
>> From: Alia Atlas <[e-mail]>
>> Subject: Fwd: Improving and Restructuring the Routing Area
>> Date: 10 June 2014 21:14:10 BST
>> Resent-To: <[e-mail]>rg>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>et>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>rg>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>et>, <[e-mail]>rg>, <[e-mail]>et>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>il>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>nu>, <[e-mail]>et>, <[e-mail]>et>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>ca>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>et>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>et>, <[e-mail]>om>, <[e-mail]>
>> To: "[e-mail]" <[e-mail]>
>> 
>> Could you please forward to your working groups for those not on routing-discussion?
>> 
>> Thanks,
>> Alia
>> 
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> From: Alia Atlas <[e-mail]>
>> Date: Tue, Jun 10, 2014 at 3:57 PM
>> Subject: Improving and Restructuring the Routing Area
>> To: [e-mail]
>> 
>> 
>> To all participants in the Routing Area,
>> 
>> Adrian and I are working on improving the quality, speed, and
>> experience of getting work done in the IETF Routing Area.  There are
>> three initiatives that we are working: WG Draft QA, Routing Area
>> specific WG chair training, and reorganizing the working groups in the
>> area.
>> 
>> First, we intend to use our Routing Directorate more proactively by
>> introducing a Working Group Draft Quality Assurance (WG Draft QA)
>> process where the same selected routing directorate member will review
>> a draft during WG draft adoption and during WG last call.  The process
>> will be documented on the Routing Area wiki
>> (http://trac.tools.ietf.org/area/rtg/trac/wiki).  This should allow
>> directorate reviews to report technical issues that can actually get
>> fixed early in the process (equivalent of bug reports) as opposed to
>> just noting the concerns in the drafts (equivalent of release notes).
>> 
>> Second, as was discussed during the recent IESG retreat, in addition
>> to the IETF-wide WG chair training, we intend to have a series of
>> training sessions for WG Chairs in the Routing Area addressing topics
>> such as judging consensus, project management, motivating volunteers,
>> using the datatracker (via a sandbox version that can be played
>> with safely), and sharing experiences between WG chairs.
>> 
>> Third, we intend to reorganize the working groups in the Routing area.
>> We feel that it is important to focus on areas where there is active
>> interest in standardization and to be open and able to accept new work
>> into the area.  As you know, we have had several new working groups
>> (nvo3, i2rs, sfc, spring) created in the last few years and we need to
>> be open and able to handle more new work as it comes in.  We would
>> also like to improve the signal-to-noise ratio experienced by
>> participants in the different working groups and improve the quantity
>> and quality of discussion and reviews.  It is likely that not all WGs
>> in the Routing Area will be directly affected.
>> 
>> Here is the time-line for reorganizing the WGs.
>> 
>>    NOW: public discussion on [e-mail] about how to
>>    reorganize the working groups to best meet our motivations.
>>    Additional focused discussions are expected on the
>>    [e-mail] and [e-mail] mailing lists.
>> 
>>    In Toronto: There will be meetings with the WG chairs and the
>>    Routing Directorate to get the ideas described and agreed upon.
>> 
>>    At the Routing Area Meeting in Toronto: Discuss the set of
>>    reorganized WGs and general charter content in the Routing Area
>>    meeting.
>> 
>>    September 2014: Based upon the feedback, suggestions, and
>>    discussion, Adrian and I finalize the reorganized WG charters.  We
>>    start the internal IESG discussion and public reviews.
>> 
>>    October 2014: Formal rechartering process completes.
>> 
>>    In Honolulu: The new set of WGs meet.
>> 
>>    After Honolulu: Adrian and I deal with any issues and charter
>>    updates based upon a few months of experience.
>> 
>> Here are the motivations that Adrian and I would like to be considered
>> when coming up with ideas for how the WGs should be reorganized.
>> 
>>    1) Move towards organizing working groups on functional
>>    responsibilities rather than scoping them to specific protocols.
>> 
>>    2) Split giant working groups so relevant work is done in one place
>>    and there is an improved signal-to-noise ratio for participants who
>>    are only interested in a slice of the current working group's work.
>> 
>>    3) Create synergies for scattered functionality (example ideas:
>>    OAM, FRR, traffic-engineering)
>> 
>>    4) Create a DISPATCH working group for clear new idea discussion;
>>    rtgwg serves some of this purpose but doesn't have a clear process
>>    and isn't drawing in the new ideas.
>> 
>>    5) Focus Routing Area time on design centers rather than on far
>>    corner cases.
>> 
>>    6) Each working group should have clear, well defined, and achievable goals.
>> 
>> Noting that the Routing Area has inherited some of its WG structure
>> from the sub-IP area, it is not a goal to force IP routing and MPLS
>> routing to remain separated.
>> 
>> The goal of this reorganization is not closing working groups.  Adrian
>> and Alia are perfectly capable of closing working groups without going
>> through restructuring.
>> 
>> For those of you that have read this far, thank you.  Getting this 80%
>> right is going to take some serious discussion and thought.  We all
>> work in the Routing Area together with different perspectives.  Please
>> think carefully and help us have a highly focused discussion.
>> 
>> Thanks,
>> Alia and Adrian
>> 
>> 
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