diff --git a/.github/actions/workflow-info/action.yml b/.github/actions/workflow-info/action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..f2018ccde9182
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/actions/workflow-info/action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+name: workflow info
+description: 'give a brief summary of workflow parameters'
+inputs:
+  label:
+    description: "requested runner label (specifies instance)"
+    required: true
+  timeout:
+    description: "time limit for run in minutes "
+    required: true
+  gitref:
+    description: "git commit hash or branch name"
+    required: true
+runs:
+  using: composite
+  steps:
+    - run: |
+        echo "workflow started ..."
+        echo "label: '${{ inputs.label }}'"
+        echo "github actor: '${{ github.actor }}'"
+        echo "repository: '${{ github.repository }}'"
+        echo "gitref: '${{ inputs.gitref }}'"
+        echo "branch name: '${{ github.ref_name }}'"
+        echo "user on instance: $(whoami)"
+        echo "workflow timeout: ${{ inputs.timeout }} (min)"
+      shell: bash
diff --git a/.github/pull_request_template.md b/.github/pull_request_template.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..e871931956390
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/pull_request_template.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+SUMMARY:
+"please provide a brief summary"
+
+TEST PLAN:
+"please outline how the changes were tested"
+
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nm_debug.yml b/.github/workflows/nm_debug.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..2104b0e040999
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/nm_debug.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+name: nm debug instance
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      label:
+        description: "requested runner label (specifies instance)"
+        type: string
+        required: true
+      timeout:
+        description: "approximate number of minutes to keep instance up (should be at least 20)."
+        type: string
+        required: true
+      gitref:
+        description: "git commit hash or branch name"
+        type: string
+        required: true
+
+jobs:
+
+  DEBUG:
+
+    runs-on: ${{ inputs.label }}
+    timeout-minutes: ${{ fromJSON(inputs.timeout) }}
+
+    steps:
+
+      - name: checkout repository code
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+          ref: ${{ inputs.gitref }}
+          submodules: recursive
+
+      - name: workflow info
+        uses: ./.github/actions/workflow-info/
+        with:
+          gitref: ${{ inputs.gitref }}
+          label: ${{ inputs.label }}
+          timeout: ${{ inputs.timeout }}
+
+      #######################################################
+      - name: announce pause
+        run: |
+          M=${{ inputs.timeout }}
+          R=$((M - 15))
+          S=$((R * 60))
+          echo "pausing for, ${R} minutes"
+
+      - name: pause workflow
+        run: |
+          M=${{ inputs.timeout }}
+          R=$((M - 15))
+          S=$((R * 60))
+          sleep $S