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A Coder’s Announcement of the CableLabs C3 Platform for Collaborative Software Development

A Coder’s Announcement of the CableLabs C3 Platform for Collaborative Software Development Arianne Hinds

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If ( the sight of software source code does not make you uncomfortable )
{
   /**************************************************************************************
    * Then please continue to read the code below to get the story behind this blog.
    * If reading source code is not your “cup of tea”, then please find the main message
    * for this blog below, i.e. following the big ELSE statement.
    *
    * Copyright:  2016 Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.
    **************************************************************************************/

   enum {FALSE=0, TRUE=1} ;

   int cable-industry-embraces-open-source = TRUE ; 

   int number-of-active-C3-projects = 3 ; 


   while ( cable-industry-embraces-open-source ) do
   { 
      CableLabs stands up the C3 software development platform;

      If ( already-familiar-with-C3 == FALSE ) 
      {
         enum essential-elements-of-C3 = { IT_INFRASTRUCTURE , 
                       ACCESS_CONTROL ,
                       OPEN_SOURCE_BEST_PRACTICES ,
                       CODE_REPOSITORIES , 
                       ISSUE_TRACKER , 
                       BUILD_TOOLS ,
                       VERIFICATION_TESTS ,
                       REVIEW_AND_CHECKIN_TOOLS ,
                       MODULAR_LICENSING ,
                       FLEXIBLE_GOVERNANCE_MODEL ,
                       IPR_MANAGEMENT } ;
                       
            
         C3 is supported by CableLabs ;    
         C3 follows after successful Linux Foundation model ; 
         C3 is a platform for collaborative software development ;
         C3 is scalable to accommodate a large number of projects ;       
         C3 provides a project template charter for anyone to start a new project ;
         Projects can be truly “open” where access is open to anyone ; 
         Projects can also be “closed” where access to code (etc) is restricted ;
         Projects can migrate from C3 to other Open Source and Standards Bodies ;
      }

      For ( int project-number=0; project-number<number-active-C3-projects; project-number++ )
      {

         switch (project-number) {

         case 0:  /* Cisco OpenRPD project */
            RPD is Remote PHY Device ;
            Project seed code donated by CISCO ;
            Key cable industry vendors are participating ;
            
         case 1:  /* Proactive Network Maintenance */
            PNM tools help operators troubleshoot the network ;
            Network devices measure key diagnostic attributes ;
            Identify and isolate problems before they are customer impacting ;
            
         case 2:  /* TruView */
            TruView software characterizes cable plant signaling ;
            Project seed code supplied by Comcast and extended by CableLabs ;
            Advanced video diagnostic tools ;
            

         default:
            C3 has more than 3 projects now ;
         }
            
      }

      If ( (interested-in-learning-more || interested-in-starting-project) == TRUE )
      {

         review project charter form at https://community.cablelabs.com/wiki/display/C3 ;
         send email to c3@cablelabs.com ;
         
      }
   }      
         
} ;
      
ELSE { 
   /*****************************************************************************************
    * We assume that the plain text version of this story is easier for you to read.
    *
    * The relevance of collaborative software development, including open source and  
    * community-source approaches, for the cable industry cannot be overestimated. 
    * Increasingly, collaboratively developed software is being deployed in cable  
    * products and services. And, the development tools that the industry uses to build  
    * those products and services often leverage open source implementations. The RDK  
    * is just one example that demonstrates the robust and powerful approach of sourcing  
    * the software development across an open or semi-open community (i.e. community  
    * source group) for the cable industry.  Other cross-industry organizations where 
    * the cable industry participates include the Open Platform for Network Function 
    * Virtualization  and the OpenDaylight Platform.  
    *
    * So, what’s missing for the cable industry?  
    *
    * ANSWER:  A platform where the cable industry (and beyond) can collectively  
    * collaborate around the development of tools and software assets relevant, 
    * but not limited, to cable.  
    * 
    * At its Winter Conference 2016, CableLabs announced the launch of the 
    * Common Code Community (C3) platform, including essential elements such as IT 
    * infrastructure, development tools, repositories, access control, recommended  
    * best practices, modular licensing, and outreach to other communities and standards. 
    * 
    * As of today, the C3 project hosts three projects:
    * 1.  OpenRPD – A software reference implementation supporting the Remote PHY
    *     Device architecture – a virtualization architectures used in distributed
    *     CCAP implementations.  Seeded with software developed and contributed by 
    *     Cisco, the project drives core router and remote PHY interoperability.
    * 2.  Proactive Network Maintenance (PNM) – A set of tools that reduce troubleshooting
    *     and problem resolution time by detecting and localizing network problems 
    *     before they impact the customer.   
    * 3.  TruView - Software seeded by Comcast and extended by CableLabs as a set 
    *     of tools to assist cable operators in the successful deployment of 2-way 
    *     infrastructure used to load and initialize settop boxes
    *
    * Each project defines its own governance structure such as who is allowed 
    * to commit code, submit code, launch builds, define new code releases, and so on.
    *
    * The C3 platform also provides a flexible license model where each project sets 
    * the licensing and IPR structures most appropriate for its goals and assets.
    *
    * For more information on C3: you can send email to: c3@cablelabs.com
    *
    ******************************************************************************************/

}
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