Automate the collection of release data and update the appropriate files

[mthalman]

The hardest part of the release process that is currently manually done is figuring out what needs to be updated in the various infrastructure data files (manifest.versions.json and manifest.datestamps.json) and collecting the data to know what content those files should have.

This consists of the following aspects:

• Collecting the KB numbers that are relevant for the release.
• Understanding where those KB numbers are to be filled in within the manifest.versions.json file.
• Collecting the download URLs for those KB numbers on release day when the URLs are live.
• Updating the manifest.datestamps.json file for those Dockerfiles that are being updated, and only those Dockerfiles.

We should investigate how all of these aspects can be automated to reduce the burden that is required for the release process.

As a source for the KB info, we use the information from https://aka.ms/TrackIt (internal link). This is based on an API: https://www.osgwiki.com/wiki/WSD_Wiki-DiscoverIt_PLC_Web_API (internal link) that could potentially give us the information we need.

[mthalman]

[Triage] This can be a multi-step process to get this to happen.

To start, we can ensure that we have access to the data from TrackIt that we need. That would involve investigating their API documentation to see whether the API exists for collecting payload information. Basically, what are the steps that we manually take on the TrackIt site, and then apply that process to API calls.

[mthalman]

There's also the Release Automation Portal which contains KB information. It has an API as well.