Fixed a situation when, sometimes, the scheduler incorrectly placed a pod in the `unschedulable` queue instead of the `backoff` queue. This happened when some plugin previously declared the pod as `unschedulable` and then in a later attempt encounters some other error. Scheduling of that pod then got delayed by up to five minutes, after which periodic flushing moved the pod back into the `active` queue. ([#120334](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/120334), [@pohly](https://github.com/pohly))...

  Now, when unschedulable Pods are updated, the scheduling queue checks with QueueingHint(s) whether the update may make the pods schedulable, and requeues them to activeQ/backoffQ **only when** at least one QueueingHint(s) return Queue. 
  
  Action required for custom scheduler plugin developers:

  When the scheduling queue receives a cluster event, before moving each Pod from unschedulable pod pool to activeQ/backoffQ, it will call QueueingHintFn of plugins that rejected each Pod in the previous scheduling cycle.
  Depending on the value returned from QueueingHintFn, the scheduling queue changes how it queues each Pod:
  - if more than one QueueingHintFn returns QueueImmediately, it queues Pod to activeQ.

- Sometimes, the scheduler incorrectly placed a pod in the "unschedulable" queue instead of the "backoff" queue. This happened when some plugin previously declared the pod as "unschedulable" and then in a later attempt encounters some other error. Scheduling of that pod then got delayed by up to five minutes, after which periodic flushing moved the pod back into the "active" queue. ([#120334](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/120334), [@pohly](https://github.com/pohly))...

- Fixes the bug in PodTopologySpread that only happens with QHint enabled, 

- Previously, the scheduling queue didn't notice any extenders' failures, potentially resulting in missed cluster events and Pods rejected by Extenders being stuck in the unschedulable pod pool for up to 5 minutes in the worst-case scenario. Now, the scheduling queue notices extenders' failures and requeues Pods rejected by Extenders appropriately.

- Sometimes, the scheduler incorrectly placed a pod in the "unschedulable" queue instead of the "backoff" queue. This happened when some plugin previously declared the pod as "unschedulable" and then in a later attempt encounters some other error. Scheduling of that pod then got delayed by up to five minutes, after which periodic flushing moved the pod back into the "active" queue. ([#120334](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/120334), [@pohly](https://github.com/pohly))...

### **Instrumentation**

#### **Audit**

*   Adjust batching audit webhook default parameters: increase queue size, batch size, and initial backoff. Add throttling to the batching audit webhook. Default rate limit is 10 QPS. ([#53417](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/53417),[ @crassirostris](https://github.com/crassirostris))

- Added `SchedulerPopFromBackoffQ` feature gate that is in beta and enabled by default. Improved scheduling queue behavior by popping pods from the backoffQ when the activeQ is empty. This allows to process potentially schedulable pods ASAP, eliminating a penalty effect of the backoff queue. ([#130772](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/130772), [@macsko](https://github.com/macsko)) [SIG Scheduling and Testing]

    - `scheduler_async_api_call_duration_seconds`: histogram of API call execution duration by call type and result
    - `scheduler_pending_async_api_calls`: gauge showing current number of pending API calls in the queue. ([#133120](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/133120), [@utam0k](https://github.com/utam0k)) [SIG Release and Scheduling]