Epic: Torrent Index Protocol

[da2ce7]

This Epic tracks the progress towards the creation of "Torrent Index" protocol. - A standard way to communicate index information regarding torrents.

I will be the champion of this epic and plan to generally follow established engineering design process.

1. Research - Gathering data and knowledge to inform the design
2. Requirements gathering - Defining what needs to be solved
3. Concept generation - Coming up with potential solutions
4. Concept evaluation - Analyzing the tradeoffs of each option
5. Preliminary design - Selecting and refining the approach
6. Detailed design - Finalizing the design for implementation
7. Production - Building and releasing the solution
8. Maintenance - Ongoing support and iteration
9. Decommissioning - Retiring the solution when no longer needed

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As this is a new epic, we will start at the first step: Research.

We will scout and study the current market related to torrent-index, with a focus on protocols, and from this we will come up broad conceptual picture what is the actual situation now.

• Torrent Index Protocol: Research: Market #792
• Torrent Index Protocol: Research: Academic and Conceptual  #793

The next stage is to detail our design requirements.

As our research stage advances in parallel, we will create more issues for various sets of design requirements,, for now we open the issue for brainstorming.

• Torrent Index Protocol: Design Requirements: Brainstorming #794

Thirdly, we do the initial concept generation.

In contrast to the steps outlined on Wikipedia, we will generate concepts before studying feasibility.

In this stage we come up with a set of concepts that fulfill various sets of design requirements using differing strategies or techniques.

There will range between:

1. Use or Adapt an per-existing solution that the market has already supplied.
2. Design a new solution that extends or start-afresh to implement something that dose not exist within the market.

Concept Evaluation and Feasibility Study.

In this step we do analysis over our various conceptual design ideas, looking at their benefit/cost ratios, and generally if the concept is feasible.

We pick the concept that has the most benefit with an acceptable amount effort. - If no concept is suitable, the project is canceled as infeasible.

Preliminary Design (or Prototype)

At this stage we come up with various designs for 'how' our preferred concept may be implemented.

This process is a mini-recursion of the above steps, including Research, Design Requirements, Concept Generation, and Concept Evaluation. - All focused on the preferred concept selected from the previous stage.

Detailed Design (or Full-Scale Model)

After selected a preferred design. We continue to develop a detailed design, that will be the foundation of the implemented solution.

Production (or Market Ready Product)

We stabilize and optimize that detailed design to make it ready for the market. Including Documentation and Support.

Maintenance

We support the product in the market.

Decommissioning

We support the safe-removal of the product from the market when it is obsolete or otherwise unwanted.