diff --git a/content/en/blog/2025/sig-etcd-spotlight/sig-etcd-spotlight.md b/content/en/blog/2025/sig-etcd-spotlight/sig-etcd-spotlight.md new file mode 100644 index 000000000..d626c3fbb --- /dev/null +++ b/content/en/blog/2025/sig-etcd-spotlight/sig-etcd-spotlight.md @@ -0,0 +1,213 @@ +--- +layout: blog +title: "Spotlight on SIG etcd" +slug: sig-etcd-spotlight +date: 2025-02-11 +author: "Frederico Muñoz (SAS Institute)" +--- + +In this SIG etcd spotlight we talked with [James Blair](https://github.com/jmhbnz), [Marek +Siarkowicz](https://github.com/serathius), [Wenjia Zhang](https://github.com/wenjiaswe), and +[Benjamin Wang](https://github.com/ahrtr) to learn a bit more about this Kubernetes Special Interest +Group. + +## Introducing SIG etcd + +**Frederico: Hello, thank you for the time! Let’s start with some introductions, could you tell us a +bit about yourself, your role and how you got involved in Kubernetes.** + +**Benjamin:** Hello, I am Benjamin. I am a SIG etcd Tech Lead and one of the etcd maintainers. I +work for VMware, which is part of the Broadcom group. I got involved in Kubernetes & etcd & CSI +([Container Storage Interface](https://github.com/container-storage-interface/spec/blob/master/spec.md)) +because of work and also a big passion for open source. I have been working on Kubernetes & etcd +(and also CSI) since 2020. + +**James:** Hey team, I’m James, a co-chair for SIG etcd and etcd maintainer. I work at Red Hat as a +Specialist Architect helping people adopt cloud native technology. I got involved with the +Kubernetes ecosystem in 2019. Around the end of 2022 I noticed how the etcd community and project +needed help so started contributing as often as I could. There is a saying in our community that +"you come for the technology, and stay for the people": for me this is absolutely real, it’s been a +wonderful journey so far and I’m excited to support our community moving forward. + +**Marek:** Hey everyone, I'm Marek, the SIG etcd lead. At Google, I lead the GKE etcd team, ensuring +a stable and reliable experience for all GKE users. My Kubernetes journey began with [SIG +Instrumentation](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/tree/master/sig-instrumentation), where I +created and led the [Kubernetes Structured Logging effort](https://kubernetes.io/blog/2020/09/04/kubernetes-1-19-introducing-structured-logs/). +I'm still the main project lead for [Kubernetes Metrics Server](https://kubernetes-sigs.github.io/metrics-server/), +providing crucial signals for autoscaling in Kubernetes. I started working on etcd 3 years ago, +right around the 3.5 release. We faced some challenges, but I'm thrilled to see etcd now the most +scalable and reliable it's ever been, with the highest contribution numbers in the project's +history. I'm passionate about distributed systems, extreme programming, and testing. + +**Wenjia:** Hi there, my name is Wenjia, I am the co-chair of SIG etcd and one of the etcd +maintainers. I work at Google as an Engineering Manager, working on GKE (Google Kubernetes Engine) +and GDC (Google Distributed Cloud). I have been working in the area of open source Kubernetes and +etcd since the Kubernetes v1.10 and etcd v3.1 releases. I got involved in Kubernetes because of my +job, but what keeps me in the space is the charm of the container orchestration technology, and more +importantly, the awesome open source community. + +## Becoming a Kubernetes Special Interest Group (SIG) + +**Frederico: Excellent, thank you. I'd like to start with the origin of the SIG itself: SIG etcd is +a very recent SIG, could you quickly go through the history and reasons behind its creation?** + +**Marek**: Absolutely! SIG etcd was formed because etcd is a critical component of Kubernetes, +serving as its data store. However, etcd was facing challenges like maintainer turnover and +reliability issues. [Creating a dedicated SIG](https://etcd.io/blog/2023/introducing-sig-etcd/) +allowed us to focus on addressing these problems, improving development and maintenance processes, +and ensuring etcd evolves in sync with the cloud-native landscape. + +**Frederico: And has becoming a SIG worked out as expected? Better yet, are the motivations you just +described being addressed, and to what extent?** + +**Marek**: It's been a positive change overall. Becoming a SIG has brought more structure and +transparency to etcd's development. We've adopted Kubernetes processes like KEPs +([Kubernetes Enhancement Proposals](https://github.com/kubernetes/enhancements/blob/master/keps/README.md) +and PRRs ([Production Readiness Reviews](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/blob/master/sig-architecture/production-readiness.md), +which has improved our feature development and release cycle. + +**Frederico: On top of those, what would you single out as the major benefit that has resulted from +becoming a SIG?** + +**Marek**: The biggest benefits for me was adopting Kubernetes testing infrastructure, tools like +[Prow](https://docs.prow.k8s.io/) and [TestGrid](https://testgrid.k8s.io/). For large projects like +etcd there is just no comparison to the default GitHub tooling. Having known, easy to use, clear +tools is a major boost to the etcd as it makes it much easier for Kubernetes contributors to also +help etcd. + +**Wenjia**: Totally agree, while challenges remain, the SIG structure provides a solid foundation +for addressing them and ensuring etcd's continued success as a critical component of the Kubernetes +ecosystem. + +The positive impact on the community is another crucial aspect of SIG etcd's success that I’d like +to highlight. The Kubernetes SIG structure has created a welcoming environment for etcd +contributors, leading to increased participation from the broader Kubernetes community. We have had +greater collaboration with other SIGs like [SIG API +Machinery](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/blob/master/sig-api-machinery/README.md), +[SIG Scalability](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/tree/master/sig-scalability), +[SIG Testing](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/tree/master/sig-scalability), +[SIG Cluster Lifecycle](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/tree/master/sig-cluster-lifecycle), etc. + +This collaboration helps ensure etcd's development aligns with the needs of the wider Kubernetes +ecosystem. The formation of the [etcd Operator Working Group](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/blob/master/wg-etcd-operator/README.md) +under the joint effort between SIG etcd and SIG Cluster Lifecycle exemplifies this successful +collaboration, demonstrating a shared commitment to improving etcd's operational aspects within +Kubernetes. + +**Frederico: Since you mentioned collaboration, have you seen changes in terms of contributors and +community involvement in recent months?** + +**James**: Yes -- as showing in our +[unique PR author data](https://etcd.devstats.cncf.io/d/23/prs-authors-repository-groups?orgId=1&var-period=m&var-repogroup_name=All&from=1422748800000&to=1738454399000) +we recently hit an all time high in March and are trending in a positive direction: + +{{< figure src="/blog/2025/sig-etcd-spotlight/stats.png" alt="Unique PR author data stats" >}} + +Additionally, looking at our +[overall contributions across all etcd project repositories](https://etcd.devstats.cncf.io/d/74/contributions-chart?orgId=1&from=1422748800000&to=1738454399000&var-period=m&var-metric=contributions&var-repogroup_name=All&var-country_name=All&var-company_name=All&var-company=all) +we are also observing a positive trend showing a resurgence in etcd project activity: + +{{< figure src="/blog/2025/sig-etcd-spotlight/stats2.png" alt="Overall contributions stats" >}} + +## The road ahead + +**Frederico: That's quite telling, thank you. In terms of the near future, what are the current +priorities for SIG etcd?** + +**Marek**: Reliability is always top of mind -– we need to make sure etcd is rock-solid. We're also +working on making etcd easier to use and manage for operators. And we have our sights set on making +etcd a viable standalone solution for infrastructure management, not just for Kubernetes. Oh, and of +course, scaling -– we need to ensure etcd can handle the growing demands of the cloud-native world. + +**Benjamin**: I agree that reliability should always be our top guiding principle. We need to ensure +not only correctness but also compatibility. Additionally, we should continuously strive to improve +the understandability and maintainability of etcd. Our focus should be on addressing the pain points +that the community cares about the most. + +**Frederico: Are there any specific SIGs that you work closely with?** + +**Marek**: SIG API Machinery, for sure – they own the structure of the data etcd stores, so we're +constantly working together. And SIG Cluster Lifecycle – etcd is a key part of Kubernetes clusters, +so we collaborate on the newly created etcd operator Working group. + +**Wenjia**: Other than SIG API Machinery and SIG Cluster Lifecycle that Marek mentioned above, SIG +Scalability and SIG Testing is another group that we work closely with. + +**Frederico: In a more general sense, how would you list the key challenges for SIG etcd in the +evolving cloud native landscape?** + +**Marek**: Well, reliability is always a challenge when you're dealing with critical data. The +cloud-native world is evolving so fast that scaling to meet those demands is a constant effort. + +## Getting involved + +**Frederico: We're almost at the end of our conversation, but for those interested in in etcd, how +can they get involved?** + +**Marek**: We'd love to have them! The best way to start is to join our +[SIG etcd meetings](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/blob/master/sig-etcd/README.md#meetings), +follow discussions on the [etcd-dev mailing list](https://groups.google.com/g/etcd-dev), and check +out our [GitHub issues](https://github.com/etcd-io/etcd/issues). We're always looking for people to +review proposals, test code, and contribute to documentation. + +**Wenjia**: I love this question 😀 . There are numerous ways for people interested in contributing +to SIG etcd to get involved and make a difference. Here are some key areas where you can help: + +**Code Contributions**: + - _Bug Fixes_: Tackle existing issues in the etcd codebase. Start with issues labeled "good first +issue" or "help wanted" to find tasks that are suitable for newcomers. + - _Feature Development_: Contribute to the development of new features and enhancements. Check the +etcd roadmap and discussions to see what's being planned and where your skills might fit in. + - _Testing and Code Reviews_: Help ensure the quality of etcd by writing tests, reviewing code + changes, and providing feedback. + - _Documentation_: Improve [etcd's documentation](https://etcd.io/docs/) by adding new content, + clarifying existing information, or fixing errors. Clear and comprehensive documentation is + essential for users and contributors. + - _Community Support_: Answer questions on forums, mailing lists, or [Slack channels](https://kubernetes.slack.com/archives/C3HD8ARJ5). + Helping others understand and use etcd is a valuable contribution. + +**Getting Started**: +- _Join the community_: Start by joining the etcd community on Slack, + attending SIG meetings, and following the mailing lists. This will + help you get familiar with the project, its processes, and the + people involved. +- _Find a mentor_: If you're new to open source or etcd, consider + finding a mentor who can guide you and provide support. Stay tuned! + Our first cohort of mentorship program was very successful. We will + have a new round of mentorship program coming up. +- _Start small_: Don't be afraid to start with small contributions. Even + fixing a typo in the documentation or submitting a simple bug fix + can be a great way to get involved. + +By contributing to etcd, you'll not only be helping to improve a +critical piece of the cloud-native ecosystem but also gaining valuable +experience and skills. So, jump in and start contributing! + +**Frederico: Excellent, thank you. Lastly, one piece of advice that +you'd like to give to other newly formed SIGs?** + +**Marek**: Absolutely! My advice would be to embrace the established +processes of the larger community, prioritize collaboration with other +SIGs, and focus on building a strong community. + +**Wenjia**: Here are some tips I myself found very helpful in my OSS +journey: +- _Be patient_: Open source development can take time. Don't get + discouraged if your contributions aren't accepted immediately or if + you encounter challenges. +- _Be respectful_: The etcd community values collaboration and +respect. Be mindful of others' opinions and work together to achieve +common goals. +- _Have fun_: Contributing to open source should be +enjoyable. Find areas that interest you and contribute in ways that +you find fulfilling. + +**Frederico: A great way to end this spotlight, thank you all!** + +--- + +For more information and resources, please take a look at : + +1. etcd website: https://etcd.io/ +2. etcd GitHub repository: https://github.com/etcd-io/etcd +3. etcd community: https://etcd.io/community/ diff --git a/content/en/blog/2025/sig-etcd-spotlight/stats.png b/content/en/blog/2025/sig-etcd-spotlight/stats.png new file mode 100644 index 000000000..82cb37295 Binary files /dev/null and b/content/en/blog/2025/sig-etcd-spotlight/stats.png differ diff --git a/content/en/blog/2025/sig-etcd-spotlight/stats2.png b/content/en/blog/2025/sig-etcd-spotlight/stats2.png new file mode 100644 index 000000000..80d4de430 Binary files /dev/null and b/content/en/blog/2025/sig-etcd-spotlight/stats2.png differ