:clipboard:[1.9] Release Tracker

[fossedihelm]

• Release Cycle: KubeVirt 1.9
• Release Timeline

Release tasks

Milestone: Release Cycle Start

• Capture feedback from previous release cycle retro
• Open PR proposal for release schedule, announce, request feedback

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Milestone: Alpha 0 Tag (1.9.0-alpha.0)

• Finalize release schedule
• Announce schedule
• Remind community about VEP Freeze
• Start provider for latest k8s beta/stable, add on-demand pre-submit
• Tag 1.9.0-alpha.0

---

Milestone: VEP Freeze

• Review all VEPs targeting this release:
  • Ensure each has an approved design
  • Update status (implementable / deferred / rejected)
  • Confirm SIG sign-off on each
• VEP Freeze

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Milestone: Beta 0 Tag (1.9.0-beta.0)

• Prepare unconference for next development cycle
• Mandatory pre-submit lanes
• Non-standard lanes bumped by stakeholders:
• sig-compute
  • sig-storage
  • sig-network
  • other sigs
• Tag 1.9.0-beta.0

---

Milestone: Code Freeze

• Begin observation of issues, CI signal, test flakes, critical PRs
• Notify SIGs about upcoming Code Freeze deadline
• Bring exceptions to kubevirt-dev
• Update common-instancetypes bundle in KubeVirt repo
• Update virt-template bundle in KubeVirt repo
• Review quarantined tests report
• Code Freeze: Branch release-1.9
• Create release-1.9 prow config
• Tag v1.9.0-rc.0 on release-1.9

---

Milestone: Release Day

• Generate api testdata for backward compatibility testing
• Gather scale & performance data
• Unconference
• Code stabilization sign-offs:
  • sig-compute
  • sig-network
  • sig-storage
  • other sigs
• Categorise release notes, create User Guide PR with /hold
• Draft release highlights blog
• Collect SIG sign-offs on blog
• Publish scale & performance data
• Update release notes for last-minute bugfixes
• Tag v1.9.0 on release-1.9
• Ensure docs and blog PRs are approved
• Announce on kubevirt-dev
• Publish/unhold release notes and blog
• Promote through social media

---

Post Release

• Update Enhancements Tracking board link in ROADMAP
• Update label-approved-veps script with new TARGET_PROJECT_URL
• Pin release branch to CDI version after CDI GA
• After CDI GA: Pin release-1.9 branch to associated CDI version via KUBEVIRT_CUSTOM_CDI_VERSION in automation/test.sh.

Further comments

NONE

[fossedihelm]

/kind tracker