Add Spotlight Blog for SIG Release - Release Team Subproject

[nitishfy]

Spotlight blog for the SIG-Release - Release Team Subproject.

[fsmunoz]

Some nits, of which a couple are debatable and can be improved upon. I do think that the underlying reason they exist is sound though.

[nitishfy]

Update: Ready for the next set of review.

[fsmunoz]

Update: Ready for the next set of review.

There are still some unresolved suggestions. Some are open to further debate, others are about clerical errors (like the one pointed out by @sftim above) which are more straightforward - so much so that if you agree with the changes, it would be simpler in the future to accept the suggestions on GitHub since that provides an easier way to track them (not now, since they were marked out of date), and would've resolved this particular one - additionally, it updates the commit authors with those reviewing, something which is also possible when you do the final squash but doing it "by hand" is harder.

Apart from that, the images are a nice touch and I think the interview is quite interesting, so I think that with the open points resolved this is good to go, great work!

[fsmunoz]

@nitishfy , I have added suggestions, one of them is due to new content, the other is to address the spelling of one word (already discussed). Please go through the open comments, there's one on the need for 100 char limit as well. All discussion points should be resolved (not necessarily changed). We're getting there though!

[nitishfy]

@nitishfy , I have added suggestions, one of them is due to new content, the other is to address the spelling of one word (already discussed). Please go through the open comments, there's one on the need for 100 char limit as well. All discussion points should be resolved (not necessarily changed). We're getting there though!

I'm afraid why doesn't the preview show this blog? :(

[sftim]

I'm afraid why doesn't the preview show this blog? :(

Does this preview OK locally? (run make container-server and then visit http://localhost:1313/blog/ to see the preview)

[aj11anuj]

Suggested change

	In this blog post, [Nitish Kumar](https://twitter.com/Nitishtwt06) interviews Verónica López(PlanetScale), Technical Lead of SIG Release with the spotlight on the Release Team subproject, how the release process looks like, and ways to get involved.
	In this blog post, [Nitish Kumar](https://twitter.com/Nitishtwt06) interviews Verónica López(PlanetScale),
	Technical Lead of SIG Release with the spotlight on the Release Team subproject,
	how the release process looks like, and ways to get involved.

"Please wrap the Markdown source at, say, 100 characters per line."

[sftim]

Thanks for the article.

I can see the intent to number sections. Markdown can do that for us and I think we should take advantage - see https://www.google.com/search?q=how+do+ordered+lists+work+in+Markdown or check your own preferred guide to the syntax.

I have added some other inline feedback; several of these are things I do recommend fixing before we publish.

[sftim]

Once the comments from #424 (review) are fixed, I'll get a mirror PR opened against the main Kubernetes blog.

[nitishfy]

Once the comments from #424 (review) are fixed, I'll get a mirror PR opened against the main Kubernetes blog.

we already have an ordered list in the form of questions.

[sftim]

we already have an ordered list in the form of questions.

Sorry, I may be missing something. That sentence doesn't make any sense to me in the context.

Can you explain what you mean @nitishfy ?

[nitishfy]

we already have an ordered list in the form of questions.

Sorry, I may be missing something. That sentence doesn't make any sense to me in the context.

Can you explain what you mean @nitishfy ?

Could you explain what you mean here to number sections? If we are mentioning about numbering the questions that have been asked, it has already been marked.

[sftim]

Oh, typo here: “Stabalization” should be “Stabilization”.

(nit)
“Here's KEP” should be “Here's a KEP”

[nitishfy]

Regarding this "“Here's KEP” should be “Here's a KEP”, I made the picture on excalidraw and don't have it anymore which means the diagram can't me modified. Do you have an other option for this?

[sftim]

Let's merge it without fixing that typo, and after it merges I'll see if I can find someone who can edit the image.

[nitishfy]

Squashed the commits.

[sftim]

To clarify #424 (review), here's an example of numbering using Markdown:

Suggested change

	**1. What is the typical release process for a new version of Kubernetes, from initial planning
	to the final release? Are there any specific methodologies and tools that you use to ensure a smooth release?**
	The release process for a new Kubernetes version is a well-structured and community-driven
	effort. There are no specific methodologies or
	tools as such that we follow, except a calendar with a series of steps to keep things organised.
	The complete release process looks like this:
	- **Release Team Onboarding:** We start with the formation of a Release Team, which includes
	volunteers from the Kubernetes community who will be responsible for managing different
	components of the new release. This is typically done before the previous release is about to
	wrap up. Once the team is formed, new members are onboarded while the Release Team Lead and
	the Branch Manager propose a calendar for the usual deliverables. As an example, you can take a look at [the v1.29 team formation issue](https://github.com/kubernetes/sig-release/issues/2307) created at the SIG Release
	repository. For a contributor to be the part of Release Team, they typically go through the
	Release Shadow program, but that's not the only way to get involved with SIG Release.
	- **Beginning Phase:** In the initial weeks of each release cycle, SIG Release diligently
	tracks the progress of new features and enhancements outlined in Kubernetes Enhancement
	Proposals (KEPs). While not all of these features are entirely new, they often commence
	their journey in the alpha phase, subsequently advancing to the beta stage, and ultimately
	attaining the status of stability.
	- **Feature Maturation Phase:** We usually cut a couple of Alpha releases, containing new
	features in an experimental state, to gather feedback from the community, followed by a
	couple of Beta releases, where features are more stable and the focus is on fixing bugs. Feedback
	from users is critical at this stage, to the point where sometimes we need to cut an
	additional Beta release to address bugs or other concerns that may arise during this phase. Once
	this is cleared, we cut a _release candidate_ (RC) before the actual release. Throughout
	the cycle, efforts are made to update and improve documentation, including release notes
	and user guides, a process that, in my opinion, deserves its own post.
	- **Stabilization Phase:** A few weeks before the new release, we implement a _code freeze_, and
	no new features are allowed after this point: this allows the focus to shift towards testing
	and stabalisation. In parallel to the main release, we keep cutting monthly patches of old,
	officially supported versions of Kubernetes, so you could say that the lifecycle of a Kubernetes
	version extends for several months afterwards. Throughout the complete Release cycle, efforts
	are made to update and improve documentation, including release notes and user guides, a
	process that, in our opinion, deserves its own post.
	<figure>
	<img src="/blog/2023/sig-release-spotlight/sig-release-overview.png" alt="sig-release-overview"></img>
	</figure>
	1. **What is the typical release process for a new version of Kubernetes, from initial planning
	to the final release? Are there any specific methodologies and tools that you use to ensure a smooth release?**
	The release process for a new Kubernetes version is a well-structured and community-driven
	effort. There are no specific methodologies or
	tools as such that we follow, except a calendar with a series of steps to keep things organised.
	The complete release process looks like this:
	- **Release Team Onboarding:** We start with the formation of a Release Team, which includes
	volunteers from the Kubernetes community who will be responsible for managing different
	components of the new release. This is typically done before the previous release is about to
	wrap up. Once the team is formed, new members are onboarded while the Release Team Lead and
	the Branch Manager propose a calendar for the usual deliverables. As an example, you can take a look
	at [the v1.29 team formation issue](https://github.com/kubernetes/sig-release/issues/2307) created at the SIG Release
	repository. For a contributor to be the part of Release Team, they typically go through the
	Release Shadow program, but that's not the only way to get involved with SIG Release.
	- **Beginning Phase:** In the initial weeks of each release cycle, SIG Release diligently
	tracks the progress of new features and enhancements outlined in Kubernetes Enhancement
	Proposals (KEPs). While not all of these features are entirely new, they often commence
	their journey in the alpha phase, subsequently advancing to the beta stage, and ultimately
	attaining the status of stability.
	- **Feature Maturation Phase:** We usually cut a couple of Alpha releases, containing new
	features in an experimental state, to gather feedback from the community, followed by a
	couple of Beta releases, where features are more stable and the focus is on fixing bugs. Feedback
	from users is critical at this stage, to the point where sometimes we need to cut an
	additional Beta release to address bugs or other concerns that may arise during this phase. Once
	this is cleared, we cut a _release candidate_ (RC) before the actual release. Throughout
	the cycle, efforts are made to update and improve documentation, including release notes
	and user guides, a process that, in my opinion, deserves its own post.
	- **Stabilisation Phase:** A few weeks before the new release, we implement a _code freeze_, and
	no new features are allowed after this point: this allows the focus to shift towards testing
	and stabilisation. In parallel to the main release, we keep cutting monthly patches of old,
	officially supported versions of Kubernetes, so you could say that the lifecycle of a Kubernetes
	version extends for several months afterwards. Throughout the complete release cycle, efforts
	are made to update and improve documentation, including release notes and user guides, a
	process that, in our opinion, deserves its own post.
	{{< figure src="/blog/2024/sig-release-spotlight/sig-release-overview.png" caption="SIG Release overview" alt="Release team onboarding; beginning phase; stabalization phase; feature maturation phase" >}}

I left the typo in the alt attribute as I heard that we don't have an easy way to draw a different image.

[sftim]

Let's merge it without fixing that typo, and after it merges I'll see if I can find someone who can edit the image.

[sftim]

As we're in a new year, some of the image paths need to change.

[nitishfy]

I think we're ready to merge this PR now

[sftim]

Thanks for the PR.

/lgtm
/approve

[k8s-ci-robot]

[APPROVALNOTIFIER] This PR is APPROVED

This pull-request has been approved by: nitishfy, sftim

The full list of commands accepted by this bot can be found here.

The pull request process is described here

Needs approval from an approver in each of these files:

• OWNERS [sftim]

Approvers can indicate their approval by writing /approve in a comment
Approvers can cancel approval by writing /approve cancel in a comment

[sftim]

/hold cancel

[nitishfy]

FYI, we need to add a PR under k/website as well, correct?

[fsmunoz]

FYI, we need to add a PR under k/website as well, correct?

Yes, with the reviewed content, and the small changes needed (mainly header tags and the author indication).