1# Vendors 2 3To simplify the organization and ownership of configuration files, they can be 4organized into vendor-specific subdirectories. This begs the question "what is a 5vendor"? 6 7In some cases a company might design a component (such as a network card), 8manufacture said component, and package it into an elegant cardboard box with 9their logo, which is sold on retail store shelves to customers; this company is 10clearly "the vendor" of said component. Where the situation is less clear is 11when multiple companies are involved in the chain between design and end-user. 12 13For purposes of this repository, the following prioritized guidelines are used 14for identifying the vendor: 15 161. A company which primarily initiates and oversees the design, manufacture and 17 sale of a component is always the vendor. "Sale" does not require retail but 18 can include components which are exclusively sold to other enterprises for 19 inclusion in their products. This covers typical "components" such as network 20 cards, processors, and mainboards. 21 222. When a company is assembling a group of components into a single product, 23 which they exclusively label and sell, such as a server chassis, they are the 24 vendor for the assembled product and any sub-components which are exclusively 25 designed for and used by their assembled product(s). Sub-components that are 26 procured from others and may be sold by others for use in other products 27 should be covered by guideline (1). 28 293. When one company primarily oversees the design but other companies 30 manufacture and/or sell the component or system, such as [OCP][OCP] designs, 31 the company that primarily oversaw the design of the component would be the 32 vendor. 33 34These guidelines are not meant to be exhaustive rules to cover all scenarios and 35contractual arrangements, but simply direction pointing for how the repository 36is intended to be organized. The overriding principle should be: if someone 37claims to be the vendor of a device, they probably are, unless there is strong 38evidence they are not. 39 40[OCP]: https://www.opencompute.org/ 41