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docs: improve the contributor experience of CONTRIBUTING.md (#5507) 

Signed-off-by: Dan Gil <dagil@nvidia.com>
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@ -4,5 +4,5 @@ contact_links:
url: https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/ai/dynamo/
about: Refer to the Dynamo documentation to help you get started.
- name: Dynamo Community Support
url: https://discord.gg/dynamo
url: https://discord.gg/nvidia-dynamo
about: Refer to the Dynamo Discord server for community support.

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CONTRIBUTING.md
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@ -15,238 +15,277 @@ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
limitations under the License.
-->
# Contribution Guidelines
# Contributing to Dynamo
## External Contributors: Issue-First Workflow
Thank you for your interest in contributing to Dynamo! Whether you're fixing a typo, reporting a bug, improving documentation, or building a new feature—every contribution matters and helps make Dynamo better for everyone.
Thank you for your interest in contributing to Dynamo. To help us review your work efficiently, please follow the workflow below.
This guide will help you get started. If you have questions, join us on [Discord](https://discord.gg/nvidia-dynamo) or open a [GitHub Discussion](https://github.com/ai-dynamo/dynamo/discussions).
**TL;DR for experienced contributors:**
1. Fork and clone the repo
2. Create a branch: `git checkout -b yourname/fix-description`
3. Make changes, run `pre-commit`
4. Commit with DCO sign-off: `git commit -s -m "fix: description"`
5. Open a PR targeting `main`
## New to Dynamo?
If this is your first contribution, here's the recommended path:
1. **Set up** your development environment using the [Developing Locally](README.md#developing-locally) guide
2. **Find an issue** — Browse [open issues](https://github.com/ai-dynamo/dynamo/issues) or look for:
| Issue Type | Description |
|------------|-------------|
| [Good first issues](https://github.com/ai-dynamo/dynamo/labels/good-first-issue) | Beginner-friendly |
| [Help wanted](https://github.com/ai-dynamo/dynamo/labels/help-wanted) | Community contributions welcome |
3. **Start small** — Documentation fixes, bug fixes, and test improvements are great first contributions
4. **Ask questions** — Join [Discord](https://discord.gg/nvidia-dynamo) or open a [Discussion](https://github.com/ai-dynamo/dynamo/discussions) if you get stuck
**Community Impact:** 70+ external contributors have merged PRs, with 130+ community contributions since launch and ~8 new contributors joining each month. Your contribution matters—[see our contributors](https://github.com/ai-dynamo/dynamo/graphs/contributors).
## Code of Conduct
We are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment. Please read and follow our [Code of Conduct](CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md).
---
## Ways to Contribute
### Report a Bug
Found something broken? [Open a bug report](https://github.com/ai-dynamo/dynamo/issues/new?template=bug_report.yml) with:
- Steps to reproduce
- Expected vs. actual behavior
- Environment details (OS, GPU, Python version, Dynamo version)
### Improve Documentation
Documentation improvements are always welcome. This includes:
- Fixing typos or unclear explanations
- Adding examples or tutorials
- Improving API documentation
Small doc fixes can be submitted directly as PRs without an issue.
### Propose a Feature
Have an idea for a new feature? [Open a feature request](https://github.com/ai-dynamo/dynamo/issues/new?template=feature_request.yml) to discuss it with Dynamo maintainers before implementation.
### Contribute Code
Ready to write code? See the [Contribution Workflow](#contribution-workflow) section below for the process.
---
## What Happens to Your Issue
### Priority Levels
When triaged, issues are assigned a priority based on impact:
| Priority | Meaning |
|----------|---------|
| **Urgent** | Critical blocker—system failure, security vulnerability, data loss |
| **P0** | High impact—major functionality broken, blocking multiple users |
| **P1** | Medium impact—workarounds exist, or popular feature request |
| **P2** | Low impact—minor bugs, nice-to-have features, cosmetic issues |
### Status Labels
| Status | What It Means |
|--------|---------------|
| `needs-triage` | We're reviewing your issue |
| `needs-info` | We need more details from you |
| `approved-for-pr` | Ready for implementation—submit a PR |
| `in-progress` | Someone is working on this |
| `blocked` | Waiting on external dependency |
### Response Expectations
We aim to:
- **Respond** to new issues within a few business days
- **Triage** high-priority issues (P0/P1) within a week
Issues with no activity for 30 days may be auto-closed (can be reopened).
### Good First Issues
Issues labeled `good-first-issue` are sized for new contributors. We provide extra guidance on these—look for clear acceptance criteria and a suggested approach in the issue description.
---
## Quick Start for Contributors
1. [Fork the repository](https://github.com/ai-dynamo/dynamo/fork) on GitHub
2. Clone your fork and set up your development environment following the [Developing Locally](README.md#developing-locally) guide
3. Set up pre-commit hooks: `pip install pre-commit && pre-commit install`
---
## Project Architecture
<!-- We were given the feedback that having information on architecture, languages used, etc. would be helpful for external contributors -->
Understanding Dynamo's architecture helps you find where to make changes. For the complete picture, see the [Architecture Documentation](docs/design_docs/architecture.md) and [Support Matrix](docs/reference/support-matrix.md).
![Dynamo Architecture](docs/images/architecture.png)
### Core Components
| Component | Purpose | Directory |
|-----------|---------|-----------|
| **Frontend** | OpenAI-compatible HTTP API server | `components/src/dynamo/frontend/` |
| **Router** | KV cache-aware request routing with load balancing | `components/src/dynamo/router/` |
| **Planner** | Real-time performance tuning and worker scaling | `components/src/dynamo/planner/` |
| **Workers** | Backend engine integrations (vLLM, SGLang, TensorRT-LLM) | `components/src/dynamo/{vllm,sglang,trtllm}/` |
| **KV Cache Manager** | Multi-tier cache offloading (GPU → CPU → SSD → Object Storage) | `lib/bindings/kvbm/` |
| **SLA Profiler** | Benchmarking and SLA-driven configuration | `benchmarks/profiler/` |
### Communication Planes
| Plane | Purpose | Documentation |
|-------|---------|---------------|
| **Discovery Plane** | Service registration and discovery across components | [docs/design_docs/distributed_runtime.md](docs/design_docs/distributed_runtime.md) |
| **Request Plane** | High-performance request routing between components | [docs/design_docs/request_plane.md](docs/design_docs/request_plane.md) |
| **KV Event Plane** | KV cache event propagation for cache-aware routing | [docs/design_docs/event_plane.md](docs/design_docs/event_plane.md) |
### Kubernetes Deployment
| Component | Purpose | Directory |
|-----------|---------|-----------|
| **Operator** | CRDs, controllers, and webhooks for K8s-native deployment | `deploy/operator/` |
| **Helm Charts** | Templated deployment configurations | `deploy/helm/` |
| **Recipes** | Pre-built deployment configurations for common scenarios | `recipes/` |
### Why These Languages?
| Layer | Language | Why | Directory |
|-------|----------|-----|-----------|
| Core Runtime | Rust | Memory safety, zero-cost abstractions, predictable latency | `lib/runtime/` |
| LLM Engine | Rust | High-throughput token processing, async I/O | `lib/llm/` |
| KV Block Manager | Rust | Direct memory control for GPU/CPU/SSD offloading | `lib/bindings/kvbm/` |
| Backend Integrations | Python | Rapid iteration, framework compatibility | `components/src/dynamo/` |
| Planner & Router | Python | Extensible policies, easy customization | `components/src/dynamo/{planner,router}/` |
| Kubernetes Operator | Go | K8s controller patterns, client-go ecosystem | `deploy/operator/` |
---
## Contribution Workflow
### When Is a GitHub Issue Required?
**You can submit a PR directly without an issue if:**
**Submit a PR directly (no issue needed) if:**
- Your change is **<100 lines of code** AND addresses a simple, focused concern (typos, simple bug fixes, formatting)
- **OR** your PR addresses an **existing approved GitHub Issue** (link with "Fixes #123")
**You must create a GitHub Issue first for:**
**Create a GitHub Issue first for:**
- Changes ≥100 lines of code
- New features, architecture changes, or multi-component changes
- Any change that requires design discussion
**Note**: All PRs are triaged. If your PR lacks sufficient context or understanding, reviewers will reject the PR and ask you to first submit an issue and get approval before proceeding.
### Issue-First Workflow
### Issue-First Workflow Steps
For larger contributions, follow these steps:
**If you are an external contributor and your change requires a GitHub Issue**, please follow this workflow. This process ensures that external contributions are well-aligned with the project's goals and reduces the likelihood of significant rework.
1. **Create a GitHub Issue** – [Open a Contribution Request](https://github.com/ai-dynamo/dynamo/issues/new?template=contribution_request.yml) using the template.
1. **Create a GitHub Issue First** – Before writing any code, [open a GitHub Issue](https://github.com/ai-dynamo/dynamo/issues/new?template=contribution_request.yml) using the **Contribution Request** template.
2. **Describe the Problem** – Explain what you're solving, including context, error messages, or use cases.
2. **Identify the Problem** – Clearly explain the problem you are trying to solve, including any relevant context, error messages, or use cases.
3. **Propose a Solution** – Include:
- **Estimated PR size**: XS / S / M / L / XL / XXL
- **Files affected**: Approximate number and components
- **Type of change**: Bug fix, new feature, refactoring, or performance improvement
3. **Recommend a Solution** – Propose your intended solution or approach in the issue. Include:
- **Estimated PR size**: XS / S / M / L / XL / XXL (use your best judgment)
- **Files affected**: Approximate number and which components/interfaces
- **Type of change**:
- **Bug fix**: Corrects existing behavior with minimal code changes; should include tests that capture the issue
- **New feature**: Adds new behavior or capability; requires comprehensive tests for the new functionality
- **Refactoring**: Restructures code without changing behavior; no new tests required
- **Performance improvement**: Optimizes existing behavior; should include before/after benchmarks
4. **Get Approval** – Wait for Dynamo maintainers to review and apply the `approved-for-pr` label.
This helps the Dynamo team understand your plan, assess complexity, and provide early feedback. PRs that significantly exceed their stated size may be rejected.
5. **Submit a Pull Request** – [Open a PR](https://github.com/ai-dynamo/dynamo/compare) that references the issue using GitHub keywords (e.g., "Fixes #123").
4. **Get Approval** – Wait for the Dynamo team to review and approve both the problem statement and your proposed solution. This ensures alignment with the project's architecture and roadmap before you invest time in implementation. Once approved, a maintainer will apply the `approved-for-pr` label to your issue.
6. **Address Code Rabbit Review** – Respond to automated Code Rabbit suggestions, including nitpicks.
5. **Submit a Pull Request** – Once your issue has the `approved-for-pr` label, [submit a PR](https://github.com/ai-dynamo/dynamo/compare) that references the issue. Link your PR to the issue using [GitHub keywords](https://docs.github.com/en/issues/tracking-your-work-with-issues/using-issues/linking-a-pull-request-to-an-issue) (e.g., "Fixes #123" or "Closes #123").
7. **Trigger CI Tests** – For external contributors, a Dynamo maintainer must comment `/ok to test <commit-id>` to run the full CI suite, where `<commit-id>` is the short SHA of your latest commit. Fix any failing tests before requesting human review.
6. **Address Code Rabbit Review** – Wait for the automated Code Rabbit review to complete. Address its suggestions, including the nitpicks—they are often quite insightful and help improve code quality.
8. **Request Review** – Add the person who approved your issue as a reviewer. Check [CODEOWNERS](CODEOWNERS) for required approvers based on files modified.
7. **Ensure CI Tests Pass** – Wait for all CI tests to pass. If any tests fail, investigate and fix the issues before requesting human review.
8. **Check CODEOWNERS** – Review the [CODEOWNERS](https://github.com/ai-dynamo/dynamo/blob/main/CODEOWNERS) file to identify which team members need to sign off on your PR based on the files you've modified.
9. **Request a Review** – Add whomever approved your GitHub Issue as a reviewer on your PR. Please also add [@dagil-nvidia](https://github.com/dagil-nvidia) for visibility.
> **Note on AI-Generated Code**: While Dynamo encourages the use of AI-generated code, it is the full responsibility of the submitter to understand every change in the PR. Failure to demonstrate sufficient understanding of the submitted code will result in rejection.
> **Note on AI-Generated Code**: While we encourage using AI tools, you must fully understand every change in your PR. Inability to explain submitted code will result in rejection.
---
## General Contribution Guidelines
## Code Style & Quality
Contributions that fix documentation errors or that make small changes
to existing code can be contributed directly by following the rules
below and submitting an appropriate PR.
### Pre-commit Hooks
Contributions intended to add significant new functionality must
follow a more collaborative path described in the following
points. Before submitting a large PR that adds a major enhancement or
extension, be sure to submit a GitHub issue that describes the
proposed change so that the Dynamo team can provide feedback.
All PRs are checked against [pre-commit hooks](.pre-commit-config.yaml). Run locally:
- As part of the GitHub issue discussion, a design for your change
will be agreed upon. An up-front design discussion is required to
ensure that your enhancement is done in a manner that is consistent
with Dynamo's overall architecture.
- The Dynamo project is spread across multiple GitHub Repositories.
The Dynamo team will provide guidance about how and where your enhancement
should be implemented.
- Testing is a critical part of any Dynamo
enhancement. You should plan on spending significant time on
creating tests for your change. The Dynamo team will help you to
design your testing so that it is compatible with existing testing
infrastructure.
- If your enhancement provides a user visible feature then you need to
provide documentation.
# Contribution Rules
- The code style convention is enforced by common formatting tools
for a given language (such as clang-format for c++, black for python).
See below on how to ensure your contributions conform. In general please follow
the existing conventions in the relevant file, submodule, module,
and project when you add new code or when you extend/fix existing
functionality.
- Avoid introducing unnecessary complexity into existing code so that
maintainability and readability are preserved.
- Try to keep code changes for each pull request (PR) as concise as possible:
- Fillout PR template with clear description and mark applicable checkboxes
- Avoid committing commented-out code.
- Wherever possible, each PR should address a single concern. If
there are several otherwise-unrelated things that should be fixed
to reach a desired endpoint, it is perfectly fine to open several
PRs and state in the description which PR depends on another
PR. The more complex the changes are in a single PR, the more time
it will take to review those changes.
- Make sure that the build log is clean, meaning no warnings or
errors should be present.
- Make sure all tests pass.
- Dynamo's default build assumes recent versions of
dependencies (CUDA, TensorFlow, PyTorch, TensorRT,
etc.). Contributions that add compatibility with older versions of
those dependencies will be considered, but NVIDIA cannot guarantee
that all possible build configurations work, are not broken by
future contributions, and retain highest performance.
- Make sure that you can contribute your work to open source (no
license and/or patent conflict is introduced by your code).
You must certify compliance with the
[license terms](https://github.com/ai-dynamo/dynamo/blob/main/LICENSE)
and sign off on the [Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO)](https://developercertificate.org)
described below before your pull request (PR) can be merged.
- Thanks in advance for your patience as we review your contributions;
we do appreciate them!
# Coding Convention
All pull requests are checked against the
[pre-commit hooks](https://github.com/pre-commit/pre-commit-hooks)
located [in the repository's top-level .pre-commit-config.yaml](https://github.com/ai-dynamo/dynamo/blob/main/.pre-commit-config.yaml).
The hooks do some sanity checking like linting and formatting.
These checks must pass to merge a change.
To run these locally, you can
[install pre-commit,](https://pre-commit.com/#install)
then run `pre-commit install` inside the cloned repo. When you
commit a change, the pre-commit hooks will run automatically.
If a fix is implemented by a pre-commit hook, adding the file again
and running `git commit` a second time will pass and successfully
commit.
# Running Github actions locally
To run the Github actions locally, you can use the `act` tool.
See [act usage](https://nektosact.com/introduction.html) for more information.
For example, to run the pre-merge-rust workflow locally, you can use the following command from terminal:
```bash
pre-commit install
pre-commit run --all-files
```
### Language Conventions
| Language | Style Guide | Formatter |
|----------|-------------|-----------|
| **Python** | [PEP 8](https://peps.python.org/pep-0008/) | `black`, `ruff` |
| **Rust** | [Rust API Guidelines](https://rust-lang.github.io/api-guidelines/) | `cargo fmt`, `cargo clippy` |
| **Go** | [Effective Go](https://go.dev/doc/effective_go) | `gofmt` |
### General Guidelines
- Keep PRs focused—one concern per PR
- Avoid unnecessary complexity
- No commented-out code
- Ensure clean builds (no warnings or errors)
- All tests must pass
### Running GitHub Actions Locally
Use [act](https://nektosact.com/) to run workflows locally:
```bash
act -j pre-merge-rust
```
Also you can use vscode extension [GitHub Local Actions](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=SanjulaGanepola.github-local-actions) to run the workflows from vscode.
Or use the [GitHub Local Actions](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=SanjulaGanepola.github-local-actions) VS Code extension.
---
# Developer Certificate of Origin
## DCO & Licensing
Dynamo is an open source product released under
the Apache 2.0 license (see either
[the Apache site](https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0) or
the [LICENSE file](./LICENSE)). The Apache 2.0 license allows you
to freely use, modify, distribute, and sell your own products
that include Apache 2.0 licensed software.
### Developer Certificate of Origin
We respect intellectual property rights of others and we want
to make sure all incoming contributions are correctly attributed
and licensed. A Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO) is a
lightweight mechanism to do that.
Dynamo requires all contributions to be signed off with the [Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO)](https://developercertificate.org/). This certifies that you have the right to submit your contribution under the project's [Apache 2.0 license](LICENSE).
The DCO is a declaration attached to every contribution made by
every developer. In the commit message of the contribution,
the developer simply adds a `Signed-off-by` statement and thereby
agrees to the DCO, which you can find below or at [DeveloperCertificate.org](http://developercertificate.org/).
Each commit must include a sign-off line:
```
Developer Certificate of Origin
Version 1.1
Copyright (C) 2004, 2006 The Linux Foundation and its contributors.
Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this
license document, but changing it is not allowed.
Developer's Certificate of Origin 1.1
By making a contribution to this project, I certify that:
(a) The contribution was created in whole or in part by me and I
have the right to submit it under the open source license
indicated in the file; or
(b) The contribution is based upon previous work that, to the best
of my knowledge, is covered under an appropriate open source
license and I have the right under that license to submit that
work with modifications, whether created in whole or in part
by me, under the same open source license (unless I am
permitted to submit under a different license), as indicated
in the file; or
(c) The contribution was provided directly to me by some other
person who certified (a), (b) or (c) and I have not modified
it.
(d) I understand and agree that this project and the contribution
are public and that a record of the contribution (including all
personal information I submit with it, including my sign-off) is
maintained indefinitely and may be redistributed consistent with
this project or the open source license(s) involved.
```
We require that every contribution to Dynamo is signed with
a Developer Certificate of Origin, this is verified by a required CI check.
Additionally, please use your real name.
We do not accept anonymous contributors nor those utilizing pseudonyms.
Each commit must include a DCO which looks like this
```
```text
Signed-off-by: Jane Smith <jane.smith@email.com>
```
You may type this line on your own when writing your commit messages.
However, if your user.name and user.email are set in your git configs,
you can use `-s` or `--signoff` to add the `Signed-off-by` line to
the end of the commit message.
⚠️ **Contributor-Friendly DCO Guide:**
If your pull request fails the DCO check, don't worry! Check out our [DCO Troubleshooting Guide](DCO.md) for step-by-step instructions to fix it quickly.
Add this automatically with the `-s` flag:
```bash
git commit -s -m "fix: your descriptive message"
```
**Requirements:**
- Use your real name (no pseudonyms or anonymous contributions)
- Your `user.name` and `user.email` must be configured in git
⚠️ **DCO Check Failed?** See our [DCO Troubleshooting Guide](DCO.md) for step-by-step instructions to fix it.
### License
By contributing, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the [Apache 2.0 License](LICENSE).
---
## Getting Help
- **Discord**: [Join our community](https://discord.gg/nvidia-dynamo)
- **Discussions**: [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/ai-dynamo/dynamo/discussions)
- **Documentation**: [docs.nvidia.com/dynamo](https://docs.nvidia.com/dynamo/latest/index.html)
Thank you for contributing to Dynamo!

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@ -363,6 +363,23 @@ Set the environment variable `DYN_LOG` to adjust the logging level; for example,
If you use vscode or cursor, we have a .devcontainer folder built on [Microsofts Extension](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/devcontainers/containers). For instructions see the [ReadMe](.devcontainer/README.md) for more details.
# Contributing
We welcome contributions! Whether it's bug reports, documentation improvements, or code contributions—every bit helps.
- **[Contributing Guide](CONTRIBUTING.md)** – How to get started
- **[Report a Bug](https://github.com/ai-dynamo/dynamo/issues/new?template=bug_report.yml)** – Found an issue?
- **[Feature Request](https://github.com/ai-dynamo/dynamo/issues/new?template=feature_request.yml)** – Have an idea?
# Community
Dynamo thrives on community contributions.
![External Contributors](https://img.shields.io/badge/community_contributors-70%2B-brightgreen)
![Community PRs](https://img.shields.io/badge/PRs_merged-130%2B-blue)
See our [contributor graph](https://github.com/ai-dynamo/dynamo/graphs/contributors) for the full picture.
<!-- Reference links for Feature Compatibility Matrix -->
[disagg]: docs/design_docs/disagg_serving.md
[kv-routing]: docs/router/kv_cache_routing.md