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NOTE: This is a draft and still needs feedback from Infra.

An overview of how Apache projects work with ASF Infrastructure (Infra) services, support, and processes.

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Purpose

ASF Infrastructure (Infra) supports the technical operations of all Apache projects, maintaining the shared systems that enable collaboration and transparency across all Apache projects. This guide helps podlings and project members understand when and how to contact Infra, what services they provide, and where responsibilities lie between Infra and the project.

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ASF Infrastructure Overview

ASF Infrastructure (Infra ) manages and maintains:

• Git and Subversion repositories and commit access
• Mailing lists and archives
• JIRA Jira and GitHub integration
• Buildbot, Jenkins, and CI systems
• Website hosting and mirrors
• Virtual machines (each project can have one)
• Authentication and identity systems (LDAP)
• dist.apache.org, and downloads.apache.org
• DNS and subdomain management
• Self-service tools for project management

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• Community over code: Infra supports collaboration, not individual preferences.
• Transparency: All work is conducted in public systems, allowing anyone to learn from past discussions.
• Meritocracy: Trusted volunteers and Professional stewardship: ASF staff manage these systems; respect their time and expertisecritical systems with accountability, openness, and respect for community needs.
• Self-service and shared responsibility: Contributors are encouraged to use ASF tools to handle tasks themselves.

ASF Infrastructure is not corporate IT. it supports a global, volunteer foundation where in which transparency and shared responsibility take priority over speed.
Infra’s role is to enable communities to work autonomously, not to manage them.

The Infrastructure team includes both full-time staff and volunteer contributors who maintain the systems on which all ASF projects rely.

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When to Contact ASF Infrastructure

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⚠️ Note on Security:
Report infrastructure-level vulnerabilities (e.g., affecting ASF servers, domains, or services) privately to the ASF Security Team, using root@infra.apache.org
Report project or code-level vulnerabilities through the project’s own security process or disclosure channel.
Do not open public Infra JIRA tickets for any security issue. See https://infra.apache.org/sensitive_info.html

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When to File an INFRA Ticket

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• A service is broken or unreachable (e.g., Jenkins, mail delivery, mirrors)
• A change is not available in Self-Serve
• Your project wants to set up a virtual machine
• You encounter a permissions or configuration issue you cannot fix
• You need assistance recovering or migrating ASF-hosted infrastructure
• You need help with Foundation-managed systems (e.g., LDAP, mirrors, or build clusters)

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Infra triages tickets based on urgency. Infra aims to respond promptly but provides no fixed service-level guarantees. Response times vary with priority, workload, and volunteer staff availability. Do not assume silence means inactivity, ; all requests are tracked and reviewed.

All Infra requests are public and archived for traceability.
ASF systems are permanent records, so write professionally and thoughtfully, knowing your comments become part of The ASF’s history.
Do not include passwords, private data, or confidential information from third parties in tickets.

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• System setup, uptime, backups, and security
• Virtual machine creation and basic functions
• Global ASF policies for access control and compliance
• Centralized authentication (LDAP, GitHub)
• Core build and distribution services

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• Code, documentation, and website content
• Build configurations and CI scripts (including GitHub Actions)
• Contributor onboarding (via PMC / roster tools)
• Installing and maintaining tools on a virtual machine
• Initiating requests through Infra or Self-Serve tools
• Ensuring PMC consensus before making Infra requests
• Compliance with ASF policies, including Brand Management, Release Policy, and Security.
• Account management for committers via id.apache.org.

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For Podlings in the Apache Incubator

Podlings should:

• Utilise Utilize ASF infrastructure early, including GitHub, mailing lists, and distribution mirrors, among others.
• Coordinate with mentors before filing Infra tickets if unsure.
• Follow ASF naming, branding, and release requirements.
• Use selfserve.apache.org for most setup tasks once established.

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Infra does not manage Incubator policy or mentor-related questions, those . Those belong to the Incubator PMC.

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• Check status.apache.org before opening a ticket.
• Use Self-Serve first, as most requests can be handled there.
• Read Infra documentation before requesting help.
• Avoid “critical” priority unless the issue is truly blocking.
• Share what you learn with your community.
• Respect time zones and volunteer staff workloads.

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Related Resources

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