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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