RE: KernelCI Labs Working Group

Hello Gus,

> From: Gustavo Padovan <[email protected]>
> Sent: 01 September 2025 23:55
> 
> Following discussions at the KernelCI Workshop 2025 in Amsterdam, we're
> establishing
> a Labs Working Group to address the challenges of executing testing
> through hardware
> labs in KernelCI.
> 
> ## Working Group Scope
> 
> The Labs WG will focus on improving how KernelCI integrates with and
> manages
> hardware testing laboratories. Currently, we support only LAVA, but
> there's growing
> interest in expanding backend support and addressing various
> infrastructure challenges.
> 
> 
> ## Key Areas of Focus
> 
> - Labgrid Integration: Design and implement labgrid backend support
> alongside existing
> LAVA integration
> - CI Ecosystem Labs: Better support for vendor labs (TI, Qualcomm, etc.)
> through improved
> events API and shared rootfs images.
> - Alternative Backends: Explore integration with other lab management
> systems like Tuxtest
> for virtualized testing
> - Lab Health Dashboard: Develop tools to monitor lab status and
> infrastructure issues
> - Failure Classification: Improve detection and reporting of
> infrastructure failures vs. actual
> test failures
> - Lab Admin Guidelines: Create standards for lab administrators on device
> type differentiation
> and configuration facilitating accessing the same hardware across multiple
> labs.
> - Job Prioritization: Implement smarter job scheduling
> - Dependency Management: Avoid running dependent tests when prerequisites
> fail (e.g.,
> skip NFS-dependent tests if NFS boot fails)
> 
> The Labs WG will work closely with the Infrastructure Working Group and
> Technical
> Steering Committee to ensure our efforts align with KernelCI's overall
> architecture and goals.
> 
> Based on the interest during the workshop, we’d need to cover the West
> Coast timezone
> as well. So an initial proposal for these meetings is starting next week
> on Thursday,
> September 11 at 7:30am PDT/4:30pm CEST.

Thank you for kick starting this group!
Same as Ben for me - I am on holiday next week so will miss this first meeting.
Please include me in the invite for future meetings.

Kind regards, Chris

> 
> We invite all interested community members, especially those running or
> managing
> hardware labs, to participate in this working group. Please reply to this
> thread if
> you're interested in contributing or have specific use cases and
> requirements to discuss.
> 
> Best,
> 
> - Gus
> 
> --
> Gustavo Padovan
> 
> Collabora Ltd.