Bylaws

This document defines the bylaws under which the Apache Hadoop project operates. It defines the roles and responsibilities of the project, who may vote, how voting works, how conflicts are resolved, etc.

Hadoop is a project of the Apache Software Foundation. The foundation holds the trademark on the name “Hadoop” and copyright on Apache code including the code in the Hadoop codebase. The foundation FAQ explains the operation and background of the foundation.

Hadoop is typical of Apache projects in that it operates under a set of principles, known collectively as the “Apache Way”. If you are new to Apache development, please refer to the Incubator project for more information on how Apache projects operate.

Roles and Responsibilities

Apache projects define a set of roles with associated rights and responsibilities. These roles govern what tasks an individual may perform within the project. The roles are defined in the following sections

Decision Making

Within the Hadoop project, different types of decisions require different forms of approval. For example, the previous section describes several decisions which require “consensus approval” approval. This section defines how voting is performed, the types of approvals, and which types of decision require which type of approval.