♻️ Release Automation

[mtrezza]

New Feature / Enhancement Checklist

• [x] I am not disclosing a vulnerability.
• [x] I am not just asking a question.
• [x] I have searched through existing issues.

Current Limitation

see https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/issues/7271

Feature / Enhancement Description

This PR adds release automation to Parse Dashboard.

Roadmap

Phase 1 (add release automation):

• [x] Add release automation for master branch
• [x] Only allow "squash & merge" for all branches
• [x] Add docker release job for automated release
• [x] Add docker release job for manual release
• [x] Remove changelog CI check from code and repo settings
• [x] Remove changelog TODO from PR template
• [x] Adapt GH issue labels

Phase 2 (change branch model):

• [x] Rename default branch to alpha
• [x] Add release, beta branches
• [x] Adapt release automation to new branch model
• [x] Adapt docker release jobs to get triggered on alpha / beta commits
• [x] Inform contributors that PRs needs to be opened against alpha branch
  • [x] Add pinned issue
  • [x] Add to Parse GitHub assistant --> only allows PRs against default branch
  • [x] Add to contribution docs
• [x] Adapt synk to watch alpha and release branches (not beta branch) only for security fix PR, not for regular dependency upgrade PRs

Phase 3 (monitor workflows):

• [x] Execute one full alpha -> beta -> release merge workflow (contribution) to ensure it works
• [x] Execute one full release -> alpha -> beta merge workflow (hotfix) to ensure it works
• [ ] Find and document a working mode for PRs opened by Snyk on alpha and release branches
• [x] Monitor contributor feedback
• [x] Monitor merge workflows

Phase 4 (long-term support):

• [ ] Add LTS branch release-N where N is the major version based on release branch
• [ ] Add LTS branch to snyk to monitor

Release Flow

alpha

• release time: spontaneous
• merge:
  • contributor pull request into alpha

beta

• release time: monthly; this gives the beta release 1 month to mature
• merge:
  • alpha into beta once at the beginning of a month
  • alpha into beta only fixes during the month (feature freeze)

release

• release time: monthly; gives the beta release 1 month to mature
• merge:
  • beta into release once at the beginning of a month
  • urgent security hotfixes into release during a month (have to be back-ported to alpha) A

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[mtrezza]

Auto-release is implemented and being used for some time, so closing.