diff --git a/doc/source/drivers-all-about.rst b/doc/source/drivers-all-about.rst index 8e94876d7eb..f53acb682b6 100644 --- a/doc/source/drivers-all-about.rst +++ b/doc/source/drivers-all-about.rst @@ -103,8 +103,45 @@ option ``enable_unsupported_driver=True`` in the driver's configuration section of ``cinder.conf`` or the Cinder service will fail to load. If the issue is not corrected before the next release, the driver will be -removed from the Cinder code repository per the standard OpenStack -deprecation policy. +eligible for removal from the Cinder code repository per the standard +OpenStack deprecation policy. + +Driver Removal +-------------- +**(Added January 2020**) + +As stated above, an unsupported driver is eligible for removal during the +development cycle following the release in which it was marked 'unsupported'. +(For example, a driver marked 'unsupported' in the Ussuri release is eligible +for removal during the development cycle leading up to the Victoria release.) + +During the Ussuri development cycle, the Cinder team decided that drivers +eligible for removal, at the discretion of the team, may remain in the code +repository *as long as they continue to pass OpenStack CI testing*. When such a +driver blocks the CI check or gate, it will be removed immediately. (This does +not violate the OpenStack deprecation policy because such a driver's +deprecation period began when it was marked as 'unsupported'.) + +.. note:: + Why the "at the discretion of the team" qualification? Some vendors may + announce that they have no intention of continuing to support a driver. + In that case, the Cinder team reserves the right to remove the driver as + soon as the deprecation period has passed. + +Thus, unsupported drivers *may* remain in the code repository for multiple +releases following their declaration as 'unsupported'. Operators should +therefore take into account the length of time a driver has been marked +'unsupported' when deciding to deploy an unsupported driver. This is because +as an unmaintained driver ages, updates and bugfixes to libraries and other +software it depends on may cause the driver to fail unit and functional tests, +making it subject to immediate removal. + +The intent of this policy revision is twofold. First, it gives vendors a +longer grace period in which to make the necessary changes to have their +drivers reinstated as 'supported'. Second, keeping these drivers in-tree +longer should make life easier for operators who have deployed storage backends +with drivers that have been marked as 'unsupported'. Operators should keep the +above points in mind, however, when deploying such a driver. Current Cinder Drivers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~