ARC Handbook

I need a review - what do I do?

Don't panic

OK, so someone told you that you can't continue until your project has had an "ARC Review". This section is designed to help you determine what this requirement really means to you and your project.

The first question is usually "What kind of review do I need?"

The answer is defined by the scope of architectural change you are proposing to make.  We currently divide things into three buckets:

• None (Self Review with Automatic Approval)
    For existing projects that meet the following constraints:
• have had an earlier case approved by an ARC,
• do not introduce new interfaces visible outside their own project, and
• do not alter any interface visible outside their own project.

Most bugfixes qualify for this level of review.

• Fast-Track
    A lightweight process for simple cases whose architectural impact is obvious, and that are not likely to be controversial.  The fast-track process is primarily handled as email discussions and can take as little as a couple of weeks time to complete.
    Projects suitable for a fast-track review generally apply "common practice" in a frequently-performed change or addition.
• The fast-track process assumes you have found a sponsor who will help you write up your proposal and present it to the ARC.

• ARC Full Review - For Complex projects that don't qualify for Self- or fasttrack- review.
     If your project doesn't qualify for the above shortcuts, you will need to follow the full ARC review process, which involves a combination of email, detailed project specifications, and formal meetings (exact structure is still very much TBD - please join us on the OpenSolaris-ARC forum to help define it...).
     The time required for such a review varies considerably based on the complexity of the project itself; teams should schedule reviews early - an inception review by mid-prototype stage, with commitment reviews between alpha and beta in order to allow the iteam time to incorporate any ARC required changes before FCS. 

See How architectural review and development might interact for what might come next...
(The development process is still being developed)