Browse code

Update the Roadmap

As part of the Moby transition (see #35115), update the Roadmap to
reflect the new priorities. Also just update it as it was written
a while back, and we made some progress in areas such as `containerd`.

Signed-off-by: Justin Cormack <justin.cormack@docker.com>

Justin Cormack authored on 2017/10/12 00:47:17
Showing 1 changed files
... ...
@@ -1,118 +1,68 @@
1
-Docker Engine Roadmap
2
-=====================
1
+Moby Project Roadmap
2
+====================
3 3
 
4 4
 ### How should I use this document?
5 5
 
6 6
 This document provides description of items that the project decided to prioritize. This should
7
-serve as a reference point for Docker contributors to understand where the project is going, and
8
-help determine if a contribution could be conflicting with some longer terms plans.
7
+serve as a reference point for Moby contributors to understand where the project is going, and
8
+help determine if a contribution could be conflicting with some longer term plans.
9 9
 
10 10
 The fact that a feature isn't listed here doesn't mean that a patch for it will automatically be
11
-refused (except for those mentioned as "frozen features" below)! We are always happy to receive
12
-patches for new cool features we haven't thought about, or didn't judge priority. Please however
13
-understand that such patches might take longer for us to review.
11
+refused! We are always happy to receive patches for new cool features we haven't thought about,
12
+or didn't judge to be a priority. Please however understand that such patches might take longer
13
+for us to review.
14 14
 
15 15
 ### How can I help?
16 16
 
17
-Short term objectives are listed in the [wiki](https://github.com/docker/docker/wiki) and described
18
-in [Issues](https://github.com/docker/docker/issues?q=is%3Aopen+is%3Aissue+label%3Aroadmap). Our
17
+Short term objectives are listed in
18
+[Issues](https://github.com/moby/moby/issues?q=is%3Aopen+is%3Aissue+label%3Aroadmap). Our
19 19
 goal is to split down the workload in such way that anybody can jump in and help. Please comment on
20
-issues if you want to take it to avoid duplicating effort! Similarly, if a maintainer is already
21
-assigned on an issue you'd like to participate in, pinging him on IRC or GitHub to offer your help is
20
+issues if you want to work on it to avoid duplicating effort! Similarly, if a maintainer is already
21
+assigned on an issue you'd like to participate in, pinging him on GitHub to offer your help is
22 22
 the best way to go.
23 23
 
24 24
 ### How can I add something to the roadmap?
25 25
 
26
-The roadmap process is new to the Docker Engine: we are only beginning to structure and document the
26
+The roadmap process is new to the Moby Project: we are only beginning to structure and document the
27 27
 project objectives. Our immediate goal is to be more transparent, and work with our community to
28 28
 focus our efforts on fewer prioritized topics.
29 29
 
30 30
 We hope to offer in the near future a process allowing anyone to propose a topic to the roadmap, but
31
-we are not quite there yet. For the time being, the BDFL remains the keeper of the roadmap, and we
32
-won't be accepting pull requests adding or removing items from this file.
31
+we are not quite there yet. For the time being, it is best to discuss with the maintainers on an
32
+issue, in the Slack channel, or in person at the Moby Summits that happen every few months.
33 33
 
34 34
 # 1. Features and refactoring
35 35
 
36 36
 ## 1.1 Runtime improvements
37 37
 
38
-We recently introduced [`runC`](https://runc.io) as a standalone low-level tool for container
39
-execution. The initial goal was to integrate runC as a replacement in the Engine for the traditional
40
-default libcontainer `execdriver`, but the Engine internals were not ready for this.
38
+We introduced [`runC`](https://runc.io) as a standalone low-level tool for container
39
+execution in 2015, the first stage in spinning out parts of the Engine into standalone tools.
41 40
 
42 41
 As runC continued evolving, and the OCI specification along with it, we created
43
-[`containerd`](https://containerd.tools/), a daemon to control and monitor multiple `runC`. This is
44
-the new target for Engine integration, as it can entirely replace the whole `execdriver`
45
-architecture, and container monitoring along with it.
42
+[`containerd`](https://github.com/containerd/containerd), a daemon to control and monitor `runC`.
43
+In late 2016 this was relaunched as the `containerd` 1.0 track, aiming to provide a common runtime
44
+for the whole spectrum of container systems, including Kubernetes, with wide community support.
45
+This change meant that there was an increased scope for `containerd`, including image management
46
+and storage drivers.
46 47
 
47
-Docker Engine will rely on a long-running `containerd` companion daemon for all container execution
48
+Moby will rely on a long-running `containerd` companion daemon for all container execution
48 49
 related operations. This could open the door in the future for Engine restarts without interrupting
49
-running containers.
50
+running containers. The switch over to containerd 1.0 is an important goal for the project, and
51
+will result in a significant simplification of the functions implemented in this repository.
50 52
 
51
-## 1.2 Plugins improvements
53
+## 1.2 Internal decoupling
52 54
 
53
-Docker Engine 1.7.0 introduced plugin support, initially for the use cases of volumes and networks
54
-extensions. The plugin infrastructure was kept minimal as we were collecting use cases and real
55
-world feedback before optimizing for any particular workflow.
55
+A lot of work has been done in trying to decouple Moby internals. This process of creating
56
+standalone projects with a well defined function that attract a dedicated community should continue.
57
+As well as integrating `containerd` we would like to integrate [BuildKit](https://github.com/moby/buildkit)
58
+as the next standalone component.
56 59
 
57
-In the future, we'd like plugins to become first class citizens, and encourage an ecosystem of
58
-plugins. This implies in particular making it trivially easy to distribute plugins as containers
59
-through any Registry instance, as well as solving the commonly heard pain points of plugins needing
60
-to be treated as somewhat special (being active at all time, started before any other user
61
-containers, and not as easily dismissed).
60
+We see gRPC as the natural communication layer between decoupled components.
62 61
 
63
-## 1.3 Internal decoupling
62
+## 1.3 Custom assembly tooling
64 63
 
65
-A lot of work has been done in trying to decouple the Docker Engine's internals. In particular, the
66
-API implementation has been refactored, and the Builder side of the daemon is now
67
-[fully independent](https://github.com/docker/docker/tree/master/builder) while still residing in
68
-the same repository.
69
-
70
-We are exploring ways to go further with that decoupling, capitalizing on the work introduced by the
71
-runtime renovation and plugins improvement efforts. Indeed, the combination of `containerd` support
72
-with the concept of "special" containers opens the door for bootstrapping more Engine internals
73
-using the same facilities.
74
-
75
-## 1.4 Cluster capable Engine
76
-
77
-The community has been pushing for a more cluster capable Docker Engine, and a huge effort was spent
78
-adding features such as multihost networking, and node discovery down at the Engine level. Yet, the
79
-Engine is currently incapable of taking scheduling decisions alone, and continues relying on Swarm
80
-for that.
81
-
82
-We plan to complete this effort and make Engine fully cluster capable. Multiple instances of the
83
-Docker Engine being already capable of discovering each other and establish overlay networking for
84
-their container to communicate, the next step is for a given Engine to gain ability to dispatch work
85
-to another node in the cluster. This will be introduced in a backward compatible way, such that a
86
-`docker run` invocation on a particular node remains fully deterministic.
87
-
88
-# 2. Frozen features
89
-
90
-## 2.1 Docker exec
91
-
92
-We won't accept patches expanding the surface of `docker exec`, which we intend to keep as a
93
-*debugging* feature, as well as being strongly dependent on the Runtime ingredient effort.
94
-
95
-## 2.2 Remote Registry Operations
96
-
97
-A large amount of work is ongoing in the area of image distribution and provenance. This includes
98
-moving to the V2 Registry API and heavily refactoring the code that powers these features. The
99
-desired result is more secure, reliable and easier to use image distribution.
100
-
101
-Part of the problem with this part of the code base is the lack of a stable and flexible interface.
102
-If new features are added that access the registry without solidifying these interfaces, achieving
103
-feature parity will continue to be elusive. While we get a handle on this situation, we are imposing
104
-a moratorium on new code that accesses the Registry API in commands that don't already make remote
105
-calls.
106
-
107
-Currently, only the following commands cause interaction with a remote registry:
108
-
109
-  - push
110
-  - pull
111
-  - run
112
-  - build
113
-  - search
114
-  - login
115
-
116
-In the interest of stabilizing the registry access model during this ongoing work, we are not
117
-accepting additions to other commands that will cause remote interaction with the Registry API. This
118
-moratorium will lift when the goals of the distribution project have been met.
64
+We have been prototyping the Moby [assembly tool](https://github.com/moby/tool) which was originally
65
+developed for LinuxKit and intend to turn it into a more generic packaging and assembly mechanism
66
+that can build not only the default version of Moby, as distribution packages or other useful forms,
67
+but can also build very different container systems, themselves built of cooperating daemons built in
68
+and running in containers. We intend to merge this functionality into this repo.