Upstream changes for v1.0.0 release

Signed-off-by: Shubhadeep Das <shubhadeepd@nvidia.com>

.dockerignore

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+# Ignore git objects
+.git/
+.gitignore
+.gitlab-ci.yml
+.gitmodules
+
+# Ignore temperory volumes
+**/volumes
+
+# creating a docker image
+.dockerignore
+
+# Ignore any virtual environment configuration files
+.env*
+.venv/
+env/
+# Ignore python bytecode files
+*.pyc
+__pycache__/

.gitignore

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+deploy/compose/volumes/
+notebooks/.ipynb_checkpoints

CHANGELOG.md

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+## Changelog
+All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
+The format is based on Keep a Changelog, and this project adheres to Semantic Versioning.
+
+## [1.0.0] - 2024-10-23
+
+### Added
+
+- First release.

CONTRIBUTING.md

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+### Pull Requests
+Developer workflow for code contributions is as follows:
+
+1. Developers must first [fork](https://docs.github.com/en/pull-requests/collaborating-with-pull-requests/working-with-forks/fork-a-repo) the upstream this repository.
+2. Git clone the forked repository and push changes to the personal fork.
+3. Once the code changes are staged on the fork and ready for review, a Pull Request (PR) can be requested to merge the changes from a branch of the fork into a selected branch of upstream.
+4. Since there is no CI/CD process in place yet, the PR will be accepted and the corresponding issue closed only after adequate testing has been completed, manually, by the developer and/or repository owners reviewing the code.
+
+
+#### Signing Your Work
+We require that all contributors "sign-off" on their commits. This certifies that the contribution is your original work, or you have rights to submit it under the same license, or a compatible license.
+
+Any contribution which contains commits that are not Signed-Off will not be accepted.
+To sign off on a commit, use the `--signoff` (or `-s`) option when committing your changes:
+
+`$ git commit -s -m "Add cool feature."`
+This will append the following to your commit message:
+
+Signed-off-by: Your Name <your@email.com>
+
+
+#### 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.