The CLA system for this repository is kindly developed and maintained my Microsoft's Open Source team. Kudos to them to take care of this! Over the last weeks, they have been busy improving the CLA checking and signing processes and we are ready to adopt the new system.

Here is what the new system is all about, in MS Open Source team's @jeffmcaffer's own words:

The new CLA system has the following improvements:

• Status checks – The need for/and completion of a CLA is captured in GitHub PR status checks. As such they can be used to drive behaviors such as blocking the merge of a PR until the CLA is signed. This removes the guess work and potential for error from collaborating with contributors.
• Chattiness – By using status checks the system removes the need for PR comments and labels, in turn removing nearly all the CLA-related clutter from the PR interaction.
• Click to agree – Contributors agree to the CLA by completing a simple web form rather than working through a DocuSign process.
• No confirmation lag – Completed CLAs are now instantly confirmed based on the user’s GitHub credentials. No more waiting for manual validation and confirmation.
• Based on open source – We have adopted an existing open source solution (https://cla-assistant.io/) and are contributing heavily to its evolution. We both benefit from the innovation of the SAP team and grow the community. Go figure!

Notes:

• The rules around CLAs have NOT changed.
• As noted above, labels are no longer being used to indicate the need for or completion of a CLA. That information is conveyed in the status check along with any other validations you may have in place. While this does remove the ability to search for PRs with a particular CLA disposition, we have worked with a number of teams and determined that that search is seldom if ever used and that the reduction in clutter is well worth that tradeoff. If you feel otherwise, please let us know by email to [email protected].
• We are working on performance improvement that more quickly effect the appropriate status changes once a contributor signs the CLA. The new system is on par with the old but we driving to make it even faster.

What could go wrong:

• Members of the Microsoft Organization being asked to sign the CLA – All Microsoft employees who have linked their Microsoft and GitHub ids are automatically added to the system. If you are a Microsoft FTE or vendor and are being asked to sign the CLA, please check that you have linked the account you are using for the PR. If you have, please contact [email protected].
• Contributors being asked to sign again – All existing signed CLAs have been primed into the new system. It is possible that a previously signed CLA got missed as some of the data was incomplete. While we expect to keep the new and old systems in sync during the transition, it is possible that some entries will get dropped. If this happens, please both ask the contributor to sign again (with appropriate apologies) and let us know via email to [email protected].