Arch Tea Time: 2020-04-30 (Configs, OEPs, CookieCutter, Shared Slack)

Topics

  • Devstack update

  • ADR on edx-platform settings: https://github.com/edx/edx-platform/pull/23829

  • Simplifying configuration

    • Django Waffle Switches Django Settings (Arch-BOM)

    • Configuration Model Django Settings (Arch-BOM) (Note: Config Model uses Organization-level and Course-level switches)

    • Environment variables Django Settings

      • OEP-45 requires an initial variable of which YAML file to load

    • SiteConfiguration Django Settings

    • Django Waffle Flags

      • Runtime changes

        • Note: Remote Config allows for more rapid deployment of settings changes

      • Staged rollout (% of users), beta users, course-specific

  • OEPs and OEP Process: Time for another Iteration

    • Slide 32

    • Discussion Points

      • Reviewing the OEP process itself

      • Problems:

        • OEPs just sitting around in Draft state

        • OEPs not getting enough review

        • OEPs need updating for understandability

        • OEPs that are now obsolete, but never marked as such

      • Who?

        • Arbiter: role doesn’t change: helps with steering that single OEP

        • Idea: Rotating OEP Chair

          • Steer, assess, improve the process

        • Idea: OEP Working group

          • Similar to above, but with a group

          • Initial rotating OEP (Working group lead): @Robert Raposa

      • Reviewing the OEPs themselves

        • Are they still applicable?

        • Incentivizing adoption

        • Updating older ones

  • python library cookiecutter: https://github.com/jinder1s/edx-cookiecutters/pull/1

    • Python template

      • Django template would be built on top of the Python one

      • Benefit:

        • take advantage of the hierarchy

        • single repo for all cookie cutters

      • Able to use a “pre-generator” hook to implement this layering

      • @Jinder Singh (Deactivated) is looking for input on the Python template

        • @Kyle McCormick (Deactivated) raises hand

  • Shared slack channel

    • Pilot with 3 leaders in the Open edX community (OpenCraft, EduNext, Overhang.io)

    • Currently private on both sides: Open edX and edX

    • There are privacy implications: your “profile” would be available to the other workspace users

      • As of today, your Full name is shared; currently other fields aren’t

    • One anecdata: useful to have this shared channel

    • Phases:

      • Pilot phase: surface any unanticipated issues (technical, privacy); do a retro with pilot folks on its value

        • Test out:

          • Deleting messages - who can do it?

      • Phase 2: Open up existing shared arch channel to folks outside of the pilot - but keep it private

      • Phase 3: Make the existing shared arch channel public on both Open edX and edX side

        • Note: edX Confidential information cannot be shared

      • Hope: A few of our edX channels become shared channels with the community