July 2018 Summaries

GitLab offers flexibility by either replacing or complementing existing software development lifecycle tools, such as Jira for issue tracking and Jenkins for continuous integration, allowing organizations to either fully switch to GitLab or integrate it seamlessly with their current systems. This adaptability is beneficial for organizations either satisfied with their current tools or planning a gradual transition to GitLab's comprehensive suite. By integrating these tools, users can effortlessly track Jira issue states through GitLab and view GitLab-related activities within Jira, while also monitoring Jenkins pipeline statuses directly in GitLab, thus reducing the need to frequently switch between applications and maintaining workflow context. A demo is provided to illustrate the potential workflow involving GitLab, Jira, and Jenkins.

At the Google Partner Summit, GitLab was honored with the Google Cloud Partner Award for Innovative Solution in the Developer Ecosystem due to its integration with Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE). During the event, GitLab was also announced as a launch partner for Kubernetes apps on the new GCP Marketplace, facilitating installations directly via this platform. Excitement surrounded Google's introduction of Knative for serverless workloads and Istio for microservices, with GitLab integrating these technologies into its offerings. Google Cloud Build, a new CI/CD tool, was introduced, and GitLab emphasized its multi-cloud strategy by demonstrating how its CI/CD can work in tandem with Cloud Build. Additionally, GitLab.com is in the process of migrating from Azure to Google Cloud Platform, aiming to enhance its enterprise-ready SaaS capabilities. The event provided an opportunity for GitLab to engage with users and highlight its comprehensive DevOps solutions beyond mere version control.

At the DevOps Enterprise Summit London 2018, Chris Hill from Jaguar Land Rover discussed how his team revolutionized their software deployment process for luxury cars by reducing feedback loops from 4-6 weeks to just 30 minutes, emphasizing the importance of qualities like inspiration and continuous improvement for transformation. The team addressed complaints constructively by transitioning to ephemeral Docker containers, allowing developers to define and manage their build infrastructure, thus empowering them with self-service capabilities. The challenge of managing contributions from up to 1,000 developers was tackled by streamlining manual code reviews, and the deployment process was innovated by implementing software updates over the air, akin to blue-green deployment, allowing for up to 70 deployments per day without interrupting user experience. This approach not only removed the need for traditional release cycles but also empowered car owners to receive updates seamlessly without visiting dealerships, marking a significant shift in how vehicle software is managed and delivered.

GitLab is undergoing a significant migration from Azure to Google Cloud Platform (GCP) to enhance performance and reliability, primarily due to GCP's superior Kubernetes support. This transition involves multiple scheduled maintenance windows, during which certain GitLab services will be temporarily unavailable. Initially planned for July 28, the actual migration has been rescheduled to August 11 following a series of tests and dry runs to ensure a smooth transition. Users in certain countries such as Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria may face accessibility issues post-migration due to legal restrictions imposed by Google. The migration is expected to provide immediate benefits, such as encrypted data at rest by default and improved caching performance. GitLab has advised users to back up their data as a precaution and assures them that support will be available throughout the migration process.

Google Cloud has introduced a new GCP Marketplace feature that allows users to deploy applications to Kubernetes clusters on Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), with GitLab being available from the start. This addition simplifies the process of setting up a self-managed GitLab instance with a single click, though users can also opt for GitLab.com, a SaaS version managed by GitLab. GitLab's recent migration from Azure to GCP is part of its strategy to run GitLab.com as a cloud-native application on Kubernetes, achieved by decomposing GitLab into individual services. The migration experience has informed the development of the GitLab Helm Chart and enhanced the deployment options for self-managed users. GitLab's built-in container registry and Kubernetes integration streamline cloud-native development and deployment on any Kubernetes cluster, with GKE Integration and Auto DevOps making the setup straightforward. GitLab will be present at Google Next in San Francisco, offering updates and demonstrations of its GKE Integration and Marketplace installation.

GitLab's changelog management faced significant challenges due to merge conflicts as its popularity and contributions grew, prompting a need for a streamlined process. Initially, developers added changelog entries directly to a single file, leading to frequent conflicts and delays. To address this, GitLab implemented a system where each changelog entry is stored in an individual YAML file within an "unreleased" folder, which is then compiled into a Markdown file upon release. This approach simplified the workflow for release managers by integrating the process into existing release tools and automating the compilation and management of changelog entries. The solution included automated tests to ensure reliability and a tool to help developers create valid entries easily. The new system has successfully reduced bottlenecks and is being considered for adaptation to benefit other projects, with GitLab continuously seeking to enhance internal tooling and automation.