Open Stack

Development Focus
-----------------

We just passed feature freeze! Until release branches are cut, you
should stop accepting featureful changes to deliverables following the
cycle-with-rc release model, or to libraries. Exceptions should be
discussed on separate threads on the mailing-list, and feature freeze
exceptions approved by the team's PTL.

Focus should be on finding and fixing release-critical bugs, so that
release candidates and final versions of the victoria deliverables can be
proposed, well ahead of the final victoria release date.

General Information
-------------------

We are still finishing up processing a few release requests, but the
victoria release requirements are now frozen. If new library releases are
needed to fix release-critical bugs in victoria, you must request a
Requirements Freeze Exception (RFE) from the requirements team before we
can do a new release to avoid having something released in victoria that
is not actually usable. This is done by posting to the openstack-discuss
mailing list with a subject line similar to:

        [$PROJECT][requirements] RFE requested for $PROJECT_LIB

Include justification/reasoning for why a RFE is needed for this lib.
If/when the requirements team OKs the post-freeze update, we can then
process a new release.

A soft String freeze is now in effect, in order to let the I18N team do the
translation work in good conditions. In Horizon and the various dashboard
plugins, you should stop accepting changes that modify user-visible
strings. Exceptions should be discussed on the mailing-list. By
September 24 this will become a hard string freeze, with no changes
in user-visible strings allowed.

Actions
-------

stable/victoria branches should be created soon for all not-already-branched
libraries. You should expect 2-3 changes to be proposed for each: a
.gitreview update, a reno update (skipped for projects not using reno),
and a tox.ini constraints URL update. Please review those in priority
so that the branch can be functional ASAP.

The Prelude section of reno release notes is rendered as the top level
overview for the release. Any important overall messaging for victoria
changes should be added there to make sure the consumers of your release
notes see them.

Finally, if you haven't proposed victoria cycle-highlights yet, you are
already late to the party. Please see
http://lists.openstack.org/pipermail/openstack-discuss/2020-September/016941.html
for details.

Upcoming Deadlines & Dates
--------------------------

RC1 deadline: September 24 (R-3)
Final Victoria release: October 14
Open Infra Summit: October 19-23
Wallaby PTG: October 26-30