Add auto-merge workflow on release and adjust release process

.github/workflows/upstream-downstream-sync.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+name: Upstream to Downstream - Release Auto-Merge
+on:
+  release:
+    types:
+      - published
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - release-workflow-automerge
+
+jobs:
+  upstream-odh-auto-merge:
+    uses: red-hat-data-services/rhods-devops-infra/.github/workflows/upstream-auto-merge.yaml@main
+    with:
+      repositories: codeflare-upstream
+
+  odh-rhds-auto-merge:
+    needs: upstream-odh-auto-merge
+    uses: red-hat-data-services/rhods-devops-infra/.github/workflows/upstream-auto-merge.yaml@main
+    with:
+      repositories: codeflare-downstream

README.md

@@ -110,11 +110,9 @@ For ODH tests additional environment variables are needed:
 2. Once all jobs within the action are completed, verify that compatibility matrix in [README](https://github.com/project-codeflare/codeflare-operator/blob/main/README.md) was properly updated.
 3. Verify that opened pull request to [OpenShift community operators repository](https://github.com/redhat-openshift-ecosystem/community-operators-prod) has proper content.
 4. Once PR is merged, announce the new release in slack and mail lists, if any.
-5. Release automation should open a PR with changes in [ODH CodeFlare operator repo](https://github.com/opendatahub-io/codeflare-operator). Review the changes proposed by automation. If all the changes are correct then manually cherrypick all `CARRY` and `PATCH` commits from the current main branch, push the result to a dedicated branch and ask on Slack channel for review of the result branch content. Once agreed then push the changes directly to the `main` branch (branch protection has to be temporarily disabled).
-6. Build ODH/CFO image by triggering [Build and Push action](https://github.com/opendatahub-io/codeflare-operator/actions/workflows/build-and-push.yaml)
-7. Create a release branch on [Red Hat CodeFlare operator repo](https://github.com/red-hat-data-services/codeflare-operator) for the next release if it doesn't exist yet.
-8. Create a dedicated branch containing changes from [ODH CodeFlare operator repo](https://github.com/opendatahub-io/codeflare-operator). Cherrypick all relevant changes available in [Red Hat CodeFlare operator repo](https://github.com/red-hat-data-services/codeflare-operator) latest release branch which should be available also in the next release. Ask on Slack channel for review of the result branch content. Once agreed then push the changes directly to the release branch.
-9. Make sure that release automation created a PR updating CodeFlare SDK version in [ODH Notebooks repository](https://github.com/opendatahub-io/notebooks). Make sure the PR gets merged.
+5. Release automation should auto-merge changes to [ODH CodeFlare operator repo](https://github.com/opendatahub-io/codeflare-operator). Verify the [workflow](https://github.com/project-codeflare/codeflare-operator/actions/workflows/project-codeflare-release.yml) ran successfully and review the new merge-commit and commit history. Same for the [Red Hat CodeFlare Operator repo](https://github.com/red-hat-data-services/codeflare-operator), while also ensuring changes are in the latest `rhoai` release branch. - If the auto-merge fails, conflicts must be resolved and force pushed manually to each downstream repository.
+6. In ODH/CFO verify that the [Build and Push action](https://github.com/opendatahub-io/codeflare-operator/actions/workflows/build-and-push.yaml) was triggered and ran successfully.
+7. Make sure that release automation created a PR updating CodeFlare SDK version in [ODH Notebooks repository](https://github.com/opendatahub-io/notebooks). Make sure the PR gets merged.
 
 ### Releases involving part of the stack