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A Coder’s Announcement of the CableLabs C3 Platform for Collaborative Software Development
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If ( the sight of software source code does not make you uncomfortable ) { /************************************************************************************** * Then please continue to read the code below to get the story behind this blog. * If reading source code is not your “cup of tea”, then please find the main message * for this blog below, i.e. following the big ELSE statement. * * Copyright: 2016 Cable Television Laboratories, Inc. **************************************************************************************/ enum {FALSE=0, TRUE=1} ; int cable-industry-embraces-open-source = TRUE ; int number-of-active-C3-projects = 3 ; while ( cable-industry-embraces-open-source ) do { CableLabs stands up the C3 software development platform; If ( already-familiar-with-C3 == FALSE ) { enum essential-elements-of-C3 = { IT_INFRASTRUCTURE , ACCESS_CONTROL , OPEN_SOURCE_BEST_PRACTICES , CODE_REPOSITORIES , ISSUE_TRACKER , BUILD_TOOLS , VERIFICATION_TESTS , REVIEW_AND_CHECKIN_TOOLS , MODULAR_LICENSING , FLEXIBLE_GOVERNANCE_MODEL , IPR_MANAGEMENT } ; C3 is supported by CableLabs ; C3 follows after successful Linux Foundation model ; C3 is a platform for collaborative software development ; C3 is scalable to accommodate a large number of projects ; C3 provides a project template charter for anyone to start a new project ; Projects can be truly “open” where access is open to anyone ; Projects can also be “closed” where access to code (etc) is restricted ; Projects can migrate from C3 to other Open Source and Standards Bodies ; } For ( int project-number=0; project-number<number-active-C3-projects; project-number++ ) { switch (project-number) { case 0: /* Cisco OpenRPD project */ RPD is Remote PHY Device ; Project seed code donated by CISCO ; Key cable industry vendors are participating ; case 1: /* Proactive Network Maintenance */ PNM tools help operators troubleshoot the network ; Network devices measure key diagnostic attributes ; Identify and isolate problems before they are customer impacting ; case 2: /* TruView */ TruView software characterizes cable plant signaling ; Project seed code supplied by Comcast and extended by CableLabs ; Advanced video diagnostic tools ; default: C3 has more than 3 projects now ; } } If ( (interested-in-learning-more || interested-in-starting-project) == TRUE ) { review project charter form at https://community.cablelabs.com/wiki/display/C3 ; send email to c3@cablelabs.com ; } } } ; ELSE { /***************************************************************************************** * We assume that the plain text version of this story is easier for you to read. * * The relevance of collaborative software development, including open source and * community-source approaches, for the cable industry cannot be overestimated. * Increasingly, collaboratively developed software is being deployed in cable * products and services. And, the development tools that the industry uses to build * those products and services often leverage open source implementations. The RDK * is just one example that demonstrates the robust and powerful approach of sourcing * the software development across an open or semi-open community (i.e. community * source group) for the cable industry. Other cross-industry organizations where * the cable industry participates include the Open Platform for Network Function * Virtualization and the OpenDaylight Platform. * * So, what’s missing for the cable industry? * * ANSWER: A platform where the cable industry (and beyond) can collectively * collaborate around the development of tools and software assets relevant, * but not limited, to cable. * * At its Winter Conference 2016, CableLabs announced the launch of the * Common Code Community (C3) platform, including essential elements such as IT * infrastructure, development tools, repositories, access control, recommended * best practices, modular licensing, and outreach to other communities and standards. * * As of today, the C3 project hosts three projects: * 1. OpenRPD – A software reference implementation supporting the Remote PHY * Device architecture – a virtualization architectures used in distributed * CCAP implementations. Seeded with software developed and contributed by * Cisco, the project drives core router and remote PHY interoperability. * 2. Proactive Network Maintenance (PNM) – A set of tools that reduce troubleshooting * and problem resolution time by detecting and localizing network problems * before they impact the customer. * 3. TruView - Software seeded by Comcast and extended by CableLabs as a set * of tools to assist cable operators in the successful deployment of 2-way * infrastructure used to load and initialize settop boxes * * Each project defines its own governance structure such as who is allowed * to commit code, submit code, launch builds, define new code releases, and so on. * * The C3 platform also provides a flexible license model where each project sets * the licensing and IPR structures most appropriate for its goals and assets. * * For more information on C3: you can send email to: c3@cablelabs.com * ******************************************************************************************/ }