feat(p2p): nimbus downstream CI commitment for 2026q4

content/p2p/ift/2026q4-nimlibp2p-nimbus-downstream-ci.md

@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+---
+
+title: Nimbus Testnet Deployment
+tags:
+  - "2026q4"
+  - "p2p"
+  - "ift"
+draft: false
+description: Automate the deployment of a nim-libp2p change to Nimbus testnet nodes, with the start time and duration set by the p2p team
+
+---
+
+`ift-ts:p2p:ift:2026q4-nimlibp2p-nimbus-downstream-ci`
+
+## Description
+
+Today a deployment of a nim-libp2p change to a testnet node is manual.
+The automation builds Nimbus with the nim-libp2p commit, deploys it to testnet nodes, collects metrics, restores the nodes, and reports the result.
+The p2p team operates the levers of each run.
+
+The workflow deploys any nim-libp2p commit.
+A pull request with the `test-nimbus` label gets a build for each new commit.
+A team member can also start a run on a standalone commit, e.g. a master commit or a commit on a branch with no pull request.
+
+## Task List
+
+### Nimbus Build For A nim-libp2p Commit
+
+* fully qualified name: `ift-ts:p2p:ift:2026q4-nimlibp2p-nimbus-downstream-ci:build`
+* owner: not assigned yet
+* status: not started
+* start-date: 2026/10/01
+* end-date: 2026/12/31
+
+#### Description
+
+Each nim-libp2p commit to test gets its own nimbus-eth2 branch.
+A pull request with the `test-nimbus` label uses `nim-libp2p-test-pr-<number>`, and a standalone commit uses `nim-libp2p-test-<short-hash>`.
+Set `vendor/nim-libp2p` to the commit.
+Read the dependency pins in `libp2p.nimble` and move each matching nimbus-eth2 `vendor/` submodule to that pin, because nimbus-eth2 ignores `libp2p.nimble`.
+Build the beacon node from this branch.
+Delete a pull request branch when the pull request closes or the `test-nimbus` label is removed.
+Delete a standalone commit branch when its run ends.
+
+#### Deliverables
+
+- A beacon node binary for each pull request with the `test-nimbus` label
+- A beacon node binary on request for any standalone commit
+- Builds for different commits that run in parallel, with no change to `DEPENDENCIES_AUTOBUMP_ENABLED`
+- Branch cleanup on pull request close and at the end of a standalone run
+
+
+### Testnet Deployment Automation
+
+* fully qualified name: `ift-ts:p2p:ift:2026q4-nimlibp2p-nimbus-downstream-ci:deployment`
+* owner: not assigned yet
+* status: not started
+* start-date: 2026/10/01
+* end-date: 2026/12/31
+
+#### Description
+
+Add a workflow that deploys the beacon node binary of a nim-libp2p commit to testnet nodes.
+The workflow takes a commit hash or a pull request number, the start time, and the duration as inputs.
+The workflow resolves a pull request number to the head commit of the pull request.
+A commit hash needs no pull request and no label.
+At the end of the desired duration, the workflow restores the previous binary on each node.
+A lock on each node stops two runs from using the same node.
+The team can stop a run before its end, and the workflow then restores the nodes at once.
+
+#### Deliverables
+
+- A deployment workflow with commit or pull request, start time, and duration inputs
+- Automatic restore of the nodes at the end of a run or on stop
+- A node lock that prevents overlapping runs
+- Contributor documentation for how to start, schedule, and stop a run
+
+
+### Metrics And Reporting
+
+* fully qualified name: `ift-ts:p2p:ift:2026q4-nimlibp2p-nimbus-downstream-ci:reporting`
+* owner: not assigned yet
+* status: not started
+* start-date: 2026/10/01
+* end-date: 2026/12/31
+
+#### Description
+
+Run a baseline node on nim-libp2p master next to the deployed nodes.
+Collect the libp2p and beacon node metrics from the deployed nodes and the baseline for the duration of the run.
+Compare peer count, connection churn, gossipsub message delivery, block and attestation arrival delay, sync status, CPU, and memory.
+Post the comparison on the pull request, with links to the node logs and dashboards.
+For a standalone commit, write the comparison to the workflow run summary.
+
+#### Deliverables
+
+- A baseline node on nim-libp2p master
+- A metrics comparison between the deployed nodes and the baseline for each run
+- A run report on the pull request, or in the workflow run summary for a standalone commit, with logs and dashboards

content/p2p/index.md

@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ Major future work items on nim-libp2p (also beyond this reporting period are cap
 * [[p2p/ift/2026q4-nimlibp2p-kademlia-provider-storage|nimlibp2p-kademlia-provider-storage]]
 * [[p2p/ift/2026q4-nimlibp2p-maintenance|nimlibp2p-maintenance]]
 * [[p2p/ift/2026q4-nimlibp2p-mdns|nimlibp2p-mdns]]
+* [[p2p/ift/2026q4-nimlibp2p-nimbus-downstream-ci|nimlibp2p-nimbus-downstream-ci]]
 * [[p2p/ift/2026q4-nimlibp2p-quic-datagrams|nimlibp2p-quic-datagrams]]
 * [[p2p/ift/2026q4-nimlibp2p-quic-ech|nimlibp2p-quic-ech]]
 * [[p2p/ift/2026q4-nimlibp2p-reachability-relay-lifecycle|nimlibp2p-reachability-relay-lifecycle]]