User:Mconnor/Past/Services Beta Channel
Overview
In order to move faster and prove out new ideas, we will create a beta channel for Mozilla Services, consisting of both new client features as well as new server-side offerings. This will be a superset of our current production offerings, with no overlap between the environments. Users will need to explicitly create accounts with revised Terms of Service to join the beta program.
Server Environment
This will be a new set of infrastructure, starting with a deployment of all of the current Services apps (excluding KeyEx, which is account-agnostic). We will treat this as an explicit opt-in sandbox, with a fully separate set of accounts, user data, and servers. It will be isolated from the production environment, and carry different Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and SLA requirements.
Client Feature Channel
Mozilla Services will use the same architecture as LabKit to create a client feature beta channel independent of the Firefox. This means that we will build new features as restartless add-ons first, and roll them out to users of the beta channel. Users of this channel will need to have an account on our beta infrastructure to make use of any client features dependent on new services or service features.
Requirements
- Capacity: In order for the userbase to be large enough to get viable feedback before making greater investment, we will aim for 100k-500k users on this channel
- Isolated environment: new services deployed in this environment will not be able to share account information or data with production services.
- Signoffs are still required: even though this is a beta channel, we are still attaching our brand. Security, Privacy and technical reviews/signoffs will be required before deploying a new service or client feature to the beta channel. These signoffs will apply a looser standard than for production-level signoffs.
- Not a prototype channel: This channel is for getting wider feedback on beta-quality features and services. Once UX and Product is satisfied that an idea is refined enough to be worth building out, we will target the beta channel.
- Exit criteria: Once a feature has been deployed to beta, adoption and usage of features, along with user feedback, will be a key factor in deciding which new services/features move to a production footing.
- Legal: We will need to define different Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, as future work may include unencrypted user data.