TPC Policies
Version 5.18
11-Jun-2009
Transaction Processing Performance Council
P.O. Box 29920
San Francisco, CA 94129-0920
Phone: (415) 561-6272
FAX: (415) 561-6120
Email: webmaster@tpc.org
http://www.tpc.org
Section
0: Terms, Notation, and Policy Modification
2.1 Qualifications
of Membership
2.3 Rights
of Associate Members
2.4 TPC
Professional Affiliates
2.5 Procedure
for Expulsion of a Member
3.1.2 Voting
for Membership on Standing Committees.
3.1.3 Membership
Based on Member Company Affiliation
3.1.4 Attendance
for Standing Committees
3.2.1 Steering
Committee Operating Rules
3.2.2 Duties
of the Steering Committee
3.2.3 Steering
Committee Operating Procedures
3.3.3 TAB
Operating Procedures for Compliance Challenges
3.3.4 TAB
Operating Model for Interpretation Requests
3.3.5 TAB
Compliance Recommendations
3.3.6 TAB
Option for Immediate Correction or Withdrawal
3.3.6.2 Immediate
Withdrawal of Result
3.4 Public
Relations Committee
3.5.1 Benchmark
Development Subcommittees
3.5.2 Benchmark
Maintenance Subcommittees
3.5.4 Technical
Subcommittee Operating Rules
Section 4:
Meetings and Mail Ballots
4.1 Frequency
of General Meetings
4.5 Conduct
of General Meetings
4.7 Voting
Rules at General Meetings
4.9 Calendar
of Recurring Events
Section 5:
Benchmark Standards
5.1 Benchmark
Standards Requirements
5.2 Benchmark
Development Cycle
5.2.1 Step
1: Benchmark Submittal
5.2.2 Step
2: Creation of a Subcommittee
5.2.3 Step
3: Status and Direction
5.2.4 Step
4: Authorizing Public Release of Draft Specification
5.2.5 Step
5: Accepting a Standard for Review
5.2.7 Step
7: Approval for Mail Ballot
5.2.8 Step
8: Mail Ballot Approval
5.2.9 Step
9: Creation of a Maintenance Subcommittee
5.3 Revisions
to a TPC Benchmark Standard
6.2 Reporting
Processor Information
6.4 Full
Disclosure Report Requirements
6.7 Non-delivery
of an FDR and Executive Summary
6.8 Use
of Disclosed Implementation
6.12 Results
of Council Vote on TAB Recommendations.
6.14 Impact
upon Existing Results of Changes to a TPC Specification
6.15 Results
Submitted on Another Vendor's Product
7.1.3 Exceptions
to Confidentiality Rules
7.2 Communications
with the Press and Public at Large
Section 8:
Use of TPC Results and Specifications..
8.3 Fair
Use of TPC Specifications
8.4 Review
and Response to Policy Violations
9.3 Auditor
Certification Process
9.5.5 Auditor's
Decision and Appeal Process
9.5.6 Confidentiality
of Information
0.1.1 A reference to a specific clause in the Bylaws or Policies is written as “Bylaws § x.y.z” or “Policies § x.y.z”, respectively, where x.y.z is the clause number.
0.1.2 Throughout the body of this document, defined terms (see Policies § 0.2) are formatted in the same style as used in the term definition to indicate that the term has a precise meaning. For example, “Members” specifically refers to voting members of the TPC, whereas “members” does not have any special meaning.
0.2.1 ACB. Abbreviation for an Auditor Certification Board. See Policies § 9.3.6.
0.2.2 Accepted. Status of a Result after successfully completing review period. See Policies § 6.10.
0.2.3 Administrator. The TPC Administrator is responsible for day-to-day operation of the TPC and other responsibilities as defined in the Policies. See Policies § 3.2.2.5.5.
0.2.4 Affiliate. A TPC Professional Affiliate. See Policies § 2.3.
0.2.5 Alert Message. An e-mail message sent to the TPC’s alert message alias by a Test Sponsor when a Result is submitted, modified, or withdrawn. See Policies § 6.5.
0.2.6 All Members. The entire body of members including both Members and Associate Members.
0.2.7 Associate Members. Associate Members as defined in the Bylaws § 2.1.
0.2.8 Auditor. An individual certified by the TPC to verify that Results meet the requirements of the appropriate TPC Benchmark Standard. See Policies § 9.
0.2.9 Benchmark Standard. A TPC Benchmark Specification approved by the Members.
0.2.10 Bylaws. The Bylaws of the TPC.
0.2.11 Cluster. A
cluster is a distributed environment where the database workload is executing
on more than one node. A node consists
of one or more processors executing a single instance of an OS and one or more
instances of the DBMS.
0.2.12 Compliance Challenge Document. Document
containing the information required by the TAB Compliance Template. See Policies § 3.3.3.1.
0.2.13 Core. Execution Unit that is capable of running one or more Processor Threads. See Policies § 6.2.
0.2.14 Council. The Members at a General Meeting.
0.2.15 Distribute (also Distribution). Active dissemination of a document. This is typically done electronically, but
may also be accomplished by facsimile, conventional mail, courier, or other
comparable means.
0.2.16 Execution Unit. The electronic circuits necessary to implement the semantics of all possible instructions in a computer architecture. See Policies § 6.2.
0.2.17 Executive Summary. A two to four page summary of a Result that shows the configuration, Primary Metrics, performance data, and pricing details. The exact requirements for the Executive Summary are defined in each Benchmark Standard.
0.2.18 Fair Use Policy. The TPC policies governing the use of Results in publicity. See Policies § 8.2.
0.2.19 FDR. Abbreviation for a Full Disclosure Report, which must be submitted to the TPC when a Result is submitted for review.
0.2.20 Filing Fee. A fee that must be paid by a Test Sponsor to file a Result. See Policies § 6.9.
0.2.21 General Meeting. A meeting of the general membership as defined in the Bylaws § 3.5.
0.2.22 Historical Result. A Result that has been removed from the TPC Results List. See Policies § 6.3.
0.2.23 Mail Ballot. A formal, written vote by the Members. See Policies § 4.8.
0.2.24 Members. Voting members as defined in the Bylaws § 2.1.
0.2.25 Non-member Test Sponsor. A Test Sponsor who is not a Member.
0.2.26 Notify (also Notification). Active communication of information. This is typically done by e-mail, but may also be accomplished by facsimile, conventional mail, courier, or other comparable means. In the case where the Policies call for notification of the Council, notification is typically done verbally as part of the appropriate committee report.
0.2.27 Policies. The Policies of the TPC, i.e., this document.
0.2.28 Post. The action of making information (typically a document) readily accessible through the stated medium. For example, “posted to the Web Site” means the information is accessible in an appropriate location with normal hyperlinks and cross-references (i.e., not hidden or disguised).
0.2.29 Posting Date. Date on which a Result is posted to the Web Site.
0.2.30 PRC. Abbreviation for the Public Relations Committee. See Policies § 3.4.
0.2.31 Primary Metrics. The primary metrics as defined in each Benchmark Standard.
0.2.32 Primary Representative. A person designated by a Member as a Director of the Corporation as defined in the Bylaws (Article III) or by an Associate Member as a primary contact.
0.2.33 Privacy Policy. The TPC policy governing personal information collected from the public. See Policies § 7.5.2.
0.2.34 Private Web Site. The TPC Internet web site located at www.tpc.org containing TPC Confidential information available only to Members, Associate Members, and Affiliates. Access to the Private Web Site is restricted by a password.
0.2.35 Processor. A component that contains one or more Cores. See Policies § 6.2.
0.2.36 Processor Thread. The hardware necessary to maintain the state of a Software Thread. See Policies § 6.2.
0.2.37 Result. A performance test submitted to the TPC, documented by an FDR and Executive Summary submitted to the TPC, that meets the requirements of a TPC Benchmark Standard.
0.2.38 Review Period. The period of time when compliance issues can be raised against a Result. See Policies § 6.11.2
0.2.39 SC. Abbreviation for the Steering Committee. See Policies § 3.2.
0.2.40 Secondary Representative. A person designated by a Member or Associate Member
as a secondary representative of the Member or Associate Member.
0.2.41 Simple Majority. Greater than 50% of Members present.
0.2.42 Software Thread. An instruction sequence that performs operations within an address space and is scheduled by software. See Policies § 6.2.
0.2.43 Specification. A written document that describes a workload, including implementation, execution, auditing and reporting requirements. A Specification may require the use of TPC-Provided Source Code.
0.2.44 Spokesperson. The TPC Spokesperson is the primary contact with the press concerning TPC public relations. See Policies § 3.2.2.5.4.
0.2.45 Standing Committee. A permanent committee of fixed size and consisting of specific elected individuals. See Policies § 3.1.
0.2.46 Submitted for Review. Status of a Result while subject to review and challenge. See Policies § 6.10.
0.2.47 TAB. Abbreviation for the Technical Advisory Board. See Policies § 3.4.
0.2.48 Test Sponsor. A company that submits a Result. Although multiple companies may sponsor a Result together, for the purposes of the TPC’s processes the Test Sponsor must be a single company. A Test Sponsor need not be a Member. See Policies § 6.1.
0.2.49 TPC Confidential. Information that may not be disclosed outside of the TPC, Members, Associate Members, and Affiliates. See Policies § 7.1.
0.2.50 TPC-Provided Source Code. Source code provided by the TPC that implements specific functionality for a Specification.
0.2.51 TPC Results List. The list of valid and recently withdrawn TPC Results. See Policies § 6.3.
0.2.52 TPC. Abbreviation for Transaction Processing Performance Council. TPC is synonymous with “the Corporation” as used in the Bylaws.
0.2.53 Web Site. The TPC Internet web site located at www.tpc.org containing TPC information available to the public.
The following
outlines the steps for modifying the Policies.
0.3.1 Step 1: A policy modification may be proposed by any Member or Standing Committee. The proposal shall be submitted to the SC for review. The proposal must include the complete wording for the policy change.
0.3.2 Step 2: The SC shall review the proposed change and prepare a recommendation for the Council.
0.3.3 Step 3: The proposal is added to the agenda for the next General Meeting. At least five (5) working days prior to the next General Meeting, the proposal and recommendation is distributed to all Members for review.
0.3.4 Step 4: At the next General Meeting, the SC presents the proposal and its recommendation for a vote by the Council. If approved by the Council, the policy modification is effective immediately unless specified otherwise.
The TPC is a non-profit corporation founded to define transaction processing benchmarks and to disseminate objective, verifiable performance data to the industry.
The Bylaws (Article II) contain the formal definitions and requirements for membership in the TPC.
For new members, the requirements for payment of dues is established in Bylaws § 2.3 and § 2.5.
For existing Members, an annual dues notification will be mailed to the Primary Representative 60 days before the end of the calendar year. The notification will specify the amount and times of payment, as determined by the Council. Individual bills will be mailed for each payment. If payment becomes more than 60 days past due at any time, all membership rights and privileges will be terminated. This includes access to meetings, access to the Private Web Site, and Distribution of materials. Membership rights and privileges will be reinstated when the TPC receives payment.
If a company joins the TPC in the first half of the calendar year, it must pay the full annual membership dues. If a company joins the TPC in the second half of the year, it will be assessed a prorated percentage of the dues depending on how many months remain in the year. For example, if a company joins in September, they will be assessed a prorated or proportional percentage of the annual dues for the months Sept-Dec. The prorated dues process applies only to companies who were not members in the prior calendar year.
A Member of the TPC is entitled to the following:
2.2.1 Right to appoint a Director to the Board of Directors, also referred to as the Primary Representative. For all intents and purposes, Primary Representative and Director are synonymous.
2.2.2 Right to designate any number of Secondary Representatives. A Member designates a Secondary Representative by notifying the Administrator in writing with the individual’s contact information. Secondary Representatives shall have all the rights granted to the Primary Representative with the following exceptions:
2.2.2.1 A Secondary Representative may not act as a legal Director of the TPC.
2.2.2.2 A Secondary Representative may not cast the Member’s vote in a Mail Ballot.
2.2.2.3 In cases where the Bylaws or Policies require formal communication (e.g., dues notice, mail ballot, etc.) between the TPC and a Member, such communication shall be sent to the Primary Representative.
2.2.2.4 Certain TPC Confidential documents may be restricted to the Primary Representative.
2.2.3 Right of access to all internal TPC documents, including access to the Private Web Site. A Primary Representative or Secondary Representative may request that additional persons in the member company be added to TPC distribution lists or given access to TPC documents. When it is in the best interest of the TPC, some TPC Confidential documents may be restricted to Primary Representatives and only be available upon written request to the SC.
2.2.4 Right to vote on final approval of any and all proposed TPC Benchmark Standards.
2.2.5 Right to participate as a voting member of technical subcommittee activities as set forth in the Policies. Participation in technical subcommittees is voluntary and at the discretion of the Member.
2.2.6 Right of the Primary Representative or Secondary Representatives to serve on Standing Committees if duly elected.
An Associate Member of the TPC is entitled to the following:
2.3.1 Right to designate a Primary Representative.
2.3.2 Right to designate any number of Secondary Representatives. An Associate Member designates a Secondary Representative by notifying the Administrator in writing with the individual’s contact information. Secondary Representatives shall have all the rights granted to the Primary Representative with the following exceptions:
2.3.2.1 In cases where the Bylaws or Policies require formal communication (e.g., dues notice, etc.) between the TPC and an Associate Member, such communication shall be sent to the Primary Representative.
2.3.2.2 Certain TPC Confidential documents may be restricted to the Primary Representative.
2.3.3 Right of access to all internal TPC documents, including access to the Private Web Site. A Primary Representative or Secondary Representative may request that additional persons in the member company be added to TPC distribution lists or given access to TPC documents. When it is in the best interest of the TPC, some TPC Confidential documents may be restricted to Primary Representatives and only be available upon written request to the SC.
2.3.4 Right to participate as a non-voting member of technical subcommittee activities as set forth in the Policies. Participation in technical subcommittees is voluntary and at the discretion of the Associate Member.
2.4.1 Definition. TPC Professional Affiliates (Affiliates) are those individuals designated by the TPC as engaged in business activity that complements or helps fulfill the TPC's mission.
2.4.2 Qualifications. Affiliates cannot be Members or Associate Members, or appointed representatives of Members or Associate Members, and must be engaged in business activity that complements or helps fulfill the TPC's mission. Appointment of Affiliates is at the complete discretion of the TPC.
2.4.3 Types of Affiliates
2.4.3.1 Auditors and consultants are automatically granted Affiliate status when they are certified or hired, respectively.
2.4.3.2 The SC may grant Affiliate status to certain qualified individuals. The SC shall notify the Council at the next General Meeting of this action.
2.4.4 Privileges and Status, Rights, and
Restrictions
Affiliates can participate in all teleconferences and meetings.
Affiliates, by default, have open access to the TPC Confidential information that they require to conduct the activities relevant to the TPC's mission, but have no standing as TPC members to have access to all meeting and TPC Confidential information.
Affiliates have no standing in the TPC as Members and, therefore, cannot make motions or vote on motions.
Affiliates are restricted from access to TPC Confidential information and discussions, such as budgets, contracts, and other matters as deemed appropriate by the SC or Council.
2.4.5 Responsibilities. Affiliates accept the responsibility to maintain all TPC Confidential information as confidential.
2.4.6 Termination of Status. The SC may revoke Affiliate status at any time. Also, when Auditors are de-certified or when a TPC consultant’s contract expires, their Affiliate status is automatically terminated. The SC shall notify the Council at the next General Meeting of this action.
2.4.7 Payments. TPC Professional Affiliate, as the name suggests, is a privileged status granted to certain qualified individuals. In and by itself, an Affiliate is not a TPC employee or paid consultant, and the TPC will not pay, or reimburse expenses, for anyone acting in the role of affiliate. Affiliates will not pay the TPC for the appointment to Affiliate status.
If the grounds appear to exist for expulsion of a Member or Associate Member under the Bylaws § 2.13(a), the procedure set forth below shall be followed.
2.5.1 Only a Council vote can initiate the expulsion process. The motion and vote to initiate the expulsion procedure is conducted under the TPC's normal voting procedures.
2.5.2 Once the Council votes to initiate the procedure, the SC will be asked to study the issue and make a recommendation at the next General Meeting. The affected member shall be given an opportunity to be heard before the SC, either orally or in writing. The affected member may also send a letter or presentation to All Members via the Administrator.
2.5.3 Before the next General Meeting, All Members will be given 15 days prior notice of the proposed expulsion and the reasons for proposed expulsion by the Administrator. Notice shall be given by any method reasonably calculated to provide actual notice. Any notice given by mail shall be sent by first-class or registered mail to the Primary Representative.
2.5.4 At the next General Meeting after the expulsion process is initiated, the SC will present its recommendation and the Council shall discuss whether or not the member should be expelled, suspended, or sanctioned in some other way. The affected member shall be given the opportunity to be heard, either orally or in writing. The Council will then vote on whether to send out a Mail Ballot to determine whether the affected member shall be expelled.
2.5.5 If the Council votes to send out a Mail Ballot, the Members will have 30 days to respond. A decision to expel shall have immediate effect. To pass, a Mail Ballot for expulsion requires at least two-thirds of the Members to vote in favor.
2.5.6 In the event of expulsion, dues are not refunded.
Membership on all Standing Committees consists of Primary Representative and/or Secondary Representatives of Members who are formally nominated and elected in a closed ballot in the first General Meeting in a given calendar year. A Member can only have one representative on any particular Standing Committee.
Membership on all Standing Committees is based on individuals and not companies. A member company can only have one seat on a Standing Committee, with only one individual (elected by the Council) representing that company. An individual can belong to multiple Standing Committees concurrently. The Standing Committees are SC, TAB, and PRC.
Representatives on all Standing Committees are determined by a closed ballot in which the nominee(s) receiving the most votes is (are) chosen. In no case shall a representative be elected with less than a Simple Majority. In the event a run-off is necessary, the candidate with the fewest votes will be eliminated and the vote will be repeated. A Standing Committee has a chairman, elected by Simple Majority at the first General Meeting of each year. In the event a run-off is necessary, the candidate with the fewest votes will be eliminated and the vote will be repeated.
Membership on all Standing Committees is based on the election of particular individuals affiliated with the Members. If an individual's affiliation with a Member terminates, the individual's position on the committee becomes vacant. The resulting vacancy is filled through a new election at the next General Meeting.
Standing Committee meetings shall be either conducted in-person or through the use of telephone conference or similar communications equipment, as specified in the meeting notice. For in-person meetings, physical attendance by Standing Committee members at the designated location is required for purposes of establishing quorum and voting. For meeting by telephone conference, all Standing Committee members participating must be able to hear one another for purposes of establishing quorum and voting.
A Standing Committee member must be present for at least 50% of Standing Committee meeting time during the five month period prior to a General Meeting, unless the individual was first elected to the position during the five month period. Failure to do so will cause the individual's position on the Standing Committee to become vacant as of the beginning of the General Meeting. The resulting vacancy is filled through a new election at the General Meeting.
Meeting time includes both face-to-face meetings and telephone conferences. Policies §3.1.4 defines attendance for the purpose of this clause. The Standing Committee chairman is responsible for maintaining attendance records and determining compliance with this clause, subject to review of the Standing Committee in the event of any disagreement.
Enforcement of this clause will commence on March 15, 2005.
As defined by the Bylaws, the Steering Committee (SC) consists of five (5) representatives from the Members. The SC is a Standing Committee.
3.2.1.1 Quorum. At least three (3) SC members must be present for the SC to conduct business.
3.2.1.2 Voting. All motions in the SC are passed by a Simple Majority.
3.2.1.3 Non-recusal. A member of the SC can vote on any motion in the SC, even if the member’s company is involved in the issue/request.
3.2.1.4 Meetings. Regular teleconference meetings will be scheduled every week, or as necessary to meet the current workload requirements.
3.2.2.1 Direction. The SC assures that an overall direction is in place for the TPC. The SC will propose for Council approval implementation plans for achieving the direction. Tracking TPC activities against implementation plans will be an ongoing responsibility of the SC. Annual direction statement and implementation plans are to be in place by the end of each calendar year for the upcoming year.
3.2.2.2 Subcommittees. The SC may propose subcommittees and workgroups, as needed with their task assignments and select members for the subcommittees, but the definition, duration, and selection must be approved by the Council. In order to drive subcommittee activity, the SC may require task definition from the subcommittee chairman within 30 days of initiation of a subcommittee. Each subcommittee will present a brief report at each General Meeting and a formal written subcommittee report can be requested by the SC on an annual basis at the final General Meeting each year.
3.2.2.3 Officers of the TPC. As defined in the Bylaws, the duties of officers of the TPC, President and Chief Executive Officer, Secretary, and Chief Financial Officer, reside in the SC. The chairman of the SC is the legal representative of the TPC. Therefore, SC duties include responsibilities for assuring the minutes of all General Meetings are published and that accurate financial records are maintained.
3.2.2.4 Banking. The SC is responsible for establishing banking agreements and practices for money management for the TPC.
3.2.2.5 Support Organizations. The SC selects and recommends support organization(s) for the TPC to accomplish administrative, legal and accounting functions. Each of the support activities will be managed directly by the SC. The SC is to assure that the following minimal functions are accomplished by itself or these support organizations:
3.2.2.5.1 Administrative. Provide day-to-day administrative support for the TPC, including: meeting preparation, arrangement, and logistics; recording and posting of minutes of General Meetings; mail ballots; teleconference preparation and logistics and minutes; maintenance of records of all TPC activities and transactions; maintenance of master copy of any TPC Specification and Benchmark Standard; distribution of materials internally to the members; contact point for all TPC correspondence; chairing General Meetings; collecting membership dues and retaining in TPC account; paying external organizations and receiving payment from external organizations; and maintaining accurate financial records of expenses and income.
3.2.2.5.2 Legal. Represent the legal interests of the TPC, including: securing of corporate status; tax exemption; reviewing all legal agreements between members and the TPC; and reviewing all legal agreements between the TPC and other outside organizations.
3.2.2.5.3 Accounting. Compile accounting reviews and reports, including: preparing and submitting tax returns; publishing financial report; and compiling financial statements of corporate income and expenses.
3.2.2.5.4 Spokesperson. The TPC Spokesperson (Spokesperson) is the primary contact with the press concerning TPC public relations. This person is also responsible for public relations and coordinating with the SC and the PRC.
3.2.2.5.5 Administrator. The TPC Administrator (Administrator) is the primary contact for business within the TPC. The role of Administrator shall be carried out by either an individual or an organization.
The SC's operating procedures are:
3.2.3.1 All SC meetings are open to Members. An agenda is posted to the Private Web Site.
3.2.3.2 The SC maintains a running list of issues for SC consideration. This list is attached with minutes of the SC meetings.
3.2.3.3 Each SC meeting has minutes posted to the Private Web Site. The minutes capture actions taken and decisions reached in the SC meetings.
3.2.3.4 SC decisions and/or actions that require Council approval are posted to the Private Web Site at least five working days prior to presentation at a General Meeting.
3.2.3.5 Input on any open issues and/or suggestions for items to be considered by the SC is open to All Members at all times. Use of facsimile, mail, or e-mail is sufficient to allow input to be received by any or all members of the SC. Each General Meeting will have a session devoted to discussing SC status and issues.
3.2.3.6 The above formalization is not intended to limit the SC. Some issues will require resolution within the one week between an announced agenda and the next SC meeting. These items will be documented after decisions are reached, since time does not allow input in the mode of formal agenda and open issues as described. The intent is to keep these actions to a minimum, but the SC must have flexibility to react when needed.
The Technical Advisory Board (TAB) consists of seven (7) representatives from the Members. The TAB is a Standing Committee. The TAB hears arguments on both sides of interpretation and compliance issues and makes recommendations in the form of motions to the Council. The Council then makes binding decisions.
The TAB shall provide to the Council a statement
of the issues brought to the TAB as well as
recommendation(s) for resolution with rationale for the recommendations.
3.3.1 TAB Charter. The TAB is responsible for providing analysis, definition and recommended resolution to requests for interpretations and compliance questions to Benchmark Standards.
3.3.2.1 Quorum. At least four (4) TAB members must be present for the TAB to conduct business.
3.3.2.2 Voting. All motions in the TAB are passed by a Simple Majority.
3.3.2.3 Non-recusal. A member of the TAB can vote on any motion in the TAB, even if the member’s company is involved in the issue/request.
3.3.2.4 Meetings. Regular teleconference meetings will be scheduled every two weeks, or as necessary to meet the current workload requirements. The TAB will meet concurrently with technical subcommittees during regular business meetings.
The TAB will conduct business using the following procedures when handling compliance challenges.
3.3.3.1 Receive (by TAB chairman) the Compliance Challenge Document containing information dictated by the Compliance Template provided on the Private Web Site.
3.3.3.2 The member company raising the compliance issue (challenger) distributes the Compliance Challenge Document to both the TAB chairman and the Primary Representative of the Test Sponsor involved. The TAB chairman will note and log the submission of the issue but will not immediately schedule the issue for TAB review.
3.3.3.3 The Test Sponsor whose benchmark Results are in question has seven days to respond in writing to the member who submitted the issue.
3.3.3.4 If the challenger and the Test Sponsor agree that more than seven days are needed to respond to the issue, the challenger must notify the TAB chairman of the new schedule. The TAB chairman will extend the seven-day period appropriately.
3.3.3.5 If the issue is resolved via the above communication without changes to the FDR, the challenger notifies the TAB chairman that the issue has been resolved and provides the specific details. The issue is not added to the TAB work list.
3.3.3.6 If the Test Sponsor’s response to the issue does not resolve the issue to the satisfaction of the challenger or changes were made to the FDR, the issue will be scheduled for the review process of the TAB. The initial response to the issue will be forwarded to the TAB for inclusion in the review process. The Compliance Challenge Document will also be posted to the Private Web. When the issue is schedule for discussion, the Primary Representatives will be notified of the agenda and web site location of the Compliance Challenge Document. Any interested Members may request of the TAB chairman that they be included in communications sent to the TAB on this issue.
3.3.3.7 If the Test Sponsor does not respond to the issue within the agreed period of time (see Policies § 3.3.3.3 and 3.3.3.4), the issue will be scheduled for the review process of the TAB.
3.3.3.8 If the issue is not resolved, the TAB will review the issue for merit and vote on accepting or rejecting the request at the next conference call/meeting.
3.3.3.9 A conference call/meeting time will be scheduled for discussion of the issue. At this discussion, the challenger and the Test Sponsor will be requested to present their arguments.
3.3.3.10 Further discussion by the TAB (if needed) will occur until a recommendation for resolution vote passes by the TAB. The TAB will post the recommendation to the Private Web Site and notify All Members and Auditors. This recommendation(s) will be presented to the TPC for vote at a General Meeting.
3.3.3.11 If the challenger fails to attend the scheduled TAB conference call/meeting, the question of compliance will be dropped. If the Test Sponsor fails to attend, the TAB will develop the recommendation resolution based on the information available to the TAB.
3.3.3.12 The procedure and rules for the TAB processing a challenged Result is described in the Policies § 6.11 and 6.12.
The TAB will conduct business under the following model when handling interpretation requests
3.3.4.1 Receive (by TAB chairman) request containing information dictated by the Interpretation Template provided on the Private Web Site.
3.3.4.2 Distribute request to TAB members, post to the Private Web Site, and notify All Members.
3.3.4.3 Add the issue to the TAB work list and schedule discussion.
3.3.4.4 The TAB will provide a ruling, which will be binding until the Council votes on the TAB recommendation. The TAB will post the ruling to the Private Web Site and notify All Members.
3.3.4.5 The TAB will present the ruling at the next General Meeting as a recommendation to the Council for ratification. If the Council does not approve the recommendation, the TAB ruling expires.
3.3.5.1 If the TAB finds that a Result failed to satisfy one or more Benchmark Standard requirements, the TAB will recommend to the council that either: (1) the Result has an insignificant deviation from the Benchmark Standard or (2) the Result is non-compliant.
3.3.5.2 Non-compliance is recommended to the council if and only if the TAB finds that at least one of the following conditions is applicable:
§ Failure to satisfy one or more requirements of the Benchmark Standard that results in incorrect operation of the functions in the business environment the benchmark represents (e.g. Transparency, ACID) regardless of the impact on the primary metrics.
§ Failure to meet any of the following items: Audit, Availability, Orderability, Clause 0.2, and requirements applied to any Numerical Quantities listed in the Executive Summary.
§ The aggregate effect of one or more violations results in more than a 2% difference in price/performance or performance metrics.
§ There is an excessive number of clauses violated even though the aggregate difference in price/performance or performance primary metrics is less than or equal to 2%.
§ A violation against the same clause language has been voted twice before for the same Test Sponsor within the two year period prior to the result’s submission date.
3.3.5.3 If a non-compliance or insignificant deviation recommendation does not result from the TAB review, the Council will be informed of the TAB findings during the next General Meeting. Any Member who disagrees with the TAB’s findings may move that the Result is in non-compliance or insignificant deviation. This motion from the floor must be made at the time of the TAB report to the Council. Only information presented during the TAB discussion may be used during the General Meeting.
3.3.5.4 The TAB shall make its recommendation on compliance
objections filed against a Result as
expeditiously as possible; the Council must be
able to vote on the TAB recommendation no later
than the second General Meeting after the
challenge was submitted. If there is no
vote, the Result achieves Accepted status.
Rationale: The intent of this clause is that a Test
Sponsor's Result receives expeditious Council attention, and that there be a limited time
during which a Result remains in review.
To prevent harm to the integrity and acceptance of Results, the TAB can encourage prompt corrective action on the part of a Test Sponsor through the following actions.
3.3.6.1.1 Whenever the TAB determines that a Result is in "non-compliance”, it has the option of stipulating a deadline for the Test Sponsor to correct the problem. The TAB selects the deadline to be reasonably attainable based on the information it has heard and its own assessment, but as early as possible in order to protect the integrity of Results.
3.3.6.1.2 If the Test Sponsor meets the deadline and the TAB is satisfied with the correction, the TAB reports this at the next General Meeting.
3.3.6.1.3 Should the Test Sponsor not meet the deadline, or if it does but the TAB is dissatisfied with the correction, the TAB will vote to recommend that the Test Sponsor be found to have committed a Level 3 ("Major") policy violation, as described in the Policies § 8.4.
3.3.6.1.4 In accordance with standard policy procedures, the Council will vote on the TAB's recommendation on "non-compliance”, and also conduct a separate vote on the TAB recommendation on the policy violation.
After the TAB has found a Result to be non-compliant, the TAB may take a separate action to initiate immediate withdrawal of the Result. If the TAB votes that the Result should be immediately withdrawn, this recommendation will be forwarded to the SC. The SC must vote to approve the immediate withdrawal. If the TAB and SC both vote in favor of immediate withdrawal, the result will be immediately withdrawn by the Administrator as a category #3 withdrawal (see Policies § 6.13.2.3).
The Public Relations Committee (PRC) consists of five (5) representatives from the Members. The PRC is a Standing Committee. The PRC makes recommendations in the form of motions to the Council. The Council then makes binding decisions.
3.4.1 PRC Charter. The PRC is responsible for promoting the TPC, its charter, and its activities in the public arena; encouraging use of TPC benchmarks; working with the press for the advancement of the TPC and its public image; and helping to recruit new members.
3.4.2 PRC Operating Rules
3.4.2.1 Quorum. At least three (3) PRC members must be present for the PRC to conduct business.
3.4.2.2 Voting. All motions in the PRC are passed by a Simple Majority.
3.4.2.3 Non-recusal. A member of the PRC can vote on any motion in the PRC, even if the member’s company is involved in the issue/request.
3.4.2.4 Meetings. Regular teleconference meetings will be scheduled every two weeks, or as necessary to meet the current workload requirements.
3.4.3 PRC Operating Model. The PRC will conduct business under the following model.
3.4.3.1 Interact with the Administrator and/or the Spokesperson on behalf of All Members.
3.4.3.2 Provide initiative in dealing with the press and the public.
3.4.3.3 Work out the details on implementing publicity items delegated by the Council, the SC, or on items recommended by the Administrator or the Spokesperson.
3.4.4 Voting on PRC recommendations. Any materials produced by the PRC that are intended to be viewed by the public must be presented to the Council for approval.
3.5.1.1 General. A development subcommittee is the working forum within the TPC for development of a Specification. Throughout the benchmark development and approval process, the subcommittee owns the Specification and drives it to completion. The number of active development subcommittees is determined by the Council based on need.
3.5.1.2 Auditor Exam. The development subcommittee is responsible for the development of an auditor exam for the Benchmark Standard (see Policies § 9.3.2).
3.5.1.3 TPC-Provided Source Code. The development subcommittee owns the TPC-Provided Source Code that is part of a Specification and is responsible for its completion. This work must be performed in accordance with the procedures outlined in Clause 5.4.
3.5.2.1 General. A maintenance subcommittee is the working forum within the TPC for developing and recommending changes to an approved TPC Benchmark Standard. If a Test Sponsor has a suggested change to the wording of a Specification that would help clarify the specification in the next revision and is not a compliance issue, the maintenance subcommittee will handle this suggestion. If the Test Sponsor wants a ruling whether a certain implementation is compliant with the current Benchmark Standard, the TAB will handle this request.
A maintenance subcommittee may make recommendations to the Council to change the benchmark Specification. Maintenance subcommittee recommendations may include changes in wording of the Specification(s) for clarity, interpretations, closing a "loophole" or actual change in intent.
The maintenance subcommittee will have the final responsibility for creating a new version of a Specification to be submitted to the Council for approval. The maintenance subcommittee may also document any implementations of the benchmark it considers valid. This documentation will be attached to the Specification.
3.5.2.2 Auditor Exam. The maintenance subcommittee is responsible for maintaining an auditor exam (see Policies § 9.3.2).
3.5.2.3 TPC-Provided Source Code. The maintenance subcommittee is responsible for the maintenance of any TPC-Provided Source Code that is part of a Benchmark Standard. This work must be performed in accordance with the procedures outlined in Clause 5.4.
Membership on a technical subcommittee is voluntary with approval by Simple Majority of the Council. Subcommittee membership requires commitment by the member company to provide a working representative throughout the modification, development, and approval of the standard. Each Member is entitled to one voting representative on each technical subcommittee. At least eight Members must be represented on each development subcommittee, and at least five Members must be represented on each maintenance subcommittee. The chairman is elected by Simple Majority at the first General Meeting of each year. In the event a run-off is necessary, the candidate with the fewest votes will be eliminated and the vote will be repeated.
3.5.4.1 Quorum. At least one-third of the voting members of a technical subcommittee must be present to conduct business.
3.5.4.2 Voting. All technical motions in technical subcommittees must pass by a two-thirds majority of the "yes" and “no" votes cast, with abstentions not counting. At least a quorum of the subcommittee must vote "yes" or "no" or the motion fails. All procedural motions in the subcommittee are passed by Simple Majority.
Comment: Using two-thirds majority of yes and no votes with abstentions not counting in technical subcommittee ensures that technical subcommittees proceed with a strong consensus among subcommittee members concerned with the issue. If a strong consensus cannot be generated, the subcommittee should keep working until that consensus is gained. Motions to discuss technical content are procedural and are passed by Simple Majority.
3.5.4.3 Meetings. Technical subcommittee meetings occur in conjunction with General Meetings, or by conference call or in face-to-face meetings between General Meetings.
3.5.4.4 Attendance
at Meetings. Technical subcommittee
meetings shall be either conducted in-person or through the use of telephone
conference or similar communications equipment, as specified in the meeting
notice. For face-to-face meetings
(either in conjunction with General Meetings or
between General
Meetings), physical attendance by
technical subcommittee members at the designated location is required for
purposes of establishing quorum and voting.
For meeting by telephone conference, all technical subcommittee members
participating must be able to hear one another for purposes of establishing
quorum and voting.
3.5.4.5 Suspension of Voting Rights. A subcommittee member who is absent from two or more consecutive face-to-face meetings loses the right to vote on subcommittee matters. The member's voting rights are automatically reinstated when the member attends a subcommittee meeting upon adjournment of that meeting.
The time and location of meetings of the Board of Directors, called General Meetings, shall be determined and approved by a Simple Majority of the Council. In general, the Council will attempt to meet on a bimonthly schedule with six (6) meetings each year and attempt to set the time and location at least six months in advance.
Attire at all TPC meetings is informal.
The TPC will attempt to rotate meetings between locations in the west, center and east portions of the United States, with one international meeting scheduled per year.
Travel, lodging, and all other costs associated with attendance at TPC meetings are the responsibility of the attendees. The TPC may, at the discretion of the SC, pay for some meetings expenses on an exceptional basis.
General Meetings shall be conducted in accordance with documented Bylaws and Policies. In situations not covered by documented Bylaws and Policies, Robert's Rules of Order shall apply.
4.5.1 Meeting Minutes
The Administrator is responsible for recording and posting the minutes of the General Meetings. Any written presentation, visual aid, or document presented by a Member at a General Meeting must be provided to the Administrator prior to presentation for inclusion in the meeting minutes. Any Member may request the exclusion of material from the minutes; a decision by the Council to exclude material from the minutes shall be determined by a Simple Majority vote. Adobe Acrobat PDF and HTML are common formats for exchange of such documents; however, arrangements can be made with the administrator for alternate formats such as Microsoft PowerPoint, if convenient for both parties. Materials updated during presentation must also be provided by the end of the meeting.
This section refers to the duties and conduct of chairmen elected within the TPC.
4.6.1 Participation of Chairman in Discussion. The chairman must tell
the group when he is placing himself on the list of people to be recognized. If
there are restrictions imposed on the number of times or length of time a
person may speak on an issue, the chairman must adhere to the same restrictions. The chairman, and the General
Meeting chairman in particular, facilitates group discussion
and should be very selective in participating in discussion.
4.6.2 Motions from Chairman. A chairman, other than the chairman of the General Meeting,
may recognize himself to make a motion, but should encourage the motions to
come from the subcommittee. The chairman of the General
Meeting may not make a motion.
4.6.3 Summary of Group Decisions. The chairman may summarize the decisions of
the group to facilitate discussion in his role as chairman.
4.6.4 Voluntary Temporary Replacement of Chairman.
The chairman may voluntarily step down
during discussion of an issue. The temporary replacement (chairman pro tem)
shall be nominated and elected by the group. The chairman pro tem is
elected by Simple Majority. In the event a run-off is necessary, the
candidate with the fewest votes will be eliminated and the vote will be
repeated. At the conclusion of the discussion of the
issue, the chairman pro tem will transfer the chairmanship back to the normal
group chairman.
4.6.5 Involuntary Temporary Replacement of Chairman.
The chairman may be temporarily
replaced by the group when there is a real or perceived conflict of interest by
the chairman in the issue being
considered. This shall be a Simple Majority
decision. The temporary replacement
(chairman pro tem) shall be nominated and elected by the group. The
chairman pro tem is elected by Simple Majority. In the event a run-off is necessary, the
candidate with the fewest votes will be eliminated and the vote will be repeated.
At the conclusion of the discussion of the issue, the chairman pro tem will
transfer the chairmanship back to the normal group chairman.
The following voting rules shall apply at a General Meeting:
|
Motion Pertains To |
Voting Rule |
Reference |
|
election
of individuals to Standing Committees |
Candidates
receiving most votes, but at least a Simple
Majority |
Policies § 3.1.2 |
|
approval
of members on Technical Subcommittees |
Simple Majority |
Policies § 3.5.3 |
|
election
of chairman for Standing Committees and Technical Subcommittees |
Simple Majority |
Policies § 3.1.2 and Policies § 3.5.3 |
|
time
and location of General Meetings |
Simple Majority |
Policies § 4.1 |
|
revocation
of Auditor certification |
Simple Majority |
Policies § 9.3.10 |
|
non-compliance
of a Result |
Simple Majority |
Bylaws § 3.5 (e)(1) |
|
policy
violation |
Simple Majority |
Bylaws § 3.5 (e)(1) |
|
exclusion
of presentation material from meeting minutes |
Simple Majority |
Policies § 4.5.1 |
|
All
other motions |
Two-thirds
as defined as a Super Majority in Bylaws |
Bylaws § 3.5 (e) |
For convenience, the following definitions are included from Bylaws § 3.5(e):
A Super Majority is defined as two-thirds of the Directors present and voting, excluding abstentions. A Simple Majority is defined as greater than 50% of Members present and voting. Except as otherwise provided in the Articles, in these Bylaws, or by law, every act or decision done or made by a Super Majority at a meeting duly held at which a quorum is present is the act of the Board.
4.8.1 Certain decisions require a Mail Ballot, specifically: adoption of a standard or a major revision to a standard (Bylaws § 6.6), amendment of the Bylaws (Bylaws § 6.4), and expulsion of a member (Policies § 2.5.4). Other decisions may be put to a Mail Ballot, at the discretion of the Council.
4.8.2 Process for Conducting a Mail Ballot
4.8.2.1 Authorization. A Mail Ballot is authorized by a vote of the Council. The Council motion to authorize a mail ballot must include the complete and final text of the ballot in accordance with Policies § 4.8.2.4.
4.8.2.2 Eligibility. Only Members at the time the Council authorizes a Mail Ballot are eligible to vote. The number of votes needed to approve a Mail Ballot is relative to the number of eligible Members at the time the ballot is authorized and does not change after that.
4.8.2.3 Distribution. The Administrator shall distribute the Mail Ballot in written form to the Primary Representatives of all Members within seven days of authorization. In addition, the Mail Ballot shall be posted on the Private Web Site.
4.8.2.4 Format. A Mail Ballot shall follow the form and structure shown below.
|
TPC Mail
Ballot |
|
|
Title of ballot measure: |
<title> |
|
Purpose of Mail
Ballot: □
Adoption of a New Standard □
Adoption of a Major Revision to an existing Standard □
Amendment of the Bylaws □
Expulsion of a Member □
Other: <describe purpose if
not one of the above choices> |
|
|
Question: |
<question being put to the membership; must be in the form of
a yes or no question> |
|
Date authorized: |
Month Day, Year |
|
Voting closes at: |
Month Day, Year, 11:59PM Pacific
Civil Time (note:
for Adoption or Revision of a Standard, voting will close early when at least
two-thirds of eligible members have voted in favor or more than one-third
have voted against) |
|
Number of Members eligible to vote: |
<number> |
|
Number of votes required for ballot to |
<number> “N/A” (See Policies §
4.8.3) |
|
Number of YES votes needed for approval: |
<number> “two-thirds of votes cast” (See Policies §
4.8.3) |
|
Members eligible to vote: |
<list of all Members
eligible
to vote> |
|
Voting
Form |
|
|
To cast your ballot,
complete the following and send to the TPC administrator. TPC
Member _________________ votes _________ ( YES / NO / ABSTAIN ) on the Mail
Ballot titled “<title>”. Signature
of Primary Representative:
____________________ (if
sent by email, signature is replaced by sending from Date
and time: _____________________ |
|
4.8.2.5 Voting. Votes must be cast in written form, including, but not limited to, hardcopy, fax, or email. Votes must be received by the Administrator before the closing date and time specified in the ballot. Votes must be cast by the Primary Representative. In the case of hardcopy or fax, the ballot must be signed. In the case of email, the ballot must be sent from the Primary Representative’s email account on record with the TPC. A Primary Representative may change his company’s vote at any time before the ballot closes by submitting another ballot. The Member’s vote will be based on the last valid ballot submitted. The Administrator will acknowledge receipt of each vote cast by the end of the next business day by sending email to the Primary Representative indicating how the ballot was cast or that there was a problem with the ballot that invalidated it.
4.8.2.6 Confidentiality. Prior to the vote closing, certain information is secret; specifically, who has voted, how they have voted, and the current tally shall be kept secret by the Administrator. Other information is not secret; specifically, the total number of qualified ballots received is not secret and shall be made available upon request and posted on the Private Web Site.
4.8.2.7 Certification. The results for a Mail Ballot are certified by the SC. After the vote closes, the Administrator shall announce the results, including how each Member voted, to All Members. Any Member who believes that his vote was incorrectly recorded may file a protest with the SC. A protest must be filed within seven days of announcement of the results. The SC will resolve protests by examining the record of ballots. The SC will certify the Mail Ballot results as soon as practical after the protest period ends. Once certified by the SC, the Mail Ballot result is final. The SC will inform All Members of the final result once it is certified.
4.8.3 The following table summarizes the timeline and voting thresholds for Mail Ballots:
|
Mail
Ballot Pertains To |
Time
to respond to mail ballot |
Responses
needed for ballot to be valid |
Votes
needed to pass |
|
Expulsion |
30 days (Policies § 2.5.5) |
N/A |
Two-thirds of the Members
(Policies
§ 2.5.5) |
|
Approval of standard or major revision |
As soon as votes are decisive, but not more
than 60 days. (Bylaws
§ 6.6) |
Two-thirds of the eligible directors (Bylaws § 6.6) |
Two-thirds of those submitting a ballot (Bylaws § 6.6) |
|
Amendment of Bylaws |
As specified by the Council |
N/A |
Two-thirds of the directors (Bylaws § 6.4) |
|
Any other matter |
As specified by the Council |
As specified by the Council, but not less than
quorum for a meeting. (Bylaws
§ 3.5 (d)) |
As specified by the Council, but not less than
the thresholds set in Policies § 4.7. |
Following
is the calendar of the TPC
recurring events. These periodic events are collected here for ease
of reference; in case of a conflict precedence is given to the referenced
clauses:
|
Event |
Due Date or Frequency |
Calendar Date |
Reference |
|
Election of
individuals to Standing Committees |
First General
Meeting
of the calendar year |
Typically February |
Policies
§ 3.1.1 |
|
Annual budget |
Before the dues are
set and Members notified |
October meeting |
Policies
§ 2.1.1 |
|
Annual report |
No more than 120
days after the close of the fiscal year |
October 28* |
Bylaws
§ 5.2 |
|
Statement of
transaction or indemnification |
With annual report |
October 28* |
Bylaws
§ 5.3 |
|
Dues notification |
60 days before the
end of the calendar year |
November 1 |
Policies
§ 2.1.1 |
|
Written
subcommittee Report |
Final General
Meeting
of
the calendar year |
Typically December |
Policies
§ 3.2.2.2 |
|
Annual direction
statement and implementation plans |
By the end of the
calendar year |
December 31 |
Policies
§ 3.2.2.1 |
|
Notification of the Members’ right to receive
a financial report |
Annually |
December 31 |
Bylaws
§ 5.2 |
|
Time and location
of each General Meeting |
At least 6 months
in advance |
|
Policies
§ 4.1 |
* assumes close occurs at the end of the fiscal year on
June 30
5.1.1 Name. The name of any benchmark standard shall begin with the letters “TPC” to clearly identify the standard as belonging to the Transaction Processing Performance Council. A suffix is then added to uniquely identify the TPC standard.
5.1.2 Primary Metrics. Each standard must define Primary Metrics selected to represent the workload being measured. The Primary Metrics must include both performance and price/performance metrics.
5.1.3 Audit. All benchmark standards must include auditing requirements.
5.1.4 Full Disclosure Report. All benchmark standards must include Executive Summary and FDR requirements.
5.1.5 Benchmark Versions. The first version of a Benchmark Standard is Version 1.0.0. New versions of a Benchmark Standard will use the versioning methodology defined in Policies § 5.3.
The following outlines the steps for submitting a benchmark proposal and securing approval.
Member companies will submit a draft standard specification in a format similar to TPC Benchmark Standards. The proposal is submitted to the Council and is forwarded to the SC for consideration. The SC will review the contents, applicability and potential of the proposal and present a recommendation back to the Council, identifying advantages/disadvantages and proposed course of action. The Council must then vote to formally accept the proposal for future work.
Given the acceptance of the proposal for future work, the Council will then establish and empower a subcommittee to develop a formal benchmark Specification. To speed-up the benchmark development cycle, the Subcommittee is empowered to brief non-members on their benchmark in order to obtain timely feedback.
At each General Meeting the subcommittee will provide a status update on its work, including a working draft of the Specification. During the General Meeting the Council may provide direction and feedback to the subcommittee to further their work.
If it deems it advisable, the Council may authorize the release of a draft Specification to the public. The principal goals of releasing a draft specification are to encourage companies to implement the draft Specification, to gather more experimental data, and to speed-up the approval of a Specification. Companies are strictly prohibited from publicizing results on this draft Specification for marketing and/or competitive purposes. Results on a draft Specification, whether referencing TPC or not, may not appear in any of the company's marketing literature, press releases, press conferences, or advertising. Any violation of this policy will be considered a major violation of the Fair Use Policy.
Within the purpose of the procedure as outlined above, companies are encouraged to run the draft Specification, document the results, and discuss the results with All Members and customers. Companies may also publish technical articles or make presentations to industry conferences in which they discuss results. However, these articles/presentations are bound by the same restrictions as cited above: they cannot be used for marketing or competitive purposes.
Note: Companies are reminded that this draft Specification is not a Benchmark Standard, and companies must adhere fully to all the provisions and restrictions of the Fair Use Policy. Only results published in accordance with a Benchmark Standard are considered TPC Results and can be publicized as such.
When the subcommittee feels that the Specification is of sufficient quality to be considered for formal review and approval, it will submit the Specification to the Council for approval to advance into formal review.
During this phase, the Specification will be made available to All Members and the public for formal review. All comments and proposed changes generated from the review will be posted to the Private Web Site and considered by the subcommittee for resolution.
The subcommittee will propose resolution of comments from the formal review as an updated Specification to All Members for approval by the Council. The Council approves the updated Specification by voting to send the Specification out for Mail Ballot.
To become a Benchmark Standard, the Specification must be approved by a Mail Ballot in accordance with Policies § 4.8. In the event the Mail Ballot is not approved, the development subcommittee will be automatically dissolved at the conclusion of the next General Meeting if the Council does not authorize continued work.
At the next General Meeting after a TPC Specification has been approved by Mail Ballot, the Council will establish a corresponding maintenance subcommittee, which will automatically supersede the development subcommittee.
Results on different versions of a TPC Benchmark Standard are considered comparable unless the Council stipulates to the contrary. If the Council stipulates that Results on a new version are not comparable to Results on an older version, the Council will also stipulate any restrictions for publicly comparing older version Results with newer version Results.
5.3.1 If a Specification includes TPC-Provided Source Code, the TPC-Provided Source Code must use the same version numbering as the Specification and the versions must match for a published result.
5.3.2 There are three types of revisions:
5.3.2.1 Third Tier Revision. Third tier changes are only those changes that clarify some confusing or ambiguous area of the Specification but do not change the workload or Specification's intent or meaning. A new version with third tier revisions is denoted by incrementing the value in the second decimal place after the major revision number. For example, a third tier revision to Version 1.2.3 is Version 1.2.4. Third tier revisions include the following:
§ Insignificant editorial changes (i.e., changes that don't change the meaning of the specification)
§ TAB interpretations
§ Variants (like TPC-H SQL variants)
A Benchmark Standard version resulting from a third tier revision is available immediately for publication upon approval by the Council.
5.3.2.2 Minor Revision. Minor revision changes are those which alter the workload, intent, and/or meaning of the Specification, but in such a way that new Results are still comparable to the prior version. A change is defined as "minor" or "major" depending on whether the Results are comparable with the older version of the Specification. A new version with minor revision changes is denoted by incrementing the value in the first decimal place after the major revision number and setting lower order positions to zero. For example, a minor revision to Version 1.2.3 is Version 1.3.0. Minor revisions include the following:
§ Changes to the Specification that have an impact on how Test Sponsors implement the benchmark
§ Additional requirements
A Benchmark Standard version resulting from a minor revision is available immediately for publication upon approval by the Council.
5.3.2.3 Major Revision. Major revision changes are those which are so significant to the workload or intent of the Specification as to make Results from this new version incomparable with the older version. A new version with major revision changes is denoted by incrementing the value in the left most position of the version number and setting lower order positions to zero. For example, a major revision to Version 1.2.3 is Version 2.0.0.
A new version with major revision changes must be approved by a Mail Ballot in accordance with Policies § 4.8. A new version with major revision changes is available immediately for publication upon approval by a Mail Ballot, unless a later date is set in the Mail Ballot. If the version includes significant changes to the audit requirements, or the changes can potentially introduce new technologies and products to the benchmark implementation, the Council may choose to require the recertification of the Auditors in accordance with Policies § 9.3 before they can audit the new version of the benchmark. The Council must make the decision to require recertification before or at the time they vote to send the proposed version for Mail Ballot approval.
5.3.3 Obsolescence of Older Versions of a Benchmark Standard. The version of a Benchmark Standard immediately prior to an approved version will become obsolete 60 days after the date the newer version is first available for publication. The Council may choose to set a later obsolescence date. Results may not be published on an obsolete version of the Benchmark Standard.
5.3.4 Changes to a TPC specification are to be posted to the Web Site and All Members, Auditors, and benchmark subscribers notified. The Maintenance subcommittee will produce a document listing the changes from the prior version.
5.4.1
Development and maintenance activities for TPC-Provided Source Code must follow the process
outlined in the following clauses.
5.4.2 To facilitate bug tracking, the TPC provides a bug tracking tool via a web based interface accessible to Members. Non-Members can submit problems to the TPC via email to the TPC administrator (or through other mechanisms as defined by the Council).
5.4.3 Members are encouraged to report problems to the TPC in a timely fashion.
5.4.4 Problem reports will be classified as one of the following:
· Portability: A problem that prevents the operation of a benchmark on a specific platform. This includes any problem that arises out of a change in platform (compiler, OS, hardware), (i.e. v1.0.0 compiles fine on OS v1.x but fails on OS v2.x)
· Logic error: A problem that prevents the proper operation of the benchmark. This includes any problem that arises out of a change in the version of the TPC-Provided Source Code (i.e. v1.0.0 works fine, but v1.0.1 fails to operate properly).
· Feature/Enhancement: A request for new (or enhanced) functionality.
5.4.5 Changes to TPC-Provided Source Code by the subcommittee will follow the process outlined:
5.4.5.1 A document describing the requirements for a code change is produced. The change must be linked to one or more bugs entered in the bug tracking system (see Policies § 5.4.2).
5.4.5.2 The subcommittee must vote to accept the documented requirements before considering any code changes. The committee may modify the requirements during the acceptance process. The subcommittee is encouraged to develop a test case for any proposed changes.
5.4.5.3 The code change and any potential test case(s) will be made available for evaluation and a notification sent to the subcommittee.
5.4.5.4 Code changes must be accepted by a vote of the subcommittee,
5.4.6 All TPC-Provided Source Code must be tested on a representative set of platforms with the assistance of Member companies. The type and amount of testing performed on each platform must be sufficient to ensure proper operation of the TPC-Provided Source Code. The following categories provide guidelines for the types of testing which is expected:
5.4.6.1 Platform testing: Simple tests that validate the quality of the source code and compliance with coding best practices. This includes verifying that the source code compiles without warnings on a representativ