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Wikimedia Technical Engagement/Goals

< Wikimedia Technical Engagement

Technical Engagement's main focus in FY 2022/23 lies on making our existing services and programs stronger in order to increase sustainability of the services that we provide to the Wikimedia movement.

The majority of the work that Technical Engagement does is foundational work. This includes maintaining and evolving Wikimedia Cloud Services including support for Striker, Paws and Quarry (Cloud Services). It includes maintaining and evolving Toolhub and the Developer Portal, coordinating the Techblog, and managing service requests around the tech community metrics dashboards (Production or third party services). It encompasses evolving Wikimedia's technical documentation and providing support for users of Phabricator, Toolhub and Cloud Services (Technical Documentation and Support). Finally, it includes coordinating initiatives and programs like Small Wiki Toolkits, Hackathons, Coolest Tool Award, Outreach- and internship programs, contributions to other open source projects, or advocacy for best FOSS practices (Outreach, Community and Capacity Building).

Planning framework

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  • Strengthen foundational work to make our existing services and programs stronger (80%).
  • Focus/Experiment: Space for experiments to explore ideas and cross-functional focus projects to move the needle in a specific field (max 20%).
  • Increase synergy effects and reduce SPOFs through cross-training and shared responsibilities.
  • Broad annual direction for the different services and initiatives. Multi-quarter timelines for multi-quarter initiatives. Detailed planning and goal setting in quarterly planning cycles.
Previous quarters

April-June 2023 (Q4)

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Cloud Services

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Wikimedia Cloud Services

Release Toolforge Build Service - phab:T194332 (multi-quarter project)

Find a sustainable local storage solution for cloud-vps phab:T324729   Done

Move off from icinga and introduce alertmanager phab:T328502 (multi-quarter project)

Support 'unmanaged' projects in cloud-vps phab:T326818

Modernize openstack rbac phab:T330759   Done

Move WMCS dashboards to grafana.wmcloud.org phab:T333568

Create CloudLB PoC in dev phab:T324992 (multi-quarter project)

Upgrade Ceph

Technical Support and Documentation

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Outreach, Community and Capacity Building

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Small wiki toolkits

January-March 2023 (Q3)

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Cloud Services

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Implement Kubernetes as a Service (Magnum) - phab:T280792   Done

Ensure alerting and on-call systems are sustainable and scalable - phab:T313444 (multi-quarter project)

  • Enable alerts and pages from cloudvps/toolforge/paws/quarry - phab:T313031

Improve integration with WMCS of SRE cookbook automation - phab:T319401   Done

  • Collaboration with Infrastructure Foundations team
  • Finalize cloud-cumin setup and utilize for WMCS cookbook runs

Release Toolforge Build Service - phab:T194332 (multi-quarter project)

Upgrade ToolsDB - phab:T301949   Done

  • Finish migration to new ceph backend

Continue GridEngine deprecation (multi-quarter project)

Upgrade OpenStack   Done

  • Upgrade cloud vps openstack to Openstack version Zed - phab:T323086

Upgrade Ceph

Shut down final remaining bare-metal NFS servers phab:T301280   Done

  • Update maintain-dbusers.py to operate in virtualized environment phab:T303663

Create CloudLB PoC in dev phab:T324992 (multi-quarter project)

  • Collaboration with Infrastructure Foundations team
  • Test implementing cloud load balancers in development   Done

Clarify database as a service offerings   Done

  • Update Documentation to clarify when to use Trove and when to use Toolsdb phab:T326754
  • Audit Toolsdb users for potential migrations to Trove phab:T291782

Research and decide on new Openstack deployment paradigm phab:T326758   Done

  • In support of adding new features, and creating a sustainable, maintainable and repeatable cloud deployment

Research supporting unmanaged Cloud-VPS projects phab:T326818   Done

  • Identify first users, develop support for non-puppet managed VMs

Analyze and share results from Cloud Services Annual Survey - phab:T322500   Done

  • Transform and massage the data
  • Analyze the survey responses
  • Publish and present the findings

Production or third party services

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Improve Toolhub record content coverage and consistency - Phab:T327558

  • Collaborate with the local community to improve documentation of tools which support the workflows of Wikimedia Commons - Phab:T327559
  • Implement a data feed for Toolhub based on descriptions of tools on commonswiki - Phab:T327560
  • Mentor two Outreachy interns in the project “create a web application for editing Toolhub records” (workboard)
  • Increase the number of tools that adhere to our published best practices [Tool Sweep; review at least 30 tools each month]. - Phab:T327398

Technical Support and Documentation

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Create on-wiki content based on Small Wiki Toolkits workshops conducted in 2022 - Phab:T327282

  • Prepare and migrate content of the first workshop: How to host a bot on Toolforge - Phab:T327283
  • Prepare and migrate content of the second workshop: How to run a basic script via Pywikibot - Phab:T327285 (stretch goal)

Improve Cloud Services documentation - Phab:T321582

Improve Pywikibot documentation - Phab:T320625

Add features to documentation (collection) metrics tool - Phab:T320626

  • Define requirements for this tool

Provide bugwrangler support in Phabricator

Outreach, Community and Capacity Building

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Organise and run Wikimedia Hackathon 2023

  • Manage logistics for the event
  • Coordinate scholarship application review and selection
  • Design program framework

Plan and run GSOC and Outreachy (summer round) - Phab:T326991

  • Recruit projects and mentors for upcoming GSOC/Outreachy rounds

Support 2023 Wikimania Hackathon program planning

Research and plan for integrating the Tech Blog with Diff - Phab:T327323

  • Complete stakeholder conversations and create a needs assessment and recommendation for the team
  • Create a project plan for integrating the blogs

Launch tech swag program - Phab:T320768

  • Finalize the design
  • Submit the purchase order

Improve our understanding of the tool ecosystem and tool maintainers' needs - Phab:T323302

  • Complete 4 interviews with community members and stakeholders - Phab:T323317
  • Investigate how to aggregate information about tools that is captured by manual review during Tool Sweep - Phab:T327397

October-December 2022 (Q2)

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Cloud Services

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Upgrade OpenStack

  • Upgrade cloud vps openstack to Openstack version Yoga - phab:T305828   Done

Implement Kubernetes as a Service (Magnum) - phab:T280792 (multi-quarter project)

Ensure alerting and on-call systems are sustainable and scalable - phab:T313444 (multi-quarter project)

  • Enable alerts and pages from cloudvps/toolforge/paws/quarry - phab:T313031

Move cloud hosts to single NIC implementation - phab:T319184

Improve integration with WMCS of SRE cookbook automation - phab:T319401   Done

  • Collaboration with Infrastructure Foundations team

Finalize and Publish cross-realm guidelines for case 4 - phab:T296411   Done

Release Toolforge Build Service - phab:T194332 (multi-quarter project)

  • Implement Harbor (status: implemented in toolsbeta)
  • Plan Beta Features and Delivery

Upgrade ToolsDB - phab:T301949

Allow self-service tool deletion - phab:T285403   Done

Continue GridEngine deprecation (multi-quarter project)

  • Provide support for Toolforge jobs bugs/feature requests   Done

Coordinate Cloud Services User Survey

  • Setup Cloud Services User Survey in Lime Survey   Done
  • Run Cloud Services User Survey   Done

Production or third party services

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Finalize taxonomy model for Toolhub - phab:T308030   Done

  • Implement controlled vocabulary tags in Toolhub

Technical Support and Documentation

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Provide continuous support in Phabricator

Building community, social connection, and technical expertise around documentation (multi-quarter project)

Outreach, Community and Capacity Building

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Coordinate the Coolest Tool Award - phab:T313443 (multi-quarter project)

Coordinate Wikimedia's participation in Outreachy Round 25 and provide mentorship in one project (multi-quarter project)

  • Prepare and support mentors and projects for Outreachy Round 25 - phab: T313361
  • Support Outreachy applicants and mentor an intern in the project "Create a Web Application for Editing Toolhub Records"

Conclude the 2022 Small Wiki Toolkits workshops

  • Organize two small wiki toolkit workshops   Done
  • Reflect and summarize the past season of Small Wiki Toolkits and propose a plan for next year   Done

Reward volunteer and mentor contributions through the yearly swag program (multi-quarter project)

  • Create project plan for swag program

Clarify responsibilities around Gerrit privilege handout workflow

  • Clarify who needs to be involved/consulted on making the decision - Phab:T273164
  • Update the Gerrit Privilege Policy pages - Phab:T237618

Focus project

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Follow up of the experiment week projects in Q1 (planned start date: November, more info tba).


July-September 2022 (Q1)

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Cloud Services

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Deprecate Gridengine (continues, multi-quarter project)

  • Migrate tools off GridEngine - phab:T313405 (continues, multi-quarter project)
  • Migrate at least one tool to k8s   Done
  • Figure out if migrations of “like” tools can be templated and migrated more easily   Done

Ensure alerting and on-call systems are sustainable and scalable - phab:T313444 (continues, multi-quarter project)

  • Consolidate Alerting to a single platform (alertmanager)   Done
  • Audit alerts to ensure any pages are required, as opposed to automatically filing a ticket, or simply removing   Done

Release Toolforge Build Service - phab:T194332 (continues, multi-quarter project)

  • Implement Harbor (status: implemented in toolsbeta)
  • Plan Beta Features and Delivery

Update Striker to work with GitLab for Toolforge tool git hosting automation

  • Replace the existing Diffusion (Phabricator) git integration - phab:T296893   Done
  • Migrate ~450 existing tool owned git repositories to GitLab - phab:T315706   Done

Implement Kubernetes as a Service (Magnum) - phab:T280792 (continues, multi-quarter project)

  • Finish bringing service online
  • Evaluate usage for Quarry/PAWS - phab:T308873, phab:T301469   Done
  • Evaluate usage for community use   Done

Production or third party services

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Finalize taxonomy model for Toolhub - phab:T308030

  • Conduct community feedback round on taxonomy model   Done
  • Implement controlled vocabulary tags in Toolhub (postponed to Q2)

Get more people to understand tech community metrics on wikimedia.biterg.io and increase redundancy across the team

  • Create onboarding plan for cross-training a second person - Phab:T294870   Done
  • Organise a consultancy hour with Bitergia - Phab:T306787   Done

Increase the number of blog posts on the Tech Blog - Phab:T313072

  • Draft & publish 4 blog posts from the Technical Engagement team
  • Help 4 WMF staff members to draft and publish blog posts
  • Help 4 technical contributors to draft and publish blog posts

Technical Support and Documentation

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Make it easier to assess the state of documentation and contribute meaningful improvements (project board)

Complete basic content review and improvements for all on-wiki collection landing pages that are linked from the Developer Portal (Tracking: Phab:T312997)

Provide continuous support in Phabricator

Outreach, Community and Capacity Building

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Coordinate Wikimedia's participation in Outreachy Round 25 (continues, multi-quarter project)

  • Recruit mentors and projects for Outreachy Round 25 - Phab:T313361   Done

Continue with 2022 Small Wiki Toolkits workshops

  • Organize three small wiki toolkit workshops on the topic of bots and scripts - Phab:T312612   Done

Clarify Technical Engagement support on Rapid Grants applications - Phab:T304380 (postponed)

  • Setup criteria for what makes a successful grant/project
  • Decide on team capacity and workflow process to assess and review grant applications

Clarify responsibilities around Gerrit privilege handout workflow (continues)

  • Clarify who needs to be involved/consulted on making the decision - Phab:T273164
  • Update the Gerrit Privilege policy pages - Phab:T237618

Coordinate the Coolest Tool Award- phab:T313443 (continues, multi-quarter project)

Coordinate the 2022 Wikimania Hackathon - Phab:T313554   Done

Define timeline and project plan

  • Clarify timeline and integration in Wikimania program and platform
  • Define project plan including main deliverables, support needs, and weekly tasks

Implement the event

  • Technical contributors have opportunities to share knowledge and connect socially
    • Present clear resources for individual newcomers (and newish-comers) so they can find the information they need to build what they want. - Phab:T313629
    • Coordinate community-run sessions and spaces for people to share technical knowledge. - Phab:T313627
    • Coordinate community-run social sessions and spaces with fun activities. - Phab:T313627
  • Growing communities of technical contributors can find support and feel welcome at the Wikimania Hackathon
    • Engage with local meetup and affinity meetup organizers from the Wikimedia Hackathon. - Phab:T313625
    • Ensure that the accessible platform and accommodations are advertised widely. - Phab:T313627
  • Technical contributors have opportunities to work together and to share outcome with Wikimania attendees
    • Organize the pre-event showcase to help people connect with projects and people. This will include explicit instructions to use Phabricator and come back for the final showcase. - Phab:T313631
    • Design an accessible and useful platform space for people to collaborate in. - Phab:T313630
    • Provide Wikimania attendees an opportunity to learn about the hackathon projects at the final showcase. - Phab:T313631

Experiment Week

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We've planned in a few days this quarter to explore two topics:

  Done Research how other open source communities support newcomers - phab:T313543

  • Create comparison matrix and summarize key findings
  • Provide recommendation on what Wikimedia could try out or explore further

  Done Identify metrics to measure the impact of a tool - phab:T313546

  • Research and summarize available data sources and gaps to define tool impact metrics
  • Create visualization to display raw data
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