Guideline For Free and Open-Source Software Adoption

Published 21/04/2024

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1. Introduction

Based on the decision of the Council of Ministers No (14), dated 02/01/1443 AH, approving the rules regulating free and open source government software, and with reference to the Digital Government Authority’s responsibility for establishing a repository where government agencies can deposit their software source code.

Recognizing the significance of fostering a local environment for free and open source software (FOSS) and elevating efficiency levels in information technology expenditures, the Authority has formulated the “FOSS Adoption Guideline” as mandated.

2. Objectives

The Guideline's main objective is to guide government in the adoption of FOSS by :

Defining the technical rules for FOSS reference architecture model & practices
Providing a unified reference for government agencies to access reusable and applicable software
Outlining the selection process for FOSS based on the classification provided herein.

3. Scope

The Guideline encompasses the following aspects For adopting FOSS products:

Software and its various categories.
Types of FOSS licenses and supporting models.
FOSS Products and services.
Requirements for adopting FOSS.
Capabilities necessary for adopting FOSS.
Guiding principles for FOSS.
Identify the Steps involved in selecting FOSS products.
Indexing guide for FOSS products catalog .
FOSS product card.
Methodology for adopting FOSS.

4. Target Audience

This Guideline applies to government agencies, experts, practitioners, and technical personnel involved in system and software development within government agencies, excluding military and security agencies which are subject to special terms, adhering to it's own regulations or by-laws.

5. Guide Statement

For more information; Check the digital version.

6. Definitions Table

Term	Definition
Authority (“DGA”)	Digital Government Authority
Digital Transformation	Digitally and strategically transforming and developing business standards and models that would rely on data, technologies, and ICT.
Free Open-Source Software (FOSS)	Software that can be freely used, copied, and shared.
Digital Government	Promotes administrative, organizational and operational processes between the various government entities in their transitioning to a comprehensive digital transformation to allow easy and effective access to government digital information and services.
Government Agencies	Ministries, authorities, public institutions, councils, national centers including any additional form of a public entity.
Software License	A software license defines the terms and conditions under which a software can be used, and released under a license that has been proven to meet the criteria of the open source definition.
Software License Model	The software license model refers to the entity responsible for developing and supporting OSS. This can be a community, a vendor, or a company affiliated with a OSS community.
Software License Type	The software license type refers to name of Open Source Software (OSS) license that is compatible with Open Source definition. This license specifies rights and restrictions for using OSS, including GNU General Public License (GPL), Mozilla Public License (MPL), and other licenses.
FOSS Community	Users and developers of free and open source software.
Code Base	The code base is the collection of source code used to build a software application.
Code Fork	Code Fork is the process of creating a new product by forking the code base of an existing product and making modifications to sources to create new features and establish a new identity for the project.
Reference Architecture	A reference architecture defines a prototype and components at the level of known technology layers to direct the process of identifying technology products based on best practices in the ICT sector.
Cloud Computing	A model which enables convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g. networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.
Framework	A framework is a stable or foundational component that allows developers to choose to customize or override common code with general functionality. Unlike software libraries that are invoked using user code, frameworks drive the application design process and are responsible for invoking user code.
Tools	Tools are software that can be run, offline without a graphical user interface (GUI), to develop software elements or other documentation, or generate, test, analyze, or maintain code.
Libraries	Libraries are a collection of pre-written code that can be reused in other software programs.
Sandbox	Sandbox refers to an isolated testing environment that is typically used to try out and test code changes, and perform conclusive experiments in isolation from a production or repository environment.
Digital Platform	Technical solutions on which digital products and services are built and provide beneficiaries with an enhanced digital experience through digital portals or smart device applications. The digital platform allows these channels to connect and integrate. Further, it allows integration of its services with other external services. Such as Absher Platform.
Solution	A collection of products and services that are designed to meet a specific business need. The same can be built using a combination of platforms, products, and services provided by vendors or developed internally.
Application	A set or sequence of commands given to the computer to perform a specific task within a time frame. The same works on a desktop or mobile device.
OSS Products	A software product is a standalone solution that can meet functional needs through configuration changes, and open source products make the source code available for modification, while proprietary or commercial software products are closed source and do not share the source code. They are available only in binary format.
Digital Service	A set of transactions linked to each other to perform a complete function provided by the government entity to the beneficiary through digital channels such as digital portals and smart device applications so that they have one main exit defined and specified. A group of services can be linked together to form a digital product.
Microservices	Microservices are a popular architectural style for creating applications that are highly flexible, scalable, independently deployable, and quickly evolving. However, a successful microservices architecture requires a different approach to application design and development.
DevOps Approach	DevOps is a combination of theoretical and practical approaches and cultural tools that increase the ability of the agency to deliver applications and services at high speed; and develop and improve products at a pace faster than agencies that use traditional processes for developing software and managing infrastructure. This speed enables agencies to serve their beneficiaries better and increase their effectiveness in competing in the market.
Technical Layers	Technical layers are independent layers that define the common communication protocols between interface tools operated by hosts in a computer network.
Software Libraries	A collection of subroutines used to develop software. Libraries contain "helper" code and data that provide services to independent programs. This allows for sharing code and data in the form of separate units.
Software Tools	Software tools (also known as development tools) are a set of computer programs that are used by programmers or developers to build, create, process, and maintain software and applications.
Containers	A container is a software deployment process that bundles an application's code with all the files and libraries it needs to run on any infrastructure.
Software Market	A market for products and OSS that are provided directly through government and community cloud computing or are downloadable.
Open Sources	They refer to software or products that are distributed with their source code and are available and open to anyone to use and modify.
Platform as a Service (PaaS)	PaaS are services that provide specific platforms that enable users to develop, operate and manage applications without complicating the construction and maintenance of the basic infrastructure usually required for the development and launch of applications.
Source Codes	Orders and instructions written in one of the programming languages that make up any computer program.

Abbreviation	Meaning
fx	Response to events of any scale
AGIP	Api Gateway Integration Platform
OSS	Open-Source Software
PaaS	Platform as a service PaaS

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Guideline For Free and Open-Source Software Adoption

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