Blueprint-restructure-documentation
- Launchpad Entry: restructure-documentation
- Created: Tom Fifield
- Contributors: Diane Fleming
Summary
The OpenStack documentation library was designed a few years ago.
Since then, the library has grown without a specific organization. Also, doc contributors have learned how users interact with it.
This blueprint describes a plan to restructure the OpenStack documentation to:
- Provide a clear roadmap through the documentation library for different audiences.
- Reduce redundancy.
- Increase usability, clarity, and consistency.
Audiences
The restructure enables these audiences to complete tasks by using the following docs:
Audience | Tasks | Docs |
---|---|---|
OpenStack cloud deployers | Install, configure, and run OpenStack clusters. |
|
OpenStack cloud users | Perform tasks in an OpenStack cloud through:
|
|
OpenStack developers | Extend the OpenStack APIs or write applications that run on top of an OpenStack cloud. |
|
Deliverables - Deployers
OpenStack Installation Guide
Audience: Deployers who want to install, configure, and run OpenStack clusters.
Purpose:
- Provide step-by-step instructions for deployers about how to install, configure, and run OpenStack clusters.
- Include easy-to-follow, lightweight, command-by-command steps for installing an OpenStack cluster of defined architecture.
- Include basic explanatory text for command steps, enabling first time users to understand why they are performing them.
- Introduce the OpenStack community, including how to get help.
- Exclude unusual deployment scenarios.
Take information from:
- OpenStack Basic Install Guide - Ubuntu 12.04
- OpenStack Basic Install Guide - Fedora 18
- OpenStack Install and Deploy Manual - Ubuntu
- OpenStack Install and Deploy Manual - Red Hat
- OpenStack <project> Administration Guide/s
- <project> devref/s
Product info: Havana, 2013.1
Include common glossary? Yes
OpenStack Operations Guide
Audience: Deployers who design and operate OpenStack clusters.
Purpose:
- Provide opinionated direction for deployers about how to design, set up, and run OpenStack clusters.
- Include information currently in the OpenStack High Availability Guide.
- Exclude installation instructions and configuration reference information.
Take information from:
- OpenStack Operations Guide
- OpenStack High Availability Guide
- OpenStack <project> Administration Guide/s
- <project> devref/s
Product info: Havana, 2013.1
Include common glossary? Yes
OpenStack Configuration Reference
- List configuration options available with OpenStack.
- Include configuration files, configuration options in each file, configuration extensions, and use cases for each configuration feature.
- Exclude API parameters.
OpenStack User Guide
- Explain OpenStack cloud concepts and describe how to use an OpenStack cloud.
- Include command-line tools and credentials, how to use Horizon dashboard, and how to create images.
- Exclude Cloud application architecture.
OpenStack Command Reference
- Describe command-line clients and their subcommands and required and optional parameters.
- Exclude concepts (these go in the OpenStack User Guide) or installation instructions (these go in the OpenStack Installation Guide).
OpenStack Developer Guide
- Describe how to develop code for OpenStack.
OpenStack <project> API Specification
- Explain API concepts and describe API methods and parameters, with examples for each.
- Include advanced guidance information.
OpenStack API Reference (web page)
- Provide developers with a searchable and comprehensive Web page that lists API methods and parameters, with examples for each.
- Exclude advanced guidance information (this goes in the OpenStack <project> API Specification/s), installation instructions, or feature descriptions that are longer than one sentence.
Design
Install, Configure, and Run
Audience: Deployers who want to install, configure, and run OpenStack clusters.
New title | Describes how to | Take material from | Release info | Include glossary? |
---|---|---|---|---|
OpenStack Installation Guide | Install and deploy an OpenStack cluster. |
|
Havana, 2013.1 |
Yes |
OpenStack Configuration Reference | Configure OpenStack. |
|
Havana, 2013.1 |
Yes |
Use
Audience:
- Users of OpenStack clouds who perform tasks through the Horizon dashboard or the OpenStack command-line clients.
- Developers who develop applications on top of OpenStack by using the OpenStack APIs.
Roadmap:
- Users ramp up on cloud computing by using the Horizon dashboard and the OpenStack command-line clients.
- Then, they use the OpenStack APIs to create scalable applications.
Strategy:
- For the API Reference and the API Specifications, the plan is to use a common set of WADL files to generate the docs. Currently, the API reference page is generated from WADL files, but the API Specifications are not. This strategy will ensure that contributors must update one set of files: Both sets of docs will be generated from this single set of WADLs.
New title | Describes how to | Take material from | Release info | Include glossary? |
---|---|---|---|---|
OpenStack User Guide | Use an OpenStack cloud. |
|
Havana, 2013.1 |
Yes |
OpenStack Command Reference | Run OpenStack client commands on an OpenStack cloud. |
|
Havana, 2013.1 |
Yes |
OpenStack <project> API Specification/s | Write applications by using, review, or extend the OpenStack APIs. |
|
API vn |
Yes |
OpenStack API Reference | Write applications by using or extend OpenStack APIs. |
|
API vn |
No |
Develop
Audience: Developers who want to extend the OpenStack APIs or write applications by using the OpenStack APIs.
New title | Describes how to | Take material from | Release info | Include glossary? |
---|---|---|---|---|
OpenStack Developer Guide | Extend the OpenStack APIs or write applications by using the OpenStack APIs. |
|
API vn |
Yes |
Issues
- Lack of people to implement.