[RFC] CF API v2 End of Life

toc/rfc/rfc-draft-cfapiv2-eol.md

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+# Meta
+[meta]: #meta
+- Name: CF API v2 End of Life
+- Start Date: 2024-08-08
+- Author(s): stephanme
+- Status: Draft <!-- Acceptable values: Draft, Approved, On Hold, Superseded -->
+- RFC Pull Request: [#941](https://github.com/cloudfoundry/community/pull/941)
+
+
+## Summary
+
+CF API v2 is deprecated since at least 2021 but there is no End of Life date communicated (see [ccng #2725](https://github.com/cloudfoundry/cloud_controller_ng/discussions/2725)).
+
+This RFC shall define a plan to disable and finally remove CF API v2 from CAPI and cf-deployment.
+
+## Problem
+
+There are several issues and efforts with keeping the deprecated CF API v2 as part of CAPI and cf-deployment:
+
+- Maintenance effort in CAPI and CF API client libraries
+- CF API v2 uses a different Ruby web framework than v3 
+- Shipping an API that is not well tested anymore: CATS don’t test CF API v2
+- Performance problems especially in large foundations: metrics show that v2 requests take between 3 to 5 times as long as v3 requests on average
+- Larger cloud controller database schema refactorings/improvements are not possible or at least difficult because the same DB schema has to serve v2 and v3. This blocks performance improvements in CF API v3.
+  - Example: [ccng decision 0007-implementing-v3-roles.md](https://github.com/cloudfoundry/cloud_controller_ng/blob/main/decisions/0007-implementing-v3-roles.md)
+  - Areas where schema changes could lead to performance improvements: roles, service plan visibilities
+- More fine grained org and space roles, a recurring user request, would benefit from a DB schema migration away from the current one table per role design. Blocked as well by CF API v2.
+
+## Proposal
+
+Since CF API v2 removal is a fundamental breaking change, the removal is divided into 3 phases of about 1 year each with checkpoints in between that require TOC approval.
+If the TOC does not approve moving to the next phase, the TOC will decide a number of months to extend the current phase. Subsequent phases and the EoL date will be updated accordingly. The TOC will then re-convene after that period to again evaluate if it is appropriate to move to the next phase.
+
+**Phase 1** (starts after accepting this RFC)
+- Announce an End of Life date for CF API v2 (~ mid/end 2026).
+- Engineering work so that all cf-deployment components are built/tested/released with v2 turned off
+- Turn off CF API v2 by default in cf-deployment (set CAPI property [cc.temporary_enable_v2](https://bosh.io/jobs/cloud_controller_ng?source=github.com/cloudfoundry/capi-release&version=1.185.0#p%3dcc.temporary_enable_v2) to false). Operators may still re-enable v2.
+
+**Checkpoint 1**
+- TOC approval
+
+**Phase 2** (after Checkpoint 1, ~mid/end 2025)
+- Engineering work so that all CFF-controlled clients use v3 by default
+- Window for 3rd-party clients to complete migration to v3
+
+**Checkpoint 2**
+- TOC approval
+
+**Phase 3** (after Checkpoint 2, ~mid/end 2026)
+- Turn CF API v2 permanently off for CAPI/cf-deployment.
+- Engineering work to remove CF API v2 from CAPI.
+
+### Impact and Consequences
+
+- CF API client libraries like [cf-java-client](https://github.com/cloudfoundry/cf-java-client), [cf-goclient](https://github.com/cloudfoundry/go-cfclient) and [cf_exporter](https://github.com/cloudfoundry/cf_exporter) should plan for closing gaps in CF API v3 support and for removing their CF API v2 implementation.
+- CF CLI v6 and v7 still use CF API v2 and will stop working against foundations with disabled CF API v2. CF CLI v8 doesn’t use CF API v2 anymore (exception: CLI plugins, see next point).
+- Most CF CLI plugins rely on CF API v2. A new CF CLI plugin interface should be defined (out of scope of this RFC). However, it is possible to implement a CLI plugin without using CF API v2.
+- Cloud Foundry users and operators may use tooling and CI/CD pipelines which still rely on CF API v2 and therefore have migration efforts.
+
+CF API v2 specific rate limiting and the feature flag to disable CF API v2 completely is already implemented in CAPI.
+The [CF API v3 Upgrade Guide](https://v3-apidocs.cloudfoundry.org/index.html#upgrade-guide) helps authors of CF api clients to migrate from v2 to v3.