WIP - Capturing backport work on bugs that are already fixed in the current version.

Problem statement

We currently don't have any guidelines on tracking "optional" backport fixes. The reason that I use the term "optional" is because we are not able to address this in a definite time. Normally the bug is already addressed in the current version but we want to apply the fix for previous versions so that it benefits the customers.

The way we are currently managing this.

  • We leave the original issue open, this causes distraction and confusion for the engineers since it appears on their board.
    • We also tend to move the issue to the next milestones since its optional work.
  • We add the Next Patch Release label which is also confusing, in this context we mean that its an optional patch release for a previous version and not the current milestone.

This is causing confusion and hindering productivity for our engineers.

Leaving the issue open even if it is fixed in 11.2 creates the following problems with me:

  1. Useless open issue in my todo list (okay not so bad, I could live with that)
  2. After a month or two I have to re-open the issue and check if there hasn’t been a new regression or someone had the issue again!

Examples

We want to add another section to our bugs management document and how we can prioritize this.

Proposal

  • Create a backport work placeholder issue that has a relative issue to the bug that has already been addressed.
  • Close out the original bug since its clear that we have fixed it in the current milestone.

We name it something that is clear and concise for the engineers to understand so that when it appears on their board its not confusing.

Backport fix for <issue number| bug name> in 11.2

Reasoning

The reason I am proposing this is to avoid creating yet another set of labels, while also accurately capturing the work left.

@leipert tagging you here since you know most of the context

Edited by Mek Stittri