Getting started
Sections
Role design
The debops.gitlab role is designed to install the GitLab services using
the source installation method.
This method, instead of GitLab Omnibus packages, was chosen to allow use of
other services managed by DebOps, like Redis, nginx, a SQL database, and so
on. To support monthly GitLab releases, the role tracks currently installed
version of GitLab and can perform an automatic upgrade when an older version is
detected. Latest changes to the active GitLab branch are also automatically
applied on Ansible runs, to support updates.
The installation or upgrade process is not ideal - role performs installation or an upgrade when new changes are detected in the git repositories, but if there are errors during this process, role cannot recover from that state automatically. It is advisable to keep a separate staging environment to check for any issues with an upgrade of the currently installed production environment before performing the production upgrade.
If a failed install or upgrade occurs, the easiest recovery method is usually to completely reset the affected host (perform a new deployment) after fixing the issue. The more involved method would be to remove the source git repositories and checked out directories and re-run the role again.
SQL database support
The debops.gitlab role automatically detects the available PostgreSQL database
using the Ansible local facts. If the database service should be present on the
same host as the GitLab service, adding the corresponding database server group in
the Ansible inventory should be enough.
If the database server is on a different host, you should use the corresponding
database client role to configure the relevant Ansible local facts before
running the debops.gitlab role.
Installation of a new GitLab environment with existing database is currently not tested and may result in a broken installation or data corruption.
You can install the PostgreSQL database using its DebOps role. See the debops.postgresql_server role documentation for more details.
Redis support
Currently the debops.gitlab role expects a Redis Server instance installed
on the host, for example by the debops.redis_server Ansible role.
Support for distributed Redis Server service managed by Redis Sentinel is
planned for a future release.
Docker Registry support
The debops.docker_registry Ansible role can be used as a backend to the
GitLab Container Registry service. The debops.gitlab playbook will import
the debops.docker_registry playbook to faciliate configuration
synchronization between the two services. The installation process with Docker
Registry role enabled will be:
Install PostgreSQL server, Redis Server
Install Docker Registry service
Install GitLab, using facts from Docker Registry role
Update Docker Registry service with facts from GitLab role
This should avoid issue with circular dependencies in the configuration of both
services. The Docker Registry requires PKI support, therefore it's good
practice to apply the common.yml DebOps playbook, or at least the
debops.pki role, before the GitLab installation begins.
Support for other services
The debops.gitlab role depends on other DebOps roles to configure various
services used by GitLab and provide the required environment for installation.
The default role playbook is designed to install the services on the same host
as the GitLab service, however it should be possible to move them to other,
remote hosts if necessary.
The role provides its own set of systemd unit files that allow management of different GitLab services as one "unit" using systemd slice. The new units will be enabled automatically on all new installations on hosts that use the systemd service manager; on other, older hosts the role should fallback to the init script provided by the upstream.
Example inventory
To enable GitLab service on a host, it needs to be included in the
[debops_service_gitlab] Ansible inventory group. You should also enable
a suitable PostgreSQL database and Redis Server service.
Example Ansible inventory:
[debops_all_hosts]
hostname
[debops_service_postgresql_server]
hostname
[debops_service_redis_server]
hostname
[debops_service_docker_registry]
hostname
[debops_service_gitlab]
hostname
Example playbook
If you are using this role without DebOps, here's an example Ansible playbook
that uses the debops.gitlab role:
---
- name: Manage GitLab service
collections: [ 'debops.debops', 'debops.roles01',
'debops.roles02', 'debops.roles03' ]
hosts: [ 'debops_service_gitlab' ]
become: True
environment: '{{ inventory__environment | d({})
| combine(inventory__group_environment | d({}))
| combine(inventory__host_environment | d({})) }}'
pre_tasks:
- name: Prepare gitlab environment
import_role:
name: 'gitlab'
tasks_from: 'main_env'
tags: [ 'role::gitlab', 'role::postgresql' ]
roles:
- role: keyring
tags: [ 'role::keyring', 'skip::keyring',
'role::nodejs', 'role::postgresql', 'role::nginx' ]
keyring__dependent_apt_keys:
- '{{ nodejs__keyring__dependent_apt_keys }}'
- '{{ postgresql__keyring__dependent_apt_keys }}'
- '{{ nginx__keyring__dependent_apt_keys }}'
- role: system_groups
tags: [ 'role::system_groups', 'skip::system_groups' ]
- role: apt_preferences
tags: [ 'role::apt_preferences', 'skip::apt_preferences' ]
apt_preferences__dependent_list:
- '{{ golang__apt_preferences__dependent_list }}'
- '{{ nginx__apt_preferences__dependent_list }}'
- '{{ nodejs__apt_preferences__dependent_list }}'
- '{{ postgresql__apt_preferences__dependent_list }}'
- '{{ ruby__apt_preferences__dependent_list }}'
- '{{ gitlab__apt_preferences__dependent_list }}'
- role: python
tags: [ 'role::python', 'skip::python', 'role::mariadb', 'role::postgresql', 'role::ldap' ]
python__dependent_packages3:
- '{{ gitlab__python__dependent_packages3 }}'
- '{{ nginx__python__dependent_packages3 }}'
- '{{ postgresql__python__dependent_packages3 if gitlab__database == "postgresql" else [] }}'
- '{{ ldap__python__dependent_packages3 }}'
python__dependent_packages2:
- '{{ gitlab__python__dependent_packages2 }}'
- '{{ nginx__python__dependent_packages2 }}'
- '{{ postgresql__python__dependent_packages2 if gitlab__database == "postgresql" else [] }}'
- '{{ ldap__python__dependent_packages2 }}'
- role: golang
tags: [ 'role::golang', 'skip::golang' ]
- role: nodejs
tags: [ 'role::nodejs', 'skip::nodejs' ]
- role: etc_services
tags: [ 'role::etc_services', 'skip::etc_services' ]
etc_services__dependent_list:
- '{{ gitlab__etc_services__dependent_list }}'
- role: cron
tags: [ 'role::cron', 'skip::cron' ]
- role: logrotate
tags: [ 'role::logrotate', 'skip::logrotate' ]
logrotate__dependent_config:
- '{{ gitlab__logrotate__dependent_config }}'
- role: ferm
tags: [ 'role::ferm', 'skip::ferm' ]
ferm__dependent_rules:
- '{{ nginx__ferm__dependent_rules }}'
- role: ruby
tags: [ 'role::ruby', 'skip::ruby' ]
ruby__dev_support: True
- role: postgresql
tags: [ 'role::postgresql', 'skip::postgresql' ]
postgresql__dependent_roles:
- '{{ gitlab__postgresql__dependent_roles }}'
postgresql__dependent_groups:
- '{{ gitlab__postgresql__dependent_groups }}'
postgresql__dependent_databases:
- '{{ gitlab__postgresql__dependent_databases }}'
postgresql__dependent_extensions:
- '{{ gitlab__postgresql__dependent_extensions }}'
postgresql__dependent_pgpass:
- '{{ gitlab__postgresql__dependent_pgpass }}'
when: gitlab__database == 'postgresql'
- role: ldap
tags: [ 'role::ldap', 'skip::ldap' ]
ldap__dependent_tasks:
- '{{ gitlab__ldap__dependent_tasks }}'
- role: nginx
tags: [ 'role::nginx', 'skip::nginx' ]
nginx__dependent_servers:
- '{{ gitlab__nginx__dependent_servers }}'
nginx__dependent_upstreams:
- '{{ gitlab__nginx__dependent_upstreams }}'
- role: gitlab
tags: [ 'role::gitlab', 'skip::gitlab' ]
# Import the 'debops.docker_registry' playbook to apply configuration of the
# Docker Registry that is defined by the 'debops.gitlab' role. This has an
# effect only when the 'debops.docker_registry' role is enabled on the host via
# its corresponding Ansible inventory group.
- import_playbook: 'docker_registry.yml'