Implementation:Kubeflow Kubeflow Release Handbook Process

Knowledge Sources	Kubeflow Release Handbook Kubeflow ROADMAP.md Lines 1-4
Domains	Release Management, Project Coordination, GitHub Workflow
Last Updated	2026-02-13 00:00 GMT

Overview

Concrete process for planning coordinated quarterly releases across all Kubeflow Working Groups, provided by the Release Handbook and GitHub Project Board workflow.

Description

The Release Handbook Process codifies the steps for initiating a new Kubeflow platform release. It uses the Release Handbook located at Template:Code as the authoritative guide, combined with GitHub Project Boards and per-WG tracking issues to provide a structured coordination mechanism. The process transforms community priorities and Working Group roadmaps into a concrete release plan with assigned owners, defined timelines, and visible tracking infrastructure.

Usage

Use this process when:

• A new quarterly release cycle is starting
• The previous release has been completed and announced
• Working Groups have submitted their roadmaps for the upcoming quarter
• Community volunteers are available to staff the release team

Code Reference

Source Location

• Repository: kubeflow/community
• File: releases/handbook.md

Signature

# Release Handbook Process Pattern
# 1. Create release branch/board
# 2. Assign release team roles
# 3. Open per-WG tracking issues
# 4. Update ROADMAP.md with release section

# Example: Creating a GitHub Project Board for a release
gh project create --title "Kubeflow vX.Y Release" --owner kubeflow

Import

# Access the Release Handbook
git clone https://github.com/kubeflow/community.git
cat community/releases/handbook.md

# Access the ROADMAP for release history
git clone https://github.com/kubeflow/kubeflow.git
cat kubeflow/ROADMAP.md

I/O Contract

Inputs

Name	Type	Required	Description
release_version	string	Yes	The target release version number (e.g., v1.11)
timeline_link	URL	Yes	Link to the release timeline document or GitHub Project Board
release_team	list of GitHub handles	Yes	Members assigned to release team roles (Lead, Shadow, Liaisons)
quarterly_cadence	string	Yes	The target quarter for the release (e.g., December 2025)
previous_release	string	Yes	Version of the completed previous release (e.g., v1.10)
wg_roadmaps	list of URLs	Yes	Links to each Working Group's roadmap or planning documents
community_priorities	list of strings	No	High-level themes or priorities identified by the community

Outputs

Name	Type	Description
release_timeline	document	Published timeline with key milestone dates (planning, feature freeze, code freeze, RC, release)
release_team_assignments	list	Documented assignments of release team roles with responsible individuals
github_project_board	URL	Link to the created GitHub Project Board tracking all release items
per_wg_tracking_issues	list of URLs	Links to tracking issues opened in each sub-project repository

Usage Examples

Example: Initiating the v1.11 Release

# Step 1: Create the GitHub Project Board
gh project create --title "Kubeflow v1.11 Release" --owner kubeflow

# Step 2: Open tracking issues in each sub-project repo
gh issue create --repo kubeflow/trainer \
  --title "[v1.11] Trainer WG Release Tracking" \
  --body "Tracking issue for Trainer contributions to Kubeflow v1.11 release."

gh issue create --repo kubeflow/katib \
  --title "[v1.11] Katib WG Release Tracking" \
  --body "Tracking issue for Katib contributions to Kubeflow v1.11 release."

gh issue create --repo kubeflow/pipelines \
  --title "[v1.11] Pipelines WG Release Tracking" \
  --body "Tracking issue for Pipelines contributions to Kubeflow v1.11 release."

gh issue create --repo kubeflow/model-registry \
  --title "[v1.11] Model Registry WG Release Tracking" \
  --body "Tracking issue for Model Registry contributions to Kubeflow v1.11 release."

gh issue create --repo kubeflow/spark-operator \
  --title "[v1.11] Spark Operator WG Release Tracking" \
  --body "Tracking issue for Spark Operator contributions to Kubeflow v1.11 release."

Example: Updating ROADMAP.md with New Release Section

# ROADMAP.md new section (prepended at top, newest-first ordering):
# ## Kubeflow 1.11 Release, Planned for release: December 2025
# The Kubeflow Community plans to deliver its v1.11 release
# in December 2025 per this timeline...
# ### Themes
# * Trainer V2.0
# * Model Registry new features
# * KServe improvements
# ### Detailed features, bug fixes and enhancements
# * [Trainer](https://github.com/kubeflow/trainer/issues/2859)
# * [KServe](https://github.com/kserve/kserve/releases/tag/v0.15.2)
# ...

Example: Assigning Release Team Roles

# Document release team in a tracking issue or handbook page
# Release Lead: @release-lead-handle
# Release Lead Shadow: @shadow-handle
# Trainer WG Liaison: @trainer-liaison
# Pipelines WG Liaison: @pipelines-liaison
# Documentation Lead: @docs-lead

# Notify team via GitHub mentions
gh issue comment --repo kubeflow/kubeflow 12345 \
  --body "Release team for v1.11 assembled. See assignments above."

Related Pages

Implements Principle

• Principle:Kubeflow_Kubeflow_Release_Planning