Session Date/Time: 09 Jan 2024 19:00

TOOLS

Summary

The TOOLS working group meeting focused primarily on the ongoing infrastructure transition project, detailing progress on deploying proof-of-concept applications and the upcoming Mailman 3 migration. Other key updates included the deployment of a banner for non-IETF stream RFCs/Internet-Drafts, the status of the IAB website migration, and the temporary move of the Yang Catalog. Discussions also covered a fix for mail forwarding authentication issues, the planned removal of the public staging directory, and the hiring of a new developer.

Key Discussion Points

Infrastructure Transition Project:
- A roadmap is being developed to share with the community, outlining timelines for application migration.
- Current focus is on deploying a proof-of-concept (PoC) in production for various application types, starting with simpler ones.
- Deployment Targets:
  - Author Tools: Expected by end of current week / beginning of next week.
  - analytics.ietf.org (basic Momo instance): Expected by end of next week.
  - wiki.ietf.org (primary Wiki.js instance): Expected by end of next week.
- These initial deployments will exercise the use of different database types before moving to more complex applications like Mail Archive and DataTracker.
Mailman 3 Transition:
- Transition to Mailman 3 is nearing readiness and will happen directly on the etfa infrastructure.
- A community message is being prepared to explain the process, which will be largely transparent, but users will need to claim their Mailman 3 account via a web-based roundtrip.
- Initially, Mailman 3 will use a separate set of credentials from DataTracker, similar to Mailman 2.
- The long-term plan is to integrate Mailman 3 with DataTracker via OIDC for administration, eventually allowing DataTracker to manipulate Mailman 3 via its REST API for subscribers. Moderators will still interact directly with Postorius.
- John noted the existing "hacked" Mailman 2 behavior (post to any list if subscribed to one) is tied to post-confirm and will be addressed with the Mailman 3 transition.
- Eric expressed appreciation for the planned DataTracker integration, noting the difficulty of self-managing Mailman 2 to 3 migrations.
IAB Website Update:
- The public IAB Wiki has been moved to Wiki.js.
- The IAB is expected to sign off on this migration this week.
- Final tasks include compiling redirects and small content updates.
- The new IAB website will be deployed on etfa infrastructure first, then moved to the new infrastructure in due course.
Clarity Feature Branch (RFC/ID Banner):
- A feature branch adding a banner to non-IETF stream RFCs and Internet-Drafts has been approved by the ISG and stream managers.
- Deployment is expected on Thursday of the current week.
- Additional review by the community on the branch is welcomed.
Post-Confirm Mail Forwarding Fix:
- A fix is being deployed to improve mail forwarding reliability, especially with stricter DMARC/DKIM/SPF authentication rules used by large mail systems.
- The change aims to preserve DKIM signatures where possible.
- For un-DKIM signed mail or where SPF validation fails due to originating server differences, a fake bounce address (forwarding@ietf.org) will be used. This should improve acceptance rates by making SPF valid from IETF servers.
- Community feedback on any negative impacts after the change is requested.
Yang Catalog Transition:
- The Yang Catalog has been temporarily moved to DigitalOcean.
- The deployed service is not yet fully functional, with vendor modules (Cisco, Huawei, Juniper) missing.
- Joe Clark is investigating the cause of the missing modules and configuration gaps, expected to dive in next week.
- OIDC authentication for the administration section is also not yet functional, currently mitigated by Cloudflare traffic gating. IETF modules are reported as fully functional.
Other Development Updates:
- Significant progress continues on DataTracker, XML RFC, and preparing Mail Archive for the infrastructure transition.
- Work on modernizing the RFC workflow and editing is ongoing, though at a slower pace due to focus on infrastructure.
Staging Directory Discussion:
- The ISG is discussing a proposal to remove and purge the publicly exposed www.ietf.org staging directory.
- This directory contains submissions of drafts and other items, some dating back decades, with inconsistent grooming.
- The new policy would involve removing old content and, in the long term, moving to a model where un-posted Internet-Drafts are only viewable by authors/submitters via DataTracker account access.
New Developer:
- A new developer has been hired and is expected to start in mid-February, contributing to the significant investment in software development.

Decisions and Action Items

Decision: Author tools, analytics.ietf.org (Momo), and wiki.ietf.org (Wiki.js) to be deployed on new infrastructure as PoCs by end of next week.
Decision: Clarity feature branch for non-IETF stream RFC/ID banners approved by ISG/stream managers; deployment expected Thursday of current week.
Action Item: Robert (chair) to build and send a community message regarding the Mailman 3 transition.
Action Item: Community requested to review the Clarity feature branch before deployment.
Action Item: Joe Clark to investigate and resolve missing vendor modules and OIDC authentication issues in the Yang Catalog DigitalOcean deployment (expected next week).
Action Item: Community requested to provide feedback if mail forwarding issues worsen after the post-confirm fix.
Action Item: Community encouraged to suggest topics for future TOOLS team group discussions via the list or directly to the chair.

Next Steps

Complete the deployment of Author Tools, analytics.ietf.org, and wiki.ietf.org to the new infrastructure.
Deploy the Clarity feature branch banner.
Continue preparing for and execute the Mailman 3 transition, including OIDC integration with DataTracker.
Resolve outstanding issues with the Yang Catalog functionality (missing modules, OIDC admin auth).
Implement the policy changes regarding the public staging directory following ISG discussion.
Onboard the new developer in mid-February to support ongoing software development.
The March TOOLS meeting has been moved one week early to avoid conflict with the IETF Brisbane travel window.