---
# System prepended metadata

title: Upstream Kubernetes Test and Release Overview

---

# Upstream Kubernetes Test and Release Overview

- What happens when I submit a PR?
    - Standards enforcement via...
        - [Reviews/approvals](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/blob/master/contributors/guide/owners.md#the-code-review-process)
        - Verification scripts, e.g. [k/kubernetes/hack/make-rules/verify.sh](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/blob/master/hack/make-rules/verify.sh)
        - "Presubmit" tests, e.g. [sig-node presubmits](https://github.com/kubernetes/test-infra/blob/4e078a4cecbf039758cc0476110c8872b91a12c4/config/jobs/kubernetes/sig-node/sig-node-presubmit.yaml)
- How is the test infrastructure configured?
    - Job definitions: [k/test-infra](https://github.com/kubernetes/test-infra)
    - Environment/Infra-as-Code:
      - prow config in [k/k8s.io/apps/prow](https://github.com/kubernetes/k8s.io/tree/main/apps/prow)
      - sippy previously deployed in [k/k8s.io/apps/sippy@9d11cf23](https://github.com/kubernetes/k8s.io/tree/9d11cf23cf7d32d715d61b5507e849615f6e9041/apps/sippy)
          - More docs on [Sippy](http://sippy.k8s.io), a possible FOSS option for managing flake signal: [openshift/sippy](https://github.com/openshift/sippy/blob/master/DEVELOPMENT.md)
    - Performance: [k/perf-tests](https://github.com/kubernetes/perf-tests)
        - [Performance Dashboard](http://perf-dash.k8s.io/)
    - e2e tests overview: [k/community](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/blob/master/contributors/devel/sig-testing/e2e-tests.md)
- What happens after a PR is merged?
    - "Postsubmit" tests, e.g. some [sig-node periodics](https://github.com/kubernetes/test-infra/blob/4e078a4cecbf039758cc0476110c8872b91a12c4/config/jobs/kubernetes/sig-node/node-kubelet.yaml)
    - Testgrid
        - [Overview](https://testgrid.k8s.io)
        - Individual dashboards, e.g. [SIG Release](https://testgrid.k8s.io/sig-release)
    - Signal management (release team)
        - Documentation for [CI Signal Lead](https://github.com/kubernetes/sig-release/tree/master/release-team/role-handbooks/ci-signal)
- Where do the tests live?
    - k/kubernetes
        - [k/kubernetes/test/e2e](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/tree/master/test/e2e)
            - Most upstream e2e tests. Includes most of the 7k e2e tests that need a full cluster to run, including Conformance-tagged tests.
        - [k/kubernetes/test/e2e_node](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/tree/master/test/e2e_node)
            - Node e2e and conformance tests, that run using a different e2e framework in a single node, limited configuration (e.g. no scheduler). Includes ``[NodeConformance]`` tests.
            - See also [KEP #3041](https://kep.k8s.io/3041)
    - [k/perf-tests](https://github.com/kubernetes/perf-tests)
- How do conformance tests work?
    - [Documentation](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/blob/e574f7a4fe4e9185a181551b49a9363d11c6582f/contributors/devel/sig-architecture/conformance-tests.md#conformance-test-requirements)
- What does the lifecycle of a release look like?
    - SIG Release has [documentation](https://github.com/kubernetes/sig-release/blob/master/releases/release_phases.md)
- How are regressions handled?
    - Cherry-pick [documentation](https://git.k8s.io/community/contributors/devel/sig-release/cherry-picks.md)
        - [example cherry-pick](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/105452)