# RFCs **URL:** https://forum.mergetb.net/c/ideas/rfcs/16.md [Latest](https://forum.mergetb.net/latest.md) · [Categories](https://forum.mergetb.net/categories.md) · [Tags](https://forum.mergetb.net/tags.md) --- ## [About the RFCs category](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/about-the-rfcs-category/37)
**Author:** [@Ops](https://forum.mergetb.net/u/Ops)\ **Replies:** 0
Semi-formal RFCs for proposing changes or additions to the MergeTB platform. --- ## [S3 vs MinIO conundrum](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/s3-vs-minio-conundrum/167)
**Author:** [@jdbarnes](https://forum.mergetb.net/u/jdbarnes)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [August 12, 2026, 12:24am UTC](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/s3-vs-minio-conundrum/167 "2026-08-12T00:24:37Z")
In the past when MinIO was chosen as an s3 bucket implementation, it was a lot more FOSS than it is today. Today, the FOSS part of this system is slowly disappearing behind paywalls, repos, and licenses. Not just this, … --- ## [Multi-facility experiments (aka the "merge" in Merge)](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/multi-facility-experiments-aka-the-merge-in-merge/155)
**Author:** [@glawler](https://forum.mergetb.net/u/glawler)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [November 10, 2025, 2:11pm UTC](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/multi-facility-experiments-aka-the-merge-in-merge/155 "2025-11-10T14:11:53Z")
Just getting the meeting notes down. I’ll flesh this out tomorrow. Very Basic Roadmap: Multi site VTE One portal, two phobos like facilities Update raven and phobos ansible to support this Infranet Connectivity wi… --- ## [First class storage objects and artifacts](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/first-class-storage-objects-and-artifacts/146)
**Author:** [@bkocolos](https://forum.mergetb.net/u/bkocolos)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [March 6, 2025, 6:33pm UTC](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/first-class-storage-objects-and-artifacts/146 "2025-03-06T18:33:03Z")
This post proposes support for storage devices and artifacts as first class entities in Merge Conceptual Model The image below illustrates the conceptual model Let’s highlight the key components: Dedicated storage … --- ## [Degrees of Merge Unmanageability](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/degrees-of-merge-unmanageability/150)
**Author:** [@christra](https://forum.mergetb.net/u/christra)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [February 19, 2025, 10:45pm UTC](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/degrees-of-merge-unmanageability/150 "2025-02-19T22:45:58Z")
Overview of the problem For the merge appliance work, there’s some need to integrate specialized machines or black boxes (like SBCs). This has some obvious overlap with the IoT work for SPHERE. I’ve had some discussion … --- ## [Restricted account type proposal](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/restricted-account-type-proposal/143)
**Author:** [@jdbarnes](https://forum.mergetb.net/u/jdbarnes)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [May 12, 2024, 2:07am UTC](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/restricted-account-type-proposal/143 "2024-05-12T02:07:46Z")
Originally posted at SPHERE design google drive by @mirkovic, reposted here by @jdbarnes for discussion/comment Overall philosophy We may regard SPHERE users as falling into two categories: Full: Those that use SPHERE… --- ## [Bringing SR/IOV device virtualization to Merge](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/bringing-sr-iov-device-virtualization-to-merge/111)
**Author:** [@bkocolos](https://forum.mergetb.net/u/bkocolos)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [May 8, 2024, 3:34am UTC](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/bringing-sr-iov-device-virtualization-to-merge/111 "2024-05-08T03:34:47Z")
Our current Merge testbeds provide 2 methods for node and network synthesis: user nodes mapped to bare metal machines with typically very high bandwidth network devices (40/100/200 Gbps) user nodes mapped to virtual ma… --- ## [Facility side operational hardware troubleshooting](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/facility-side-operational-hardware-troubleshooting/144)
**Author:** [@jdbarnes](https://forum.mergetb.net/u/jdbarnes)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [April 26, 2024, 8:35pm UTC](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/facility-side-operational-hardware-troubleshooting/144 "2024-04-26T20:35:02Z")
Overview Purpose The purpose of this post is to discuss effective operational troubleshooting workflow from the PoV of a facility manager without portal operator/admin access. There is a particular pain point regarding m… --- ## [Dealing With Asynchrony](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/dealing-with-asynchrony/139)
**Author:** [@christra](https://forum.mergetb.net/u/christra)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [January 30, 2024, 7:59pm UTC](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/dealing-with-asynchrony/139 "2024-01-30T19:59:57Z")
MergeTB Reconciler Architecture Overview The vast majority of services for the reference MergeTB Portal and Facility operate under the design pattern known as the reconciler controller loop under a Publisher/Subscriber… --- ## [10000 Node Scaling -- We’re Going To Need To Have a Hierarchical Infranet](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/10000-node-scaling-we-re-going-to-need-to-have-a-hierarchical-infranet/134)
**Author:** [@christra](https://forum.mergetb.net/u/christra)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [March 20, 2023, 10:44pm UTC](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/10000-node-scaling-we-re-going-to-need-to-have-a-hierarchical-infranet/134 "2023-03-20T22:44:13Z")
A refresher: last week, I had thought that it was Dance’s Etcd accesses that were causing Etcd to “time out” so to say, so I implemented it using only a single key and using Minio as the actual configuration backend. Th… --- ## [Allocation Tables Implemention](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/allocation-tables-implemention/124)
**Author:** [@christra](https://forum.mergetb.net/u/christra)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [March 17, 2023, 10:57pm UTC](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/allocation-tables-implemention/124 "2023-03-17T22:57:48Z")
Links are in replies, since the forum software says that I’m a new user and new users are only allowed two links per post. How allocation tables are implemented: Start with a ResourceAllocation (#1) This stores infor… --- ## [Host Node Randomization Ideas](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/host-node-randomization-ideas/109)
**Author:** [@christra](https://forum.mergetb.net/u/christra)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [December 14, 2022, 7:43pm UTC](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/host-node-randomization-ideas/109 "2022-12-14T19:43:47Z")
While implementing the hostname constraint, I’d like to also implement host randomization options in the python xir model. This is useful from an experimental point of view and from an operational point of view to distr… --- ## [Organizations, Approvals, and Pools](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/organizations-approvals-and-pools/104)
**Author:** [@bkocolos](https://forum.mergetb.net/u/bkocolos)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [August 1, 2022, 6:01pm UTC](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/organizations-approvals-and-pools/104 "2022-08-01T18:01:00Z")
Merge v1 introduced the notion of an “Organization” to the Merge portal API. The intent is that organization maintainers can manage users as well as projects of their organization. Perhaps the primary driver behind this… --- ## [Moving Link Planning to the Portal](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/moving-link-planning-to-the-portal/71)
**Author:** [@ry](https://forum.mergetb.net/u/ry)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [November 2, 2020, 3:46am UTC](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/moving-link-planning-to-the-portal/71 "2020-11-02T03:46:27Z")
Problem Currently there is a separation of responsibility between the Merge portal and testbed facilities where the Portal computes an abstract embedding of an experiment into a network of resources - and it’s the facili… --- ## [Differential Materialization](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/differential-materialization/38)
**Author:** [@ry](https://forum.mergetb.net/u/ry)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [August 18, 2020, 9:17pm UTC](https://forum.mergetb.net/t/differential-materialization/38 "2020-08-18T21:17:47Z")
Introduction The MergeTB model of an experiment is an immutable stack of experiment versions. When a user wants to update some aspect of their experiment topology, they do so by updating the experiment source code and pu…