Hi CNCF Storage WG,

Based on recent presentation and discussions in the CNCF Storage WG meeting, I understand that we are considering adopting OpenEBS as a new CNCF sandbox or incubator project? Is that correct?

If so, I'd like to understand the motivations for doing so? What will the benefit of doing so be for users of the CNCF ecosystem?

As far as I understand, OpenEBS is a software defined storage system exposing block and file storage that is comprised of micro-services that run on top of Kubernetes.

There are many other projects that are doing similar things: including Portworx, Rook (already a CNCF incubator project), StorageOS, Robin Systems, and others. Kubernetes (with CSI) already allows workloads to consume any block or file storage system (including these ones) in a portable manner.

At the time when Rook was incubated in to the CNCF, Kubernetes wasn't the de facto container orchestration system, and so it made sense to promote projects that encouraged new types of workloads to run on top of Kubernetes.

That is no longer a concern, and given the diversity of projects in this space I don't see the benefit of promoting specific block and file storage implementations within the CNCF ecosystem.

I want to stress that the team behind OpenEBS (at MayaData) is wonderful, and have been strong supports of the CNCF and Kubernetes. But at the same time I want to make sure we act intentionally within the CNCF for the clear benefit of users. And, at the very least, we should establish a clear strategy for adopting new projects in this space.

Regards,

Saad Ali