1) What does the CNCF Governing Board do and what is your role as chair?
The CNCF is a result of a shared vision by many of us in the cloud community. It was created to develop a common path and understanding for how the next generation of cloud native applications should be developed and to develop the necessary infrastructure. We realized that collaborating on the plumbing would be the fastest path to building a level playing field and a vibrant ecosystem. We seek to find and cooperate with related open ecosystem communities to support projects and cooperate to advance the state of the art. Many projects are tailored to fit the era of cloud computing, and solve a range of needs from private clouds to hyper-scale capabilities. The three key attributes of the CNCF approach are: 1). Container packaged, 2.) Dynamically managed, and 3). Micro-services oriented. The role of the CNCF Governing Board is to provide overall stewardship of the many projects that will comprise the initiative, foster the growth and evolution of the ecosystem, and ensure the initiative serves to benefit the community by maintaining an open, level ‘playing field’ for everyone.
Check out the wide list of companies who have joined, and you will quickly see that the CNCF has been able to draw an impressive list of entities big and small (see member list here: https://www.cncf.io/about/members). As the Governing Board Chair, one of my important responsibilities is to ensure the fair and efficient operation of the Board, so that all members have the opportunity to collaborate effectively/gain value from their involvement – regardless of their size/scope.
2) Why did you want to become chair?
Having worked closely with former Governing Board Chair Craig McLuckie in the formation of the CNCF, and in the handling of the formation, I had an insider perspective on our membership’s needs and a sense of responsibility to the organization. I have 17 years of experience working with open source communities and have worked to both form, grow and support them over many years. As a board member for the Node.js Foundation and OpenStack Foundation, I have been an active member of these organizations and have a record of bringing folks together to work for the common good. Recently, I handed over my board seat with the OpenStack Foundation, so I could focus my time on CNCF. I am excited for the chance to serve the CNCF community and the GB, as we grow the CNCF to be the premiere organization charting the course for Cloud Native development.
3) What is your vision for CNCF in 2017?
Simply put, diversity in projects, continued growth of memberships, and a focus on the user community. The Technical Oversight Committee (TOC) is working with a number of exciting technologies for inclusion. We now have an incubation process with set Graduation Criteria and the user base is growing and seeking to comment on the technologies we shepard. We need to engage even more participants to build out a complete ecosystem with change and growth guided by our users.
4) Are you involved in any other Linux Foundation projects or open community Foundations? If so, which ones and why?
As I stated above, I am a board member of the Node.js Foundation. I helped form this organization and played a role in healing the split in the community. I work in the Node.js community because I believe in the technology and am inspired by the phenomenal growth. We have created a blend of stability and experimental edge that keeps the community moving and it is just plain fun to watch it grow.
There is a long list of projects that I have helped to bring to the Linux Foundation. These include Hyperledger, Cloud Foundry, ODPi, JanusGraph, Node.js, and JS Foundation to name a few. There are others I am sure to come. The LF has shown itself to be a supportive well run home for projects with an excellent staff. That is what keeps me coming back.
5) You are the Vice President of Open Technology at IBM. Please tell us more about IBM’s focus on open communities and open source.
For many years, IBM has been recognized as a leader in open technology, from its early work with Linux, Apache and eClipse to its current work across all layers of the cloud and application development. You can find IBM old vnet ids used in some of the earliest open source projects.
IBM has a long history of working in open technology. In fact, in many ways, IBM is largely responsible for the open source movement’s success. IBM’s strong early support for Linux brought about a change in posture toward open source for many enterprises. The commitment of funds and IP showed others that they should take open source seriously.
We have worked hard over the years to establish a solid and respected reputation in open source circles, and especially in those communities where we invest strategically. One thing IBM has learned through all of this is that those communities that strive for inclusiveness and open governance tend to attract the largest ecosystems and create the most expansive markets.
IBM knows that a “rising tide floats all boats”. It isn’t enough that IBM succeeds-we need to ensure that many can succeed to ensure a vibrant ecosystem. This reduces the risk that comes with embracing open source for ourselves and, more importantly, our users.
Today, IBM’s work in open technology continues in the cloud. We still work with Apache, Eclipse and Linux on multiple projects, and IBM is recognized as a leader in the OpenStack, Cloud Foundry, Node.js, Docker, Hyperledger and OpenWhisk communities, among many others. With 62,000 engineers certified to participate in open source, we are all in on open source.
6) CloudNativeCon + KubeCon North America 2017 is coming to Austin, TX in December. As an Austin resident, what are your recommendations for restaurants while attendees are in town?
When you come to Austin for CloudNativeCon + KubeCon North America, two things you can’t miss are tacos and brisket! A couple of my favorites are Torchy’s and Taco Deli. For brisket, Franklin BBQ is the best, but the wait can be more than a couple hours–so, other good options would be Coopers on Congress Ave and Lambert’s on 2nd street. For some Mexican food, La Condesa also in the 2nd street district and Guero’s on South Congress (SoCo) are really good. Austin also has some of the best ramen in the country, Ramen Tatsu-Ya on South Lamar combined with drinks next door at BackBeat are a great combo. Some of my other favorites are Fixe on West 5th street for some very tasty fried chicken and if you’re in the mood for Indian food, G’raj Mahal on Rainey street is a great option to combine with an evening of drinks and music in that neighborhood.
Vegan Friendly restaurants include: True Food Kitchen, Counter Culture, Blue Dahlia, G’raj Mahal, Bouldin Creek Cafe are also good choices. For breakfast, Magnolia Cafe (must get the pancakes), Counter Cafe and 24 Diner are great options.