Release Gate SLO Policy

Status: active Last updated: 2026-05-29

This document defines the versioned policy used by the release readiness gate.

1. Policy File

Canonical file:

1. .github/release_gate_policy.json

Purpose:

1. Version release-gate decision criteria.
2. Avoid ad-hoc threshold behavior in workflow scripts.

2. Profiles

Current profiles:

1. strict
2. transitional

Usage in CI:

1. push to main/master: strict
2. PR/schedule/manual dispatch: transitional

3. Controlled Fields

Policy fields per profile:

1. allow_trend_unverified
2. allow_missing_runtime_executive_summary
3. max_high_failures
4. max_medium_failures
5. dx_allowed_slo_statuses
6. trend_allowed_slo_statuses
7. durability_advanced_min_expected_scenarios
8. durability_advanced_min_expected_tests

4. Governance Rules

1. Any change to .github/release_gate_policy.json requires explicit review.
2. strict profile must remain release-safe (no high-severity bypass).
3. Temporary relaxation should happen in transitional only and be justified.
4. Exceptions for individual checks must follow docs/RELEASE_EXCEPTIONS_POLICY.md.

5. Change Procedure

1. Update .github/release_gate_policy.json
2. Run workflow validation (tooling/verify_workflow_embedded_python.py)
3. Run local gate simulation using desired profile
4. Include rationale in PR/release notes

6. Related

1. tooling/generate_release_readiness_gate.py
2. docs/CI_AND_TESTING.md
3. docs/PRODUCT_100_EXECUTION_PLAN.md
4. docs/RELEASE_EXCEPTIONS_POLICY.md