As a developer I want to automate Gateway API feature testing on Prow so that it pulls pre-release OSSM builds or catalog sources.

Notes: 

For OSSM 3.1.x - nightly builds (IIBs) are generated using Konflux and can be pulled using a subscription, as of July 15, 2025
 
Konflix is pushing OSSM containers to the stage registry with every build in Konflux. However, generation of FBC is manual so far.
So once the FBC is created (manually by [OSSM team]), the index image (iib) (shown in the konflux UI -> managed pipeline for the stage release) will be shared (on the #forum-ossm-release channel).
 
For example, on 7/14 they announced http://registry-proxy.engineering.redhat.com/rh-osbs/iib:1007807 as the first nightly release of OSSM 3.1.x for OCP 4.19.

After you get the iib image,  # Create IDMS/ITMS to mirror from stage, e.g. : https://gitlab.cee.redhat.com/istio/servicemesh-qe/jenkins-csb-declaration/-/blob/maste[…]om/mirrorSets/stage-registry-itms-idms.yaml?ref_type=heads (requires VPN)

1. Create customcatalogsource with the index image, e.g.: https://gitlab.cee.redhat.com/istio/servicemesh-qe/jenkins-csb-declaration/-/blob/maste[…]lates/olm/custom/custom-catalog-source.yaml?ref_type=heads (where ${IMAGE} is index image) (requires VPN)
2. New operator should appear in Web Console Operator Hub.

This is also documented in https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OJIhddjUl6a28Lc9lSGd4zoV0hjtcVYx_thMFbm1xds/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.c9eqhtcdwbp3.

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OUTDATED (keeping for history, but do not use):

Pre-release builds (for OSSM 2.X only) can be found with this query: https://brewweb.engineering.redhat.com/brew/search?terms=istio-rhel8-operator-metadata-container*&type=build&match=regexp

For example, https://brewweb.engineering.redhat.com/brew/buildinfo?buildID=2490113

https://gitlab.cee.redhat.com/istio/servicemesh-qe/jenkins-csb-declaration/-/blob/master/jenkinsfiles/install-jobs/install-service-mesh.jenkinsfile contains the OSSM Jenkinsfile for their installation automation.  Seems to use repo brew.registry.redhat.io/rh-osbs/iib-pub-pending:v${ocp_version_short}

https://docs.ci.openshift.org/docs/how-tos/testing-operator-sdk-operators/#simple-operator-installation may offer some way to test the maistra operator.