Tasks for v1.6 release cycle

[furkatgofurov7]

Please see the corresponding section in release-tasks.md for documentation of individual tasks.

Tasks

Notes:

• Weeks are only specified to give some orientation.
• The following tasks below are based on the https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/cluster-api/blob/main/docs/release/releases/release-1.6.md

Week 1:

• [Release Lead] Finalize release schedule and team [doesn't apply]
  • PR: 📖 Add v1.6 Release Team members' GitHub/Slack handles #9087
  • PR: CAPI: Update list with v1.6 CAPI Release Team Members GitHub handles kubernetes/org#4353
  • PR: Update CAPI v1.6 Release Team usergroup members list kubernetes/community#7423
• [Release Lead] Prepare main branch for development of the new release
  • PR: 🌱 Prepare main branch for v1.6 development #9097
• [Communications Manager] Add docs to collect release notes for users and migration notes for provider implementers
  • PR: taken care as part of acffb87 in PR: ⚠️ Stop serving v1alpha4 API Versions #8996
• [Communications Manager] Update supported versions
  • PR: 📖 Update CAPI support and guarantees for v1.6 #9119

Week 1 to 4:

• [Release Lead] [Track] Remove previously deprecated code
  • PR: 🌱 Remove previously deprecated code  #9136

Week 5:

• [Release Lead] Cut the v1.5.1 & v1.4.6 releases (scheduled date: Tuesday 29th August 2023)

Week 9:

• [Release Lead] Cut the v1.5.2 & v1.4.7 releases (scheduled date: Tuesday 26th September 2023)

Week 11 to 12:

• [Release Lead] [Track] Bump dependencies (October 9th-20th, 2023)

Week 13:

• [Release Lead] Cut the v1.6.0-beta.0 release (scheduled date: Tuesday 24th October 2023)
• [Release Lead] Cut the v1.5.3 & v1.4.8 releases (scheduled date: Tuesday 24th October 2023)
• [Release Lead] Create a new GitHub milestone for the next release
• [Communications Manager] Communicate v1.6.0-beta.0 release to providers

Week 14:

• [Release Lead] Cut the v1.6.0-beta.1 release (scheduled date: Tuesday 31st October 2023)
• [Release Lead] Assemble next release team
• [Release Lead] Select the release lead for the next release cycle
• [Release Lead] Set a tentative release date for the minor release
  • PR: 📖 Add Cluster API release-1.7 timeline document #9635

Week 15:

• KubeCon idle week

Week 16:

• Due to release blocking test flakes, postponing rc/code freeze tentatively for a week:
  • release blocking issue: ClusterClass self-hosted cluster tests are very flaky #9522
  • Fix candidate PR: ✨ Add MachinePool Machine implementation to CAPD components #8842

Week 17:

• [Release Lead] Cut the v1.6.0-rc.0 release (scheduled date: Tuesday 21st November 2023)
• [Release Lead] [Update milestone applier and GH actions] (Begin [Code Freeze])](date: Tuesday 21st November 2023)
  • milestone applier PR: CAPI: Update milestone applier config for v1.7 kubernetes/test-infra#31203
  • GH action update PR: 🌱 Update GH actions to work with new release-1.6 branch #9708
• [CI Manager] Setup jobs and dashboards for the release-1.6 release branch (date: Tuesday 21st November 2023)
  • PR to add new jobs/dashboards: Add jobs for CAPI release 1.6 kubernetes/test-infra#31208
• [Communications Manager] Ensure the book for the new release is available
  • Add DNS for CAPI release-1.6 branch PR: Add DNS for CAPI release-1.6 branch kubernetes/k8s.io#6114
  • add release 1.5 book link PR: 📖 add release 1.5 book link #9767

Week 18:

• [Release Lead] Cut the v1.6.0-rc.1 release (scheduled date: Tuesday 28th November 2023)

Week 19:

• [Release Lead] Cut the v1.6.0 release (scheduled date: Tuesday 5th December 2023)
• [Release Lead] Cut the v1.5.4 & v1.4.9 releases (scheduled date: Tuesday 5th December 2023)
• [Release Lead] Organize release retrospective
  • Meeting on Dec 8th, 2023, at 7-8pm EET using office hours zoom link
  • Recording: https://youtu.be/gDVWRyzQ1VY
• [Communications Manager] Change production branch in Netlify to the new release branch
• [Communications Manager] Update clusterctl links in the quickstart
  • PR: 📖 Update clusterctl version to v1.6.x in quick start #9801
  • release-1.6 PR: [release-1.6] 📖 Update clusterctl version to v1.6.x in quick start #9816

Continuously:

• [Release lead] Maintain the GitHub release milestone
• [Release lead] Bump the Go version
• [Communications Manager] Communicate key dates to the community
• [Communications Manager] Improve release process documentation
• [Communications Manager] Maintain and improve user facing documentation about releases, release policy and release calendar
• [CI Manager] Monitor CI signal
• [CI Manager] Reduce the amount of flaky tests
• [CI Manager] Bug triage
• [CI Manager] Maintain and improve release automation, tooling & related developer docs

If and when necessary:

• [Release Lead] [Track] Bump the Cluster API apiVersion[doesn't apply]
• [Release Lead] [Track] Bump the Kubernetes version
  • Tasks to bump to Kubernetes v1.28 #8708 (@sbueringer)
• [Release Lead] Track Release and Improvement tasks
  • tracking issue: Improvement tasks for v1.6 release cycle #9104

/triage accepted
/assign

[furkatgofurov7]

/cc @sbueringer @fabriziopandini @vincepri @killianmuldoon @CecileRobertMichon @enxebre for visibility.

[furkatgofurov7]

/cc @kubernetes-sigs/cluster-api-release-team

[sbueringer]

fyi I'm going to work on the Kubernets bump: #8708

Planning to get this implemented ASAP after the Kubernetes release on 15th August so we have 1.28 support with the upcoming patch releases end of August

[furkatgofurov7]

fyi I'm going to work on the Kubernets bump: #8708

Planning to get this implemented ASAP after the Kubernetes release on 15th August so we have 1.28 support with the upcoming patch releases end of August

Thanks @sbueringer, linked the k8s bump issue to the sub task here to later check mark it when completed and used your name to indicate to others it is on the works.

[furkatgofurov7]

Everything listed in this tracking issue should be taken care of now, closing it 🙂

/close

[k8s-ci-robot]

@furkatgofurov7: Closing this issue.

In response to this:

Everything listed in this tracking issue should be taken care of now, closing it 🙂

/close

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