[RFD] monit 3.0 release

[Jan-Henrik Haukeland]

Request for Discussion: 
Theme: monit 3.0 release


1. Objectives

   The intentions of this mail is to summarize the current status and
   propose a realization plan for the new major 3.0 release.


2. Status 

   The initial plan for features in the 3.0 version is found at this
   location: <URL:http://www.tildeslash.com/monit/next.html> along
   with an updated progress pr item. For your convenience here is an
   abrivated copy of the feature list:

   1. Configure monit from different sources.
      Status:     Not started

   2. Simplify the control file syntax
      Status:     Not started

   3. Implement dependencies between program entries
      Status:     Design started

   4. Redesign the web interface and add support for program groups
      Status:     The web-interface is done, group support not started 

   5. Extend the port check to understand URLs
      Status:     Done

   6. Provide functionality for checking program CPU usage
      Status:     Done, with flying colours

   7. Support n arguments for programs started by monit
      Status:     Done

   8. Add support for a user submitted Notify program and/or SNMP support.
      Status:     Not started


3. Proposal - Redefinition of scope

   The above feature list is a mix of important and less important
   features. I suggest that we tighten the list and redefine the scope
   as follows: 

     Item 3. dependencies(*) and item 8. External programs(+) should
     make it into the 3.0 release, while item 1, 2 and 4 (the group
     part) are moved out of the scope.

   * Item 3. is Rory's domain but I suspect that you (Rory) haven't
     had time to work much with this? If this is the case I suggest
     that we take this item out off scope for now. 

   + Item 8 should definitely make it into the 3.0 release. This is
     currently my task but if anyone volunteer to take over I would
     happily accept. (In that case let me know in a few days). The
     scope of 8. is reduced to calling an external program whenever
     any of the following events take place, [restart, stop, timeout,
     checksum] or possibly also for a resource events. Item 8. should
     also be combined with a skeleton C/python/perl program to
     demonstrate how to imlement a snmp-trap. Volunteers?


4. Testing

   We need to test the new monit 3.0 release on the following
   plattforms, Linux, Solaris and FreeBSD. I guess, Christian, Rory,
   Martin (when he's back), Thomas and I can test on Linux and
   Solaris, but we need volunteers for FreeBSD and possibly other
   plattforms. For instance it would be nice if we could have a Mac OS
   X version of monit. But I and no one I know have access to Mac OS X.

   To make it easy to test I'm going to create a beta regulary from
   the current cvs repository and announce it on this mailing list.
   The beta can be downloaded from this url:

       <URL:http://www.tildeslash.com/monit/beta/>
  
   You can download a current 3.0 beta from this url now! Please do!
   and test and report any problems back to this mailing list.


5. Release date

   I suggest Monday, 16. September as a tentative release date.


-- 
Jan-Henrik Haukeland