What is the nature and description of the request?

Perception is everything! 

In the case of OCP GA releases the date that OCP “fast” channel is updated with 4.Y.0 the clock starts ticking. At this point all Telco partners and customers look at the release of OCP to see if they can/should start testing with it. What they see is an incomplete release because the associated operators are not ready. Therefore they see the “fast” channel and the GA release as a test release.

We need to change that perception…

While working on joint validation/integration with our 5G Core Telco partners we need to align on a Y-Stream release date that includes all of the Day 2 operators. These operators, ODF, ACM, SR-IOV, NMState, etc, need to be available or our partners and customers will continue to have a perception that we delay the true release of OCP as a Telco platform.

In an effort to reduce the overall timeline of the solution it is pertinent that all the pieces of software that comprise what we term the "telco bundle" or we communicate a date for the telco bundles GA that the partner tracks.

In addition to this, as there is an effort to shift left and working with Release Candidates, it is critical that there is also the RC Telco bundle that includes the same software components, is tested/QEed for Telco and made available early enough to facilitate validation and provide enough time to get any bugs discovered into the GA Telco bundle/package.

Ideally, the requirement is to have all the operators and software bits available/GA when OCP GAs.

 Why does the customer need this? (List the business requirements here)

There are a number of reasons for this

• Improved perception on Red Hats ability to deliver software on time
• Improved communication to the field on expected release dates of the joint solution
• More effective RC validation shortening the time to test on the GA version and accelerate the delivery to the field/customers

4. List any affected packages or components.

OCP, ACM, Nmstate-k8s, SR-IOV, Metallb, ODF, CEPH, etc