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Governance for Cloud Custodian

Cloud Custodian is governed with the goals of transparency, vendor neutrality, and scalable community leadership. All contributors are expected to follow the CNCF Code of Conduct.

1. Project Areas

Cloud Custodian is organized into several functional areas, each responsible for a part of the project:

  • AWS Provider

  • GCP Provider

  • Azure Provider

  • Tencent Cloud

  • Oracle Cloud

  • c7n-org (multi-cloud management)

  • Mailing & Notifications (c7n-mailer, alert handling)

  • Documentation & Community (website, docs, community guidance)

  • Releases & Tooling (release scripts, packaging, CI/CD, container images)

    Each area has at least one Area Maintainer defined in OWNERS.md and reflected in CODEOWNERS.

Adding or Removing Areas

  • To add a new area, nominate at least one Area Maintainer via a PR to update OWNERS.md; approval from current Core Maintainers is required.
  • To remove an area, an Area Maintainer can propose removal, which is finalized after code integration and consensus.

2. Maintainer Roles

  • Core Maintainers: Oversee the entire project, make cross-area decisions, and coordinate CNCF engagement.
  • Area Maintainers: Own and manage specific project areas. They review and merge PRs, mentor contributors, and ensure ongoing health of their area.

3. Contributor Roles & Responsibilities

Cloud Custodian defines a structured contributor ladder to support growth and clarity.

  • Contributor: Follow documentation and Code of Conduct; file issues; submit PRs.
    Requirements: First-time or casual code, documentation, or issue contributors.

    Area Maintainer: Own and triage PRs/issues in one or more areas; mentor contributors; manage CI and releases in their area.
    Requirements: ≥10 meaningful contributions per year; 6+ months of involvement; ~10 hrs/month commitment.

  • Core Maintainer: Oversee project-wide changes; lead community initiatives; coordinate with CNCF; manage cross-area releases and security.
    Requirements: Area Maintainer in multiple areas; demonstrated project-wide understanding; ~5 days/month involvement.

Becoming a Maintainer
Nomination through a PR to OWNERS.md. Approval by a majority of maintainers in the area (for Area Maintainers) and by Core Maintainers (for Core Maintainers).

Emeritus Offboarding
Maintainers who become inactive for 12+ months without explanation may be transitioned to Emeritus status by decision among maintainers. Emeritus status preserves recognition without active responsibilities.

4. Decision-Making & Escalation

  • Technical decisions in each area are guided by consensus among Area Maintainers.
  • Cross-area or governance changes require Core Maintainer approval.
  • Escalation path: Contributor → Area Maintainers → Core Maintainers → CNCF TOC Liaison.

5. Inactivity Policy

Defined inactive periods:

  • Contributor: 12 months
  • Area Maintainer: 12 months
  • Core Maintainer: 12 months

Failure to meet expectations may lead to emeritus designation or removal after consensus among maintainers.

6. GitHub Permissions & Documentation

CODEOWNERS and repository permissions reflect the defined maintainers for each area. Branch protection, CI checks, and reviewer requirements are enforced to uphold governance standards.

7. Code of Conduct

Cloud Custodian follows the CNCF Code of Conduct, which is published in CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md and linked across governance and contributor documents.

8. Transparency & Updates

GOVERNANCE.md is located in the repository root. Updates are tracked in GitHub with dates and rationale.Any changes require review and approval by a majority of Core Maintainers through a pull request. This document is linked from the project’s main README and contribution guides.

Referenced files:

  • README.md
  • GOVERNANCE.md (this document)
  • OWNERS.md (area and core maintainers list)
  • CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md (CNCF Code of Conduct link)