[CNCF LFX Proposal] Volcano/Kthena Build a KVCache-aware scheduler E2E test suite

[LiZhenCheng9527]

CNCF Project

Volcano

Term

2026 Term 3 (Sep-Nov)

Program Name

Build a KVCache-aware scheduler E2E test suite

Program Description

Description:

Kthena router already has a scheduler plugin E2E framework covering prefix-cache, least-request, least-latency, lora-affinity, random, and gpu-usage. The KVCache-aware scheduler plugin also exists, but lacks robust end-to-end coverage for the full runtime path involving the router, mock backends, tokenization, ZMQ events, and Redis.

This project aims to build a reusable KVCache-aware scheduler E2E test suite on top of the existing router plugin framework. In addition to validating routing behavior, the suite should provide reusable setup, cache-state injection, observation, and assertion utilities for future KVCache-aware test scenarios.

Expected Outcome:

1. Build a reusable KVCache-aware E2E test suite under test/e2e/router/, including shared fixtures and helpers for llm-d-sim, the ZMQ bridge, Redis, cache-state injection, request generation, and routing assertions.
2. Validate the complete data path: dispatch KV-cache ownership events through ZMQ, verify the resulting Redis mappings, and confirm that the router uses them when scoring replicas.
3. Provide a focused command or Make target for running the suite independently, and document how contributors can add future KVCache-aware scenarios.
4. Integrate the suite into CI with deterministic cleanup and useful failure diagnostics for router, Redis, ZMQ, and backend state.

Technologies

Go, Kubernetes, Kind-based E2E testing, Redis, ZMQ, observability/metrics, and distributed-system debugging.

Skills same as Technologies?

• Yes, the required skills are the same as the technologies listed above.

Required/Desirable Skills

No response

Mentors

Jinyu Zhou | @FAUST-BENCHOU | 2319109590@qq.com | benchou8
Jprakash | @katara-Jayprakash | katarajayprakash@icloud.com | lfxkatara1

Upstream Issue URL

volcano-sh/kthena#1328

Application Prerequisites

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• School Enrollment Verification
• Participation Permission from school or employer
• Coding Challenge
• Custom Prerequisite (fill in details below)

Coding Challenge URL

No response

Custom Prerequisite Name

No response

Custom Prerequisite Description

No response

Custom Prerequisite — File Upload

• Yes — completion of this task requires the mentee to submit a file.

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LFX program: CNCF - Volcano: Build a KVCache-aware scheduler E2E test suite (2026 Term 3)

[github-actions]

🤖 LFX Proposal Validation

LFX program title (76/100 chars):

CNCF - Volcano: Build a KVCache-aware scheduler E2E test suite (2026 Term 3)

✅ All checks passed.

⚠️ 1 warning(s):

• LFX LFID/email verification is not yet automated. Please manually confirm mentor emails are registered on https://mentorship.lfx.linuxfoundation.org.

✅ Passed checks

• CNCF Project: Volcano
• Term: 2026 Term 3 (Sep-Nov)
• Program Name length: 46/70 chars available
• Program Description: 1369/3000 chars
• Technologies: Go, Kubernetes, Kind-based E2E testing, Redis, ZMQ, observability/metrics, and distributed-system debugging.
• Skills: same as Technologies
• Mentors: 2 listed (primary: Jinyu Zhou)
• Upstream Issue URL: [lfx-mentorship-2026-Sep-Nov] Build a KVCache-aware scheduler E2E test suite volcano-sh/kthena#1328
• Quota: 4/4 proposals for Volcano in 2026 Term 3 (Sep-Nov)

What happens next

1. Maintainer approval — ⏳ a project maintainer (or authorized delegate) comments /approve.
2. Mentor confirmation — ⏳ 0 of 2 confirmed. Awaiting /confirm from @FAUST-BENCHOU, @katara-Jayprakash.
3. CNCF approval — ⏳ a CNCF admin comments /cncf-approve to finalize.

Proposal process guide

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Re-run by editing the issue.