Release process guidance #

Pre-reqs #

1. Make sure you have singing key configured

Release version and Docker images #

1. Make sure all the changes are documented in CHANGELOG.md. Ideally, every change must be documented in the commit with the change. Alternatively, the change must be documented immediately after the commit, which adds the change.
2. Make sure that the release branch has no security issues.
3. Update config-reloader image in config.go with the name of new tag.
4. Run make docs in order to update variables documentation files.
5. Cut new version in CHANGELOG.md
6. create release tag with git tag vX.X.X command and push it to the origin - git push origin vX.X.X
7. Go to github Releases Page and Draft new Release with the name of pushed tag.
8. Update the release description with the content of CHANGELOG for this release.

Release follow-up #

Wait until github CI job Release finishes.

Bump the version of images #

The helm chart repository https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/helm-charts/

Merge PR with the following name pattern - Automatic update operator crds from VictoriaMetrics/operator@* if there is any. Bump tag field in values.yaml with new release version. Bump appVersion field in Chart.yaml with new release version. Add new line to “Next release” section in CHANGELOG.md about version update (the line must always start with “-”). Do NOT change headers in CHANGELOG.md. Bump version field in Chart.yaml with incremental semver version (based on the CHANGELOG.md analysis).

Do these updates to the following charts:

1. Update operator chart version in values.yaml and Chart.yaml

2. Update crds chart version in values.yaml

3. Push changes to the origin and release operator and crds charts by triggering Release Charts CI action.

4. Wait for CI finish

5. Bump appVersion field in k8s-stack Chart.yaml with new release version.

6. bump dependencies with name: victoria-metrics-operator to follow version of recently release operator chart