This page describes the steps that a release manager needs to take to perform a release of Apache CloudStack (Incubating).

(Thanks to the couchdb project for a great template to use for this procedural document!)

Checklist

1. Ensure that you are working on the correct branch.  The CloudStack community has adopted a branch-before-release strategy for release branches.
2. Confirm that the information in README.md is current
3. Confirm that the information in INSTALL.md is current
4. Update the CHANGES file with the critical changes introduced in the release (Be sure to highlight any changes the break backward compatibility)
5. Remove "version has not been released" warnings from the CHANGES file
6. Ensure that the CHANGES file in your release branch is synced with the version in the master branch (which may have a future release already in it)
7. Confirm that there is a jenkins build process for the release branch, and that all associated jobs are succeeding.

Getting Community Concensus

Prior to an official vote, start a thread on the cloudstack-dev mailing list, specifically asking for comments on the project's readiness to cut a release.

Once it appears that any outstanding blockers have been addressed, you can proceed to the next step.

Preparing a Release

Update your local git repo from the ASF repository:

git fetch origin

Check out the release branch:

git checkout X.X.X

( or if you haven't already checked it out locally with remote tracking enabled: git checkout -b X.X.X origin/X.X.X )

Make sure your local copy exactly matches the remote repo:

git reset --hard HEAD
git clean -qfxd
git rebase origin/X.X.X

Then run the source build script (Replacing the parameters: X.X.X=your official version number for the release; B.B=the branch (can be master) that the release is coming from; CCCC=the GPG Key to sign both the artifacts and the git tag with):

tools/build/build_asf.sh -v X.X.X -b B.B -t -u CCCC -c

( optionally specifying your local directory layout - see build_asf.sh -h for details )

This will automatically commit (the -c) to the cloudstack dist dev folder.

Get the commit-sh to vote against for your VOTE email (comes from the command above in a line like this: completed.  use commit-sh of b25d27d80b62de3408041821aa99e68712ae2728 when starting the VOTE thread )

Then run the version reset script setting the latest pom version numbers to be equal to the next bug-fix release for the branch (including SNAPSHOT).  Example:

tools/build/setnextversion.sh -b 4.1 -v 4.1.1-SNAPSHOT

Git push from the local git release branch to push up the pom version number change commits. 

Test the Build

Follow the instructions documented in your release branch's test procedures wiki page.

If your personal tests pass, you are ready to propose the release to the community.

Managing the Vote(s)

dev@cloudstack.apache.org VOTE

Email the dev@cloudstack.apache.org mailing list, using the following template:

SUBJECT: [VOTE] Apache Cloudstack X.X.X

MESSAGE:

Hi All,

I've created a X.X.X release, with the following artifacts up for a vote:

Git Branch and Commit SH:
https://git-wip-us.apache.org/repos/asf?p=cloudstack.git;a=shortlog;h=refs/heads/X.X
Commit: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

List of changes:
https://git-wip-us.apache.org/repos/asf?p=cloudstack.git;a=blob_plain;f=CHANGES;hb=X.X

Source release (checksums and signatures are available at the same
location):
https://dist.apache.org/repos/dist/dev/cloudstack/X.X/

PGP release keys (signed using XXXXXXXX):
https://dist.apache.org/repos/dist/release/cloudstack/KEYS

Vote will be open for 72 hours.

For sanity in tallying the vote, can PMC members please be sure to indicate "(binding)" with their vote?

[ ] +1  approve
[ ] +0  no opinion
[ ] -1  disapprove (and reason why)

dev@cloudstack.apache.org Voting Results

After 72 hours, the vote can be closed.  

If (after tallying the vote) the binding +1 votes are not in the majority, the issues noted need to be addressed and process starts again. You need to send out a results email (or a less formal abort email) for the VOTE thread.

If the vote passes, then send a [RESULTS] vote to the dev list.  Template below:

SUBJECT: [RESULT][VOTE] Apache CloudStack X.X.X

MESSAGE:

Hi all,

After 72 hours, the vote for CloudStack X.X.X [1] *passes* with
Z PMC + Z non-PMC votes.

+1 (PMC / binding)
* person

+1 (non binding)
* person

0
none

-1
none

Thanks to everyone participating.

I will now prepare the release announcement to go out after 24 hours to give the mirrors time to catch up.

Publish the Release

Push the release tag

The release should have already been tagged in your local repo when you used the build_asf.sh script (the -t option).  However, you need to push that tag once the VOTE passes:

$ git push origin X.X.X

Move the release from "dev" to "release"

Move the release artifacts into place (replace X.X.X with the release number, and replace Y.Y.Y with the previous release number):

# svn co https://dist.apache.org/repos/dist/release/cloudstack /tmp/cs-release
# cd /tmp/cs-release/releases
# svn mkdir X.X.X
# svn commit -m "Adding release folder for X.X.X release"
# svn mv -m "Publishing X.X.X release" https://dist.apache.org/repos/dist/dev/cloudstack/X.X.X/ https://dist.apache.org/repos/dist/release/cloudstack/releases/X.X.X/

Wait 24 hours for the mirrors to catch up.

Update http://cloudstack.apache.org/downloads.html to point to the new release, and add the older release to the archive list.

Remove the prior release from the release dist area (it's still archived):

# cd /tmp/cs-release/releases
# svn rm Y.Y.Y
# svn commit -m "Removing Y.Y.Y release"

Announcing the Release

After waiting 24 hours for the ASF mirrors to catch up, the release is ready to be announced. Send an announcement email to announce@apache.org, announce@apache.org, dev@cloudstack.apache.org, marketing@cloudstack.apache.org and users@cloudstack.apache.org.

The contents of the message should have been discussed on marketing@cloudstack.apache.org first.