✨ add utility to create git issues on provider repo

Makefile

@@ -1104,6 +1104,10 @@ release-notes-tool:
 test-release-notes-tool:
 	go test -v -tags tools,integration sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/hack/tools/release/notes
 
+.PHONY: release-provider-issues-tool
+release-provider-issues-tool: # Creates GitHub issues in a pre-defined list of CAPI provider repositories
+	@go run ./hack/tools/release/internal/update_providers/provider_issues.go
+
 .PHONY: release-weekly-update-tool
 release-weekly-update-tool:
 	go build -o bin/weekly -tags tools sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/hack/tools/release/weekly

docs/release/release-tasks.md

@@ -457,7 +457,9 @@ We should inform at least the following providers via a new issue on their respe
 * Packet: https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/cluster-api-provider-packet/issues/new
 * vSphere: https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/cluster-api-provider-vsphere/issues/new
 
-TODO: Right now we don't have a template for this message but the Comms Team will provide one later. 
+To create GitHub issues at the Cluster API providers repositories and inform about a new minor beta release, use ["provider_issues.go"](../../hack/tools/release/internal/update_providers/provider_issues.go) go utility.
+- Ensure that the [provider repos pre-requisites](../../hack/tools/release/internal/update_providers/README.md#pre-requisites) are completed.
+- From the root of this repository, run `make release-provider-issues-tool` to create git issues at the provider repositories.
 
 ## CI Signal/Bug Triage/Automation Manager
 
@@ -543,4 +545,4 @@ The goal of bug triage is to triage incoming issues and if necessary flag them w
 and add them to the milestone of the current release.
 
 We probably have to figure out some details about the overlap between the bug triage task here, release leads
-and Cluster API maintainers.
+and Cluster API maintainers.

hack/tools/release/internal/update_providers/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+# Update CAPI Providers with CAPI beta releases
+
+`provider_issues` is a go utility intended to open git issues on provider repos about the first beta minor release of CAPI.
+
+## Pre-requisites
+
+- Create a github token with the below access and export it in your environment as `GITHUB_ISSUE_OPENER_TOKEN`. Set the validity to the least number of days since this utility is a one time use tool per release cycle.
+  - `repo:status` - Grants access to commit status on public and private repositories.
+  - `repo_deployment` - Grants access to deployment statuses on public and private repositories.
+  - `public_repo` - Grants access to public repositories
+
+- Export `PROVIDER_ISSUES_DRY_RUN` environment variable to `"true"` to run the utility in dry run mode. Export it to `"false"` to create issues on the provider repositories. Example:
+
+  ```sh
+  export PROVIDER_ISSUES_DRY_RUN="true"
+  ```
+
+- Export `RELEASE_TAG` environment variable to the CAPI release version e.g. `1.6.0`. The suffix `-beta.0` is appended by the utility.  
+  Example:
+
+  ```sh
+  export RELEASE_TAG="1.6.0"
+  ```
+
+- Export `RELEASE_DATE` to the targeted CAPI release version date. Fetch the target date from latest [release file](https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/cluster-api/tree/main/docs/release/releases).
+  Example:
+
+  ```sh
+  export RELEASE_DATE="2023-11-28"
+  ```
+
+## How to run the tool
+
+- Finish the pre-requites [tasks](#pre-requisites).
+- From the root of the project Cluster API, run `make release-provider-issues-tool` to create issues at provider repositories.
+  - Note that the utility will  
+    - do a dry run on setting `PROVIDER_ISSUES_DRY_RUN="true"` (and will not create git issues)
+    - create git issues on setting `PROVIDER_ISSUES_DRY_RUN="false"`.