Plan to release etcd v3.6.0-rc.0

[ivanvc]

What would you like to be added?

Continuing the plan to release version 3.6.0, we want to release the first release candidate (v3.6.0-rc.0).

Work in progress CHANGELOG is: https://github.com/etcd-io/etcd/blob/main/CHANGELOG/CHANGELOG-3.6.md#v360-tbd

Outstanding tasks before releasing this version:

• Nothing

Release team

GitHub handle	Role
@ivanvc	Release lead
@ahrtr	Release advisor
@henrybear327	Release shadow
@Elbehery	Release shadow
@ArkaSaha30	Release shadow

Link to: #13538

Why is this needed?

To continue the work towards releasing 3.6.0.

[ahrtr]

Thanks @ivanvc

I will cut release-3.6 at the end of this week.

We are targeting to release v3.6.0-rc.0 in the following week (Feb 10 - Feb 14).

[ivanvc]

@jmhbnz, we're planning on releasing rc.0 next week and are trying to define the release team. Will you be around/available and want to be part of it?

[jmhbnz]

@jmhbnz, we're planning on releasing rc.0 next week and are trying to define the release team. Will you be around/available and want to be part of it?

Thanks for leading this @ivanvc. Next week I am traveling overseas for work so won't be available sorry.

[ahrtr]

Outstanding tasks before releasing this version:

• Extend downgrade e2e tests: Add downgrade cancellation e2e tests #19252 (comment)
• migrate experimental-snapshot-catchup-entries flag to snapshot-catchup-entries #19352
• migrate distributed tracing flags off experimental prefix #19096

Note that they are NOT blockers for v3.6.0-rc.0. We are all ready now.

[ivanvc]

Hi @ahrtr, are you available tomorrow at 11am PT/7pm GMT?

Reaching out to previous release shadows to see if anyone is available/wants to join. (@ArkaSaha30, @stackbaek, @ghouscht, @henrybear327)

[ahrtr]

Hi @ahrtr, are you available tomorrow at 11am PT/7pm GMT?

Can we do the release at Thursday night right after the triage meeting? I am planning to get all the remaining work done by tomorrow.

[henrybear327]

Thanks @ivanvc for tagging me! I will join!

[ivanvc]

Can we do the release at Thursday night right after the triage meeting? I am planning to get all the remaining work done by tomorrow.

Sounds good, Thursday at 11:30 am PT/7:30 pm GMT/8:30 pm CET. I'll send an invite shortly.

[Elbehery]

Hi @ahrtr @ivanvc

I am ready to help with the release 👍🏽

[ivanvc]

Thanks, @Elbehery. Added you as a shadow.

[ivanvc]

Invite sent for Thursday at 11:30 am PT.

[ArkaSaha30]

Thank you @ivanvc, I want to help with the release as well 🤚

[ivanvc]

@ArkaSaha30, I'll add you to the team. In previous releases, we sometimes had a shadow that could not join, so having three should be fine.

Thanks!

[ivanvc]

Just noting that this time, the team is defined. If anyone wants to join a new release, you'll be welcome to RC1's.

[ivanvc]

Notes from the release meeting (aside from the issue with my local Python setup due to gsutil, which I overlooked as a pre-requisite due to a new computer setup):

• The generated GitHub draft release had issues with the fourth dot in the label or prerelease fragment. It naively removes the last dot to try to generate the version minor. Therefore, there were broken links because it was pointing to "v3.6.0-rc" (as it removed the trailing ".0" [fourth dot]).
  • I'll open a pull request to address this so that the issue is omitted from the next pre-releases.
• The upgrade guide from v3.5 to v3.6 doesn't exist yet, so even if the previous point worked, it would have generated a broken link (ref: https://etcd.io/docs/v3.6/upgrades/)
• I verified that the file SHA256SUMS was complete (and that the checksums matched after the call). It seems like what happened in v3.5.18 may have been a network issue.