Open Stack

As mentioned previously [1], it is now possible for teams to set
up stable branches when they are ready. We will be taking advantage
of this new capability as we approach the end of the Ocata cycle
and start preparing final releases.

The release team will not be automatically setting up branches this
cycle, and will rely on the release liaisons to let us know when
teams are ready.

The PTL or release liaison for a project may request a new branch
by submitting a patch to the openstack/releases repository specifying
the tagged version to be used as the base of the branch. We always
create stable branches from tagged versions, and the release repo
validation job will enforce this when the branch request is submitted.

Here are some guidelines for when projects should branch:

* Projects using the cycle-with-milestone release model should
  include the request for their stable branch along with the RC1
  tag request (target week is R-3 week, so use Feb 2 as the deadline)

* Library projects should be branched with, or shortly after, their
  final release this week (use Jan 19 as the deadline)

* I will branch the requirements repository shortly after all of
  the cycle-with-milestone projects have branched. After the
  requirements repository is branched and the master requirements
  list is opened, projects that have not branched will be tested
  with Pike requirements as the requirements master branch advances
  and stable/ocata stays stable. Waiting too long to create the
  stable/ocata branch may result in broken CI jobs in either
  stable/ocata or master. Don't delay any further than necessary.

* Projects using the cycle-trailing release model should branch by
  R-0 (23 Feb). The remaining two weeks before the trailing deadline
  should be used for last-minute fixes, which will need to be
  backported into the branch to create the final release.

* Other projects, including cycle-with-intermediary and independent
  projects that create branches, should request their stable branch
  when they are ready to declare a final version and start working
  on Pike-related changes. This must be completed before the final
  release week, use 16 Feb as the deadline.

The branch request information should be added to the same file
you're using to tag Ocata releases. Add a new section to the file,
above the releases section, with the key "branches". For the stable
branch, add a list item mapping the name to "stable/ocata" and the
location to a tagged version.

For example:

branches:
  - name: stable/ocata
    location: x.y.z.0rc1

See the README.rst file in openstack/releases for more details about
how to format branch specifications, and look at the deliverable
files for newton for examples (we have imported the definitions of
the stable/newton branches for projects).

Doug

[1] http://lists.openstack.org/pipermail/openstack-dev/2016-December/108923.html