Release of v18.0.4

[systay]

This release is scheduled for Thu 4 Apr 2024

Prerequisites for Release

• Notify the community on Slack.
• Make sure the release notes summary is prepared and clean.
• Make sure backport Pull Requests are merged, list below.
  • VReplication: Get workflowFlavorVtctl endtoend testing working properly again #15636
• Make sure release blocker Issues are closed, list below.

Pre-Release

• Code Freeze.
  • [release-18.0] Code Freeze for v18.0.4 #15653
• Create Release PR.
  • [release-18.0] Release of v18.0.4 #15654
• Create new GitHub Milestone.
  • https://github.com/vitessio/vitess/milestone/58

Release

• Merge the Release PR.
  • [release-18.0] Release of v18.0.4 #15654
• Tag the release.
  • https://github.com/vitessio/vitess/releases/tag/v18.0.4
• Update release notes on main.
  • Copy v18.0.4 release notes on main #15659
• Go back to dev mode on the release branch.
  • [release-18.0] Bump to v18.0.5-SNAPSHOT after the v18.0.4 release #15660
• Update the website documentation.
• Make sure the release is benchmarked by arewefastyet.
• Docker Images available on DockerHub.
• Close current GitHub Milestone.
  • https://github.com/vitessio/vitess/milestone/56

Post-Release

• Notify the community on Slack for the new release.
• Twitter announcement.
• Close this Issue.

[systay]

Because of the release of go1.21.9, we'll go ahead and make a patch release for the 18 branch as well

[shlomi-noach]

Release completed.