# Release Cycle Tasks

This document describes the relative ordering and rough timeline for all of the steps related to tasks that need to be completed during a release cycle for Glance.

## Before PTG (after closing previous release)

1. Collect topics and prepare notes for PTG discussions in an etherpad. Add a link to the etherpad to the list of PTG etherpads (for example: https://wiki.openstack.org/wiki/PTG/Ussuri/Etherpads)

## Between Summit and Milestone-1

1. Review output from the PTG and set Review-Priority on any high priority items identified from those discussions. Send out recap to the mailing list.

2. Add any Glance-specific schedule information to the release calendar (https://review.opendev.org/#/c/505425/)

3. Update the `CURRENT_RELEASE` constant in `glance/db/migration.py`. Include a `Sem-Ver` pseudo-header in the commit message so that PBR will increment the glance version number to match the release name.

   - The value of the `Sem-Ver` pseudo-header must be `api-break` (which is a little disconcerting) because we need to increment the major digit in the Glance version number (we aren’t signalling anything about the Images API), and that’s the constant that pbr recognizes for this purpose.

   - Example patch: https://review.opendev.org/c/openstack/glance/+/827919

4. Focus on spec reviews to get them approved and updated early in the cycle to allow enough time for implementation.

5. Review new driver submissions and give early feedback so there isn’t a rush at the new driver deadline.

6. Review community-wide goals and decide a plan or response to them.

## Milestone-1

1. Propose library releases for glance_store or python-glanceclient if there are merged commits ready to be released. Watch for any releases proposed by the release team.

2. Check progress on new drivers and specs and warn contributors if it looks like they are at risk for making it in this cycle.

## Between Milestone-1 and Milestone-2

1. Review stable backports and release status.

2. Watch for and respond to updates to new driver patches.

## Milestone-2

1. Propose library releases for glance_store or python-glanceclient if there are merged commits ready to be released. Watch for any releases proposed by the release team.

## Between Milestone-2 and Milestone-3

1. Review stable backports and release status.

2. Set Review-Priority for any glance_store changes that are needed for feature work to make sure they are ready by the library freeze prior to Milestone-3.

3. Make sure any new feature work that needs client changes are proposed and on track to land before the client library freeze at Milestone-3.

## Milestone-3

1. Propose releases for unreleased changes in python-glanceclient. Watch for releases proposed by the release team. Include branch request for stable/$series creation.

2. Set Review-Priority -1 for any feature work not complete in time for inclusion in this cycle. Remind contributors that FFE will need to be requested to still allow it in this cycle.

3. Prepare “prelude” release notes as summaries of the content of the release so that those are merged before their first release candidate.

4. Complete the responses to community-wide goals if not already done.

5. Start assembling cycle-highlights for the team.

## Between Milestone-3 and RC1

1. Add cycle-highlights in the releases deliverable file.

## RC1 week

1. Propose RC1 release for glance or watch for proposal from the release team. Include stable/$series branching request with the release.

2. Finalize any cycle-highlights for the release cycle.

3. Remind contributors that `master` is now the next cycle but focus should be on wrapping up the current cycle.

4. Watch for translation and new stable branch patches and merge them quickly.

## Between RC1 and Final

1. Propose additional RC releases as needed.

   Note

   Try to avoid creating more than 3 release candidates so we are not creating candidates that consumers are then trained to ignore. Each release candidate should be kept for at least 1 day, so if there is a proposal to create RCx but clearly a reason to create another one, delay RCX to include the additional patches.

2. Watch for translation patches and merge them quickly.

3. Make sure final RC request is done one week before the final release date.

4. Watch for the final release proposal from the release team to review and +1 so team approval is included in the metadata that goes onto the signed tag.

## Final Release

1. Start planning for next release cycle.

2. Check for bugfixes that would be good to backport to older stable branches.

3. Propose any bugfix releases for things that did not make the freeze for final library or service releases.

## Post-Final Release

1. Unblock any new driver submission patches that missed the previous release cycle’s deadline.

2. Review approved glance-specs that were merged to the previous cycle folder that did not get implemented. Revert or move those specs to the next cycles’s folder.

this page last updated: 2026-04-16 16:57:26

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