Feature Branches are easy to make. You do not have to be a committer to make one. Just request the name of your branch be added to JIRA up on the developer's mailing list and a committer will add it for you. Thereafter you can file issues against your feature branch in Apache HBase (TM) JIRA. Your code you keep elsewhere -- it should be public so it can be observed -- and you can update dev mailing list on progress. When the feature is ready for commit, 3 +1s from committers will get your feature merged^[31]

The below policy is something we put in place 09/2012. It is a suggested policy rather than a hard requirement. We want to try it first to see if it works before we cast it in stone.

Apache HBase is made of components. Components have one or more Section 17.2.1, “Component Owner”s. See the 'Description' field on the components JIRA page for who the current owners are by component.

Patches that fit within the scope of a single Apache HBase component require, at least, a +1 by one of the component's owners before commit. If owners are absent -- busy or otherwise -- two +1s by non-owners will suffice.

Patches that span components need at least two +1s before they can be committed, preferably +1s by owners of components touched by the x-component patch (TODO: This needs tightening up but I think fine for first pass).

Any -1 on a patch by anyone vetos a patch; it cannot be committed until the justification for the -1 is addressed.