|
| 1 | +--- |
| 2 | +layout: blog |
| 3 | +title: "Spotlight on SIG etcd" |
| 4 | +slug: sig-etcd-spotlight |
| 5 | +canonicalUrl: https://www.kubernetes.dev/blog/2025/02/19/sig-etcd-spotlight |
| 6 | +date: 2025-03-04 |
| 7 | +author: "Frederico Muñoz (SAS Institute)" |
| 8 | +--- |
| 9 | + |
| 10 | +In this SIG etcd spotlight we talked with [James Blair](https://github.com/jmhbnz), [Marek |
| 11 | +Siarkowicz](https://github.com/serathius), [Wenjia Zhang](https://github.com/wenjiaswe), and |
| 12 | +[Benjamin Wang](https://github.com/ahrtr) to learn a bit more about this Kubernetes Special Interest |
| 13 | +Group. |
| 14 | + |
| 15 | +## Introducing SIG etcd |
| 16 | + |
| 17 | +**Frederico: Hello, thank you for the time! Let’s start with some introductions, could you tell us a |
| 18 | +bit about yourself, your role and how you got involved in Kubernetes.** |
| 19 | + |
| 20 | +**Benjamin:** Hello, I am Benjamin. I am a SIG etcd Tech Lead and one of the etcd maintainers. I |
| 21 | +work for VMware, which is part of the Broadcom group. I got involved in Kubernetes & etcd & CSI |
| 22 | +([Container Storage Interface](https://github.com/container-storage-interface/spec/blob/master/spec.md)) |
| 23 | +because of work and also a big passion for open source. I have been working on Kubernetes & etcd |
| 24 | +(and also CSI) since 2020. |
| 25 | + |
| 26 | +**James:** Hey team, I’m James, a co-chair for SIG etcd and etcd maintainer. I work at Red Hat as a |
| 27 | +Specialist Architect helping people adopt cloud native technology. I got involved with the |
| 28 | +Kubernetes ecosystem in 2019. Around the end of 2022 I noticed how the etcd community and project |
| 29 | +needed help so started contributing as often as I could. There is a saying in our community that |
| 30 | +"you come for the technology, and stay for the people": for me this is absolutely real, it’s been a |
| 31 | +wonderful journey so far and I’m excited to support our community moving forward. |
| 32 | + |
| 33 | +**Marek:** Hey everyone, I'm Marek, the SIG etcd lead. At Google, I lead the GKE etcd team, ensuring |
| 34 | +a stable and reliable experience for all GKE users. My Kubernetes journey began with [SIG |
| 35 | +Instrumentation](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/tree/master/sig-instrumentation), where I |
| 36 | +created and led the [Kubernetes Structured Logging effort](https://kubernetes.io/blog/2020/09/04/kubernetes-1-19-introducing-structured-logs/). |
| 37 | +I'm still the main project lead for [Kubernetes Metrics Server](https://kubernetes-sigs.github.io/metrics-server/), |
| 38 | +providing crucial signals for autoscaling in Kubernetes. I started working on etcd 3 years ago, |
| 39 | +right around the 3.5 release. We faced some challenges, but I'm thrilled to see etcd now the most |
| 40 | +scalable and reliable it's ever been, with the highest contribution numbers in the project's |
| 41 | +history. I'm passionate about distributed systems, extreme programming, and testing. |
| 42 | + |
| 43 | +**Wenjia:** Hi there, my name is Wenjia, I am the co-chair of SIG etcd and one of the etcd |
| 44 | +maintainers. I work at Google as an Engineering Manager, working on GKE (Google Kubernetes Engine) |
| 45 | +and GDC (Google Distributed Cloud). I have been working in the area of open source Kubernetes and |
| 46 | +etcd since the Kubernetes v1.10 and etcd v3.1 releases. I got involved in Kubernetes because of my |
| 47 | +job, but what keeps me in the space is the charm of the container orchestration technology, and more |
| 48 | +importantly, the awesome open source community. |
| 49 | + |
| 50 | +## Becoming a Kubernetes Special Interest Group (SIG) |
| 51 | + |
| 52 | +**Frederico: Excellent, thank you. I'd like to start with the origin of the SIG itself: SIG etcd is |
| 53 | +a very recent SIG, could you quickly go through the history and reasons behind its creation?** |
| 54 | + |
| 55 | +**Marek**: Absolutely! SIG etcd was formed because etcd is a critical component of Kubernetes, |
| 56 | +serving as its data store. However, etcd was facing challenges like maintainer turnover and |
| 57 | +reliability issues. [Creating a dedicated SIG](https://etcd.io/blog/2023/introducing-sig-etcd/) |
| 58 | +allowed us to focus on addressing these problems, improving development and maintenance processes, |
| 59 | +and ensuring etcd evolves in sync with the cloud-native landscape. |
| 60 | + |
| 61 | +**Frederico: And has becoming a SIG worked out as expected? Better yet, are the motivations you just |
| 62 | +described being addressed, and to what extent?** |
| 63 | + |
| 64 | +**Marek**: It's been a positive change overall. Becoming a SIG has brought more structure and |
| 65 | +transparency to etcd's development. We've adopted Kubernetes processes like KEPs |
| 66 | +([Kubernetes Enhancement Proposals](https://github.com/kubernetes/enhancements/blob/master/keps/README.md) |
| 67 | +and PRRs ([Production Readiness Reviews](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/blob/master/sig-architecture/production-readiness.md), |
| 68 | +which has improved our feature development and release cycle. |
| 69 | + |
| 70 | +**Frederico: On top of those, what would you single out as the major benefit that has resulted from |
| 71 | +becoming a SIG?** |
| 72 | + |
| 73 | +**Marek**: The biggest benefits for me was adopting Kubernetes testing infrastructure, tools like |
| 74 | +[Prow](https://docs.prow.k8s.io/) and [TestGrid](https://testgrid.k8s.io/). For large projects like |
| 75 | +etcd there is just no comparison to the default GitHub tooling. Having known, easy to use, clear |
| 76 | +tools is a major boost to the etcd as it makes it much easier for Kubernetes contributors to also |
| 77 | +help etcd. |
| 78 | + |
| 79 | +**Wenjia**: Totally agree, while challenges remain, the SIG structure provides a solid foundation |
| 80 | +for addressing them and ensuring etcd's continued success as a critical component of the Kubernetes |
| 81 | +ecosystem. |
| 82 | + |
| 83 | +The positive impact on the community is another crucial aspect of SIG etcd's success that I’d like |
| 84 | +to highlight. The Kubernetes SIG structure has created a welcoming environment for etcd |
| 85 | +contributors, leading to increased participation from the broader Kubernetes community. We have had |
| 86 | +greater collaboration with other SIGs like [SIG API |
| 87 | +Machinery](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/blob/master/sig-api-machinery/README.md), |
| 88 | +[SIG Scalability](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/tree/master/sig-scalability), |
| 89 | +[SIG Testing](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/tree/master/sig-scalability), |
| 90 | +[SIG Cluster Lifecycle](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/tree/master/sig-cluster-lifecycle), etc. |
| 91 | + |
| 92 | +This collaboration helps ensure etcd's development aligns with the needs of the wider Kubernetes |
| 93 | +ecosystem. The formation of the [etcd Operator Working Group](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/blob/master/wg-etcd-operator/README.md) |
| 94 | +under the joint effort between SIG etcd and SIG Cluster Lifecycle exemplifies this successful |
| 95 | +collaboration, demonstrating a shared commitment to improving etcd's operational aspects within |
| 96 | +Kubernetes. |
| 97 | + |
| 98 | +**Frederico: Since you mentioned collaboration, have you seen changes in terms of contributors and |
| 99 | +community involvement in recent months?** |
| 100 | + |
| 101 | +**James**: Yes -- as showing in our |
| 102 | +[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) |
| 103 | +we recently hit an all time high in March and are trending in a positive direction: |
| 104 | + |
| 105 | +{{< figure src="stats.png" alt="Unique PR author data stats" >}} |
| 106 | + |
| 107 | +Additionally, looking at our |
| 108 | +[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) |
| 109 | +we are also observing a positive trend showing a resurgence in etcd project activity: |
| 110 | + |
| 111 | +{{< figure src="stats2.png" alt="Overall contributions stats" >}} |
| 112 | + |
| 113 | +## The road ahead |
| 114 | + |
| 115 | +**Frederico: That's quite telling, thank you. In terms of the near future, what are the current |
| 116 | +priorities for SIG etcd?** |
| 117 | + |
| 118 | +**Marek**: Reliability is always top of mind -– we need to make sure etcd is rock-solid. We're also |
| 119 | +working on making etcd easier to use and manage for operators. And we have our sights set on making |
| 120 | +etcd a viable standalone solution for infrastructure management, not just for Kubernetes. Oh, and of |
| 121 | +course, scaling -– we need to ensure etcd can handle the growing demands of the cloud-native world. |
| 122 | + |
| 123 | +**Benjamin**: I agree that reliability should always be our top guiding principle. We need to ensure |
| 124 | +not only correctness but also compatibility. Additionally, we should continuously strive to improve |
| 125 | +the understandability and maintainability of etcd. Our focus should be on addressing the pain points |
| 126 | +that the community cares about the most. |
| 127 | + |
| 128 | +**Frederico: Are there any specific SIGs that you work closely with?** |
| 129 | + |
| 130 | +**Marek**: SIG API Machinery, for sure – they own the structure of the data etcd stores, so we're |
| 131 | +constantly working together. And SIG Cluster Lifecycle – etcd is a key part of Kubernetes clusters, |
| 132 | +so we collaborate on the newly created etcd operator Working group. |
| 133 | + |
| 134 | +**Wenjia**: Other than SIG API Machinery and SIG Cluster Lifecycle that Marek mentioned above, SIG |
| 135 | +Scalability and SIG Testing is another group that we work closely with. |
| 136 | + |
| 137 | +**Frederico: In a more general sense, how would you list the key challenges for SIG etcd in the |
| 138 | +evolving cloud native landscape?** |
| 139 | + |
| 140 | +**Marek**: Well, reliability is always a challenge when you're dealing with critical data. The |
| 141 | +cloud-native world is evolving so fast that scaling to meet those demands is a constant effort. |
| 142 | + |
| 143 | +## Getting involved |
| 144 | + |
| 145 | +**Frederico: We're almost at the end of our conversation, but for those interested in in etcd, how |
| 146 | +can they get involved?** |
| 147 | + |
| 148 | +**Marek**: We'd love to have them! The best way to start is to join our |
| 149 | +[SIG etcd meetings](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/blob/master/sig-etcd/README.md#meetings), |
| 150 | +follow discussions on the [etcd-dev mailing list](https://groups.google.com/g/etcd-dev), and check |
| 151 | +out our [GitHub issues](https://github.com/etcd-io/etcd/issues). We're always looking for people to |
| 152 | +review proposals, test code, and contribute to documentation. |
| 153 | + |
| 154 | +**Wenjia**: I love this question 😀 . There are numerous ways for people interested in contributing |
| 155 | +to SIG etcd to get involved and make a difference. Here are some key areas where you can help: |
| 156 | + |
| 157 | +**Code Contributions**: |
| 158 | + - _Bug Fixes_: Tackle existing issues in the etcd codebase. Start with issues labeled "good first |
| 159 | +issue" or "help wanted" to find tasks that are suitable for newcomers. |
| 160 | + - _Feature Development_: Contribute to the development of new features and enhancements. Check the |
| 161 | +etcd roadmap and discussions to see what's being planned and where your skills might fit in. |
| 162 | + - _Testing and Code Reviews_: Help ensure the quality of etcd by writing tests, reviewing code |
| 163 | + changes, and providing feedback. |
| 164 | + - _Documentation_: Improve [etcd's documentation](https://etcd.io/docs/) by adding new content, |
| 165 | + clarifying existing information, or fixing errors. Clear and comprehensive documentation is |
| 166 | + essential for users and contributors. |
| 167 | + - _Community Support_: Answer questions on forums, mailing lists, or [Slack channels](https://kubernetes.slack.com/archives/C3HD8ARJ5). |
| 168 | + Helping others understand and use etcd is a valuable contribution. |
| 169 | + |
| 170 | +**Getting Started**: |
| 171 | +- _Join the community_: Start by joining the etcd community on Slack, |
| 172 | + attending SIG meetings, and following the mailing lists. This will |
| 173 | + help you get familiar with the project, its processes, and the |
| 174 | + people involved. |
| 175 | +- _Find a mentor_: If you're new to open source or etcd, consider |
| 176 | + finding a mentor who can guide you and provide support. Stay tuned! |
| 177 | + Our first cohort of mentorship program was very successful. We will |
| 178 | + have a new round of mentorship program coming up. |
| 179 | +- _Start small_: Don't be afraid to start with small contributions. Even |
| 180 | + fixing a typo in the documentation or submitting a simple bug fix |
| 181 | + can be a great way to get involved. |
| 182 | + |
| 183 | +By contributing to etcd, you'll not only be helping to improve a |
| 184 | +critical piece of the cloud-native ecosystem but also gaining valuable |
| 185 | +experience and skills. So, jump in and start contributing! |
| 186 | + |
| 187 | +**Frederico: Excellent, thank you. Lastly, one piece of advice that |
| 188 | +you'd like to give to other newly formed SIGs?** |
| 189 | + |
| 190 | +**Marek**: Absolutely! My advice would be to embrace the established |
| 191 | +processes of the larger community, prioritize collaboration with other |
| 192 | +SIGs, and focus on building a strong community. |
| 193 | + |
| 194 | +**Wenjia**: Here are some tips I myself found very helpful in my OSS |
| 195 | +journey: |
| 196 | +- _Be patient_: Open source development can take time. Don't get |
| 197 | + discouraged if your contributions aren't accepted immediately or if |
| 198 | + you encounter challenges. |
| 199 | +- _Be respectful_: The etcd community values collaboration and |
| 200 | +respect. Be mindful of others' opinions and work together to achieve |
| 201 | +common goals. |
| 202 | +- _Have fun_: Contributing to open source should be |
| 203 | +enjoyable. Find areas that interest you and contribute in ways that |
| 204 | +you find fulfilling. |
| 205 | + |
| 206 | +**Frederico: A great way to end this spotlight, thank you all!** |
| 207 | + |
| 208 | +--- |
| 209 | + |
| 210 | +For more information and resources, please take a look at : |
| 211 | + |
| 212 | +1. etcd website: https://etcd.io/ |
| 213 | +2. etcd GitHub repository: https://github.com/etcd-io/etcd |
| 214 | +3. etcd community: https://etcd.io/community/ |
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