[CI] refactor release pipeline config into groups (#32833)

Signed-off-by: Shengqi Chen <harry-chen@outlook.com>

.buildkite/release-pipeline.yaml

 steps:
-  # aarch64 + CUDA builds
+  - input: "Provide Release version here"
+    id: input-release-version
+    fields:
+      - text: "What is the release version?"
+        key: release-version
+
+  - group: "Build Python wheels"
+    key: "build-wheels"
+    steps:
       - label: "Build wheel - aarch64 - CUDA 12.9"
         depends_on: ~
         id: build-wheel-arm64-cuda-12-9
@@ -30,7 +38,6 @@ steps:
         env:
           DOCKER_BUILDKIT: "1"
 
-  # aarch64 build
       - label: "Build wheel - aarch64 - CPU"
         depends_on: ~
         id: build-wheel-arm64-cpu
@@ -44,7 +51,6 @@ steps:
         env:
           DOCKER_BUILDKIT: "1"
 
-  # x86 + CUDA builds
       - label: "Build wheel - x86_64 - CUDA 12.9"
         depends_on: ~
         id: build-wheel-x86-cuda-12-9
@@ -71,7 +77,6 @@ steps:
         env:
           DOCKER_BUILDKIT: "1"
 
-  # x86 CPU wheel build
       - label: "Build wheel - x86_64 - CPU"
         depends_on: ~
         id: build-wheel-x86-cpu
@@ -85,7 +90,9 @@ steps:
         env:
           DOCKER_BUILDKIT: "1"
 
-  # Build release images (CUDA 12.9)
+  - group: "Build release Docker images"
+    key: "build-release-images"
+    steps:
       - label: "Build release image - x86_64 - CUDA 12.9"
         depends_on: ~
         id: build-release-image-x86
@@ -109,33 +116,8 @@ steps:
           - "DOCKER_BUILDKIT=1 docker build --build-arg max_jobs=16 --build-arg USE_SCCACHE=1 --build-arg GIT_REPO_CHECK=1 --build-arg CUDA_VERSION=12.9.1 --build-arg FLASHINFER_AOT_COMPILE=true --build-arg torch_cuda_arch_list='8.7 8.9 9.0 10.0+PTX 12.0' --build-arg INSTALL_KV_CONNECTORS=true --tag public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7/vllm-release-repo:$BUILDKITE_COMMIT-$(uname -m) --target vllm-openai --progress plain -f docker/Dockerfile ."
           - "docker push public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7/vllm-release-repo:$BUILDKITE_COMMIT-$(uname -m)"
 
-  - label: "Create multi-arch manifest - CUDA 12.9"
-    depends_on:
-      - build-release-image-x86
-      - build-release-image-arm64
-    id: create-multi-arch-manifest
-    agents:
-      queue: small_cpu_queue_postmerge
-    commands:
-      - "aws ecr-public get-login-password --region us-east-1 | docker login --username AWS --password-stdin public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7"
-      - "docker manifest create public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7/vllm-release-repo:$BUILDKITE_COMMIT public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7/vllm-release-repo:$BUILDKITE_COMMIT-x86_64 public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7/vllm-release-repo:$BUILDKITE_COMMIT-aarch64 --amend"
-      - "docker manifest push public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7/vllm-release-repo:$BUILDKITE_COMMIT"
-
-  - label: "Annotate release workflow - CUDA 12.9"
-    depends_on:
-      - create-multi-arch-manifest
-    id: annotate-release-workflow
-    agents:
-      queue: small_cpu_queue_postmerge
-    commands:
-      - "bash .buildkite/scripts/annotate-release.sh"
-
-  - block: "Build CUDA 13.0 release images"
-    key: block-release-image-build-cuda-13-0
-    depends_on: ~
-
       - label: "Build release image - x86_64 - CUDA 13.0"
-    depends_on: block-release-image-build-cuda-13-0
+        depends_on: ~
         id: build-release-image-x86-cuda-13-0
         agents:
           queue: cpu_queue_postmerge
@@ -148,7 +130,7 @@ steps:
           - "docker push public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7/vllm-release-repo:$BUILDKITE_COMMIT-cu130"
 
       - label: "Build release image - aarch64 - CUDA 13.0"
-    depends_on: block-release-image-build-cuda-13-0
+        depends_on: ~
         id: build-release-image-arm64-cuda-13-0
         agents:
           queue: arm64_cpu_queue_postmerge
@@ -158,50 +140,14 @@ steps:
           - "DOCKER_BUILDKIT=1 docker build --build-arg max_jobs=16 --build-arg USE_SCCACHE=1 --build-arg GIT_REPO_CHECK=1 --build-arg CUDA_VERSION=13.0.1 --build-arg torch_cuda_arch_list='8.7 8.9 9.0 10.0+PTX 12.0 12.1' --build-arg INSTALL_KV_CONNECTORS=true --build-arg BUILD_BASE_IMAGE=nvidia/cuda:13.0.1-devel-ubuntu22.04 --tag public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7/vllm-release-repo:$BUILDKITE_COMMIT-$(uname -m)-cu130 --target vllm-openai --progress plain -f docker/Dockerfile ."
           - "docker push public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7/vllm-release-repo:$BUILDKITE_COMMIT-$(uname -m)-cu130"
 
-  - label: "Create multi-arch manifest - CUDA 13.0"
-    depends_on:
-      - build-release-image-x86-cuda-13-0
-      - build-release-image-arm64-cuda-13-0
-    id: create-multi-arch-manifest-cuda-13-0
-    agents:
-      queue: small_cpu_queue_postmerge
-    commands:
-      - "aws ecr-public get-login-password --region us-east-1 | docker login --username AWS --password-stdin public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7"
-      - "docker manifest create public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7/vllm-release-repo:$BUILDKITE_COMMIT-cu130 public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7/vllm-release-repo:$BUILDKITE_COMMIT-x86_64-cu130 public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7/vllm-release-repo:$BUILDKITE_COMMIT-aarch64-cu130 --amend"
-      - "docker manifest push public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7/vllm-release-repo:$BUILDKITE_COMMIT-cu130"
-
-  - input: "Provide Release version here"
-    id: input-release-version
-    fields:
-      - text: "What is the release version?"
-        key: release-version
-
-  - block: "Confirm update release wheels to PyPI (experimental, use with caution)?"
-    key: block-upload-release-wheels
-    depends_on:
-      - input-release-version
-      - build-wheel-x86-cuda-12-9
-      - build-wheel-x86-cuda-13-0
-      - build-wheel-x86-cpu
-      - build-wheel-arm64-cuda-12-9
-      - build-wheel-arm64-cuda-13-0
-      - build-wheel-arm64-cpu
-
-  - label: "Upload release wheels to PyPI and GitHub"
-    depends_on:
-      - block-upload-release-wheels
-    id: upload-release-wheels
-    agents:
-      queue: small_cpu_queue_postmerge
-    commands:
-      - "bash .buildkite/scripts/upload-release-wheels.sh"
-
-  - block: "Build CPU release image"
+      - block: "Build release image for x86_64 CPU"
         key: block-cpu-release-image-build
         depends_on: ~
 
-  - label: "Build and publish CPU release image"
-    depends_on: block-cpu-release-image-build
+      - label: "Build release image - x86_64 - CPU"
+        depends_on:
+          - block-cpu-release-image-build
+          - input-release-version
         agents:
           queue: cpu_queue_postmerge
         commands:
@@ -212,12 +158,14 @@ steps:
         env:
           DOCKER_BUILDKIT: "1"
 
-  - block: "Build arm64 CPU release image"
+      - block: "Build release image for arm64 CPU"
         key: block-arm64-cpu-release-image-build
         depends_on: ~
 
-  - label: "Build and publish arm64 CPU release image"
-    depends_on: block-arm64-cpu-release-image-build
+      - label: "Build release image - arm64 - CPU"
+        depends_on: 
+          - block-arm64-cpu-release-image-build
+          - input-release-version
         agents:
           queue: arm64_cpu_queue_postmerge
         commands:
@@ -228,11 +176,11 @@ steps:
         env:
           DOCKER_BUILDKIT: "1"
 
-  - block: "Build ROCm release image"
+      - block: "Build release image for x86_64 ROCm"
         key: block-rocm-release-image-build
         depends_on: ~
 
-  - label: "Build release image (ROCm)"
+      - label: "Build release image - x86_64 - ROCm"
         depends_on: block-rocm-release-image-build
         id: build-release-image-rocm
         agents:
@@ -245,7 +193,43 @@ steps:
           - "DOCKER_BUILDKIT=1 docker build --build-arg max_jobs=16 --build-arg BASE_IMAGE=rocm/vllm-dev:base-$BUILDKITE_COMMIT --tag public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7/vllm-release-repo:$BUILDKITE_COMMIT-rocm --target vllm-openai --progress plain -f docker/Dockerfile.rocm ."
           - "docker push public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7/vllm-release-repo:$BUILDKITE_COMMIT-rocm"
 
-  - label: "Build and publish nightly multi-arch image to DockerHub"
+  - group: "Publish release images"
+    key: "publish-release-images"
+    steps:
+      - label: "Create multi-arch manifest - CUDA 12.9"
+        depends_on:
+          - build-release-image-x86
+          - build-release-image-arm64
+        id: create-multi-arch-manifest
+        agents:
+          queue: small_cpu_queue_postmerge
+        commands:
+          - "aws ecr-public get-login-password --region us-east-1 | docker login --username AWS --password-stdin public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7"
+          - "docker manifest create public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7/vllm-release-repo:$BUILDKITE_COMMIT public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7/vllm-release-repo:$BUILDKITE_COMMIT-x86_64 public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7/vllm-release-repo:$BUILDKITE_COMMIT-aarch64 --amend"
+          - "docker manifest push public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7/vllm-release-repo:$BUILDKITE_COMMIT"
+
+      - label: "Annotate release workflow - CUDA 12.9"
+        depends_on:
+          - create-multi-arch-manifest
+        id: annotate-release-workflow
+        agents:
+          queue: small_cpu_queue_postmerge
+        commands:
+          - "bash .buildkite/scripts/annotate-release.sh"
+
+      - label: "Create multi-arch manifest - CUDA 13.0"
+        depends_on:
+          - build-release-image-x86-cuda-13-0
+          - build-release-image-arm64-cuda-13-0
+        id: create-multi-arch-manifest-cuda-13-0
+        agents:
+          queue: small_cpu_queue_postmerge
+        commands:
+          - "aws ecr-public get-login-password --region us-east-1 | docker login --username AWS --password-stdin public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7"
+          - "docker manifest create public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7/vllm-release-repo:$BUILDKITE_COMMIT-cu130 public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7/vllm-release-repo:$BUILDKITE_COMMIT-x86_64-cu130 public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7/vllm-release-repo:$BUILDKITE_COMMIT-aarch64-cu130 --amend"
+          - "docker manifest push public.ecr.aws/q9t5s3a7/vllm-release-repo:$BUILDKITE_COMMIT-cu130"
+
+      - label: "Publish nightly multi-arch image to DockerHub"
         depends_on:
           - create-multi-arch-manifest
         if: build.env("NIGHTLY") == "1"
@@ -263,7 +247,7 @@ steps:
           DOCKER_BUILDKIT: "1"
           DOCKERHUB_USERNAME: "vllmbot"
 
-  - label: "Build and publish nightly multi-arch image to DockerHub - CUDA 13.0"
+      - label: "Publish nightly multi-arch image to DockerHub - CUDA 13.0"
         depends_on:
           - create-multi-arch-manifest-cuda-13-0
         if: build.env("NIGHTLY") == "1"
@@ -281,6 +265,23 @@ steps:
           DOCKER_BUILDKIT: "1"
           DOCKERHUB_USERNAME: "vllmbot"
 
+  - group: "Publish wheels"
+    key: "publish-wheels"
+    steps:
+      - block: "Confirm update release wheels to PyPI (experimental, use with caution)?"
+        key: block-upload-release-wheels
+        depends_on:
+          - input-release-version
+          - build-wheels
+
+      - label: "Upload release wheels to PyPI and GitHub"
+        depends_on:
+          - block-upload-release-wheels
+        id: upload-release-wheels
+        agents:
+          queue: small_cpu_queue_postmerge
+        commands:
+          - "bash .buildkite/scripts/upload-release-wheels.sh"
 
   # =============================================================================
   # ROCm Release Pipeline (x86_64 only)