# BAG Architecture Review Board

## Intent of the ARB

The BAG Architecture Review Board (ARB) is intended to act as a vendor-neutral central clearing house for all activities associated with the BAG format, API, and access library. The scope of the ARB is to include:

*    Organization of new releases of the library.
*    Review of Request for Engineering (RFE) on the API or format, including new API calls, extensions to existing parts of the format, or addition of new HDF groups.
*    Resolution of Request for Fix (RFF) on the library to address any bugs reported.
*    Direction of the future development of the format, API and/or library.
*    Administration of the project’s website, Git revision control system, documentation and archives.

## Composition and Administration

The ARB shall consist of at least three people, and preferably no more than five. The initial membership of the ARB shall be nominated from within the developer group responsible for the initial development of the library and FSD. New members may be co-opted from time to time as required by a simple majority of the current members of the ARB. Membership of the ARB shall be limited to active developers of the BAG source code library. New members may be nominated by the general public at any time by sending e-mail to the development list ``navsurf_dev@ccom.unh.edu``.

RFEs and RFFs shall be accepted from any source when sent by e-mail to ``navsurf_dev@ccom.unh.edu`` as detailed in [BAG Format Extensions](FSD-Extensions.md). The ARB shall review the information in a timely manner and accept or reject the request based on a simple majority of the members. The results of the review shall be communicated to the donator on a best-effort basis and may be incorporated into intermediate or full releases of the BAG library at any point thereafter.

The ARB shall conduct its business primarily by e-mail but may from time to time sponsor physical meetings as required by current or pending RFEs and RFFs, or any other business as may be required. Meetings of this type shall be advertised on the project’s website at least two weeks in advance of the meeting date, and by e-mail to ``navsurf_general@ccom.unh.edu``. Whenever possible, the ARB shall schedule any meetings to take advantage of extant events (e.g., common-attendance hydrographic conferences) to minimize costs associated with ONS work.

## [Next: Revision Control and Code Availability](FSD-RevisionControl.md)