Mastering GitLab admin tasks with GitLab Duo Chat

As a GitLab administrator managing a self-hosted instance, you often face complex challenges that require innovative solutions. Enter GitLab Duo Chat – your AI-powered assistant that can significantly streamline your administrative tasks. In this article, we'll explore how you can leverage GitLab Duo Chat to solve intricate problems efficiently, using a real-world example of updating group memberships across multiple groups.

The power of GitLab Duo Chat for admins

GitLab Duo Chat is more than just conversational AI; it's a powerful tool that can assist with complex administrative tasks. By providing context-aware suggestions and code snippets, Chat can help you navigate through GitLab's extensive feature set and underlying architecture.

Case study: Updating group memberships

Let's dive into a scenario where an admin needs to add an administrator user to multiple groups – in this case, 50,000 groups. This task, while conceptually simple, can be daunting due to its scale.

Step-by-step problem-solving with GitLab Duo Chat

• Initial approach: Our first instinct might be to use GitLab's API, but with 50,000 groups, this could put significant strain on the system.
• Pivoting to the Rails console: Instead, we can use the Rails console for a more efficient solution. Here's where Chat comes in handy.
• Crafting the solution: Let's walk through the process of creating a Ruby script to accomplish our task:

def add_admin_to_groups(parent_group, admin_user)
     unless parent_group.members.exists?(user_id: admin_user.id)
       parent_group.add_owner(admin_user)
       puts "Added #{admin_user.name} to #{parent_group.name}"
     end

    parent_group.descendants.each do |subgroup|
      add_admin_to_groups(subgroup, admin_user)
    end
  end

# Usage

admin_user = User.find_by(username: 'mr_admin')
parent_group = Group.find_by(path: 'top_group')
add_admin_to_groups(parent_group, admin_user)

• Iterative refinement: Through conversation with Chat, we refined this script, addressing issues like method availability and parameter requirements.

Key takeaways

Non-deterministic responses

GitLab Duo Chat may provide different answers to the same question, encouraging exploration of multiple solutions. As an example:

An admin asks, How can I improve CI/CD pipeline performance?

Chat's first response could be: Consider using GitLab CI/CD caching to speed up subsequent pipeline runs. Here's an example .gitlab-ci.yml snippet:

cache:
  key: ${CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG}
  paths:
    - node_modules/    

This caches the node_modules directory, reducing build times for Node.js projects.

When asked again, Chat's second response could be: To improve CI/CD performance, try parallelizing your jobs. Here's an example:

test:
  parallel: 3

This runs your test job across three parallel runners, potentially reducing overall pipeline duration.

Error interpretation and debugging

Chat can help interpret error messages and suggest fixes. As an example, an admin encounters an error: "fatal: reference is not a tree: 8a7d460". They could ask Chat: I'm seeing this Git error. What does it mean and how can I fix it?

Chat could respond with:

This error typically occurs when Git can't find a specific commit. It could be due to a corrupted repository or incomplete fetch. Try these steps:

• Run git fsck to check for corruption.
• If that doesn't work, try git fetch --all --prune to update all remotes.
• If the issue persists, you might need to re-clone the repository.

Always back up your repository before attempting these fixes.

Code optimization and refactoring

Chat can assist in optimizing and refactoring code for better performance.

An example: An admin wants to optimize a Gitaly configuration for a large instance. They could ask Chat: How can I optimize Gitaly for an instance with 10,000+ repositories?

Chat could respond with: For a large instance, consider this optimized Gitaly configuration:

[concurrency]
rpc_concurrency = 100

[rate_limiting]
rpc_rate_limit = 100

[cgroups]
mountpoint = '/sys/fs/cgroup'
hierarchy_root = 'gitaly'
memory_bytes = 30000000000  # Adjust based on available memory
cpu_shares = 1024

This configuration increases concurrency, implements rate limiting to prevent overload, and uses cgroups (control groups) to manage resource allocation. Adjust values based on your specific hardware and needs.

Best practices for using GitLab Duo Chat in admin tasks

Formulate queries clearly and provide context

When using Chat, the quality of the response largely depends on the quality of your query. Clear, detailed questions that provide relevant context will yield more accurate and helpful answers.

Poor query: Why is GitLab slow?

This query lacks specifics and context, making it difficult for Chat to provide a targeted response.

A better query would be: Our GitLab instance with 5,000 users and 3,000 projects is experiencing slow response times, especially during peak hours (9-11 AM EST). CPU usage on the application servers spikes to 90%. How can we diagnose and address this?

This improved query provides crucial details:

• scale of the instance (5,000 users, 3,000 projects)
• nature of the problem (slow response times)
• timing of the issue (peak hours, 9-11 AM EST)
• observed symptoms (90% CPU spike)

With this information, Chat can provide more targeted advice.

An even better query would be: We're running GitLab 15.8.3 on a 3-node cluster (8 vCPUs, 32GB RAM each) with a separate PostgreSQL 13 database and Redis 6.2 instance. Our instance hosts 5,000 users and 3,000 projects. We're experiencing slow response times (average 5s, up from our usual 1s) during peak hours (9-11 AM EST), primarily affecting merge request creation and pipeline initiation. CPU usage on the application servers spikes to 90%, while database CPU remains under 60%. Gitaly CPU usage is around 70%. We've already increased Puma workers to 8 per node. What additional diagnostics should we run and what potential solutions should we consider?

This query provides an extensive context, including:

• GitLab version and infrastructure details specific performance metrics (response time increase)
• affected operations (merge requests, pipelines)
• resource usage across different components
• steps already taken to address the issue

By providing this level of detail, you enable Chat to:

• understand the full scope of your environment
• identify potential bottlenecks more accurately
• suggest relevant diagnostic steps
• propose solutions tailored to your specific setup

Avoid recommending steps you've already taken.

Remember, while GitLab Duo Chat is powerful, it's not omniscient. The more relevant information you provide, the better it can assist you. By following these guidelines, you'll get the most out of your interactions with Chat, leading to more effective problem-solving and administration of your GitLab instance.

Use GitLab Duo Chat's suggestions as a starting point and refine incrementally

Chat is an excellent tool for getting started with complex tasks, but it's most effective when used as part of an iterative process. Begin with a broad question, then use Chat's responses to guide your follow-up questions, gradually refining your understanding and solution.

Initial query

Admin: How can I set up Geo replication for disaster recovery?

Chat might respond with a basic setup guide, covering:

• prerequisites for Geo setup
• steps to configure the primary node
• process for adding a secondary node
• initial replication process

This provides a foundation, but complex setups like Geo often require more nuanced understanding. Here's how you might refine your queries:

- Follow-up Query 1

Admin: How do I handle custom data in Geo replication? This question addresses a specific concern not covered in the initial setup.

- Follow-up Query 2

Admin: What's the best way to test failover without disrupting production?

This query focuses on a critical operational concern.

- Follow-up Query 3

Admin: Can you help me create a runbook for Geo failover?

This final query aims to consolidate the gathered information into a practical guide. The benefits of this incremental approach:

1. By breaking down the complex topic of Geo replication into smaller, focused queries, you gain a more thorough understanding of the subject.
2. Each follow-up question allows you to address specific concerns relevant to your environment, resulting in a more customized solution.
3. The progression from setup to testing to creating a runbook ensures that you're not just understanding the theory, but also preparing for real-world implementation.
4. The step-by-step process of refining your queries helps in better retention of the information, as you're actively engaging with the content.
5. Follow-up questions often reveal aspects of the task you might not have initially considered, leading to a more robust final solution.

Best practices for incremental refinement

• Start with broad questions to establish a foundation.
• Use Chat's responses to identify areas that need more clarification or detail.
• Ask about specific scenarios or edge cases relevant to your environment.
• Seek practical advice on implementation, testing, and maintenance.
• Use your growing understanding to formulate increasingly specific and complex queries.
• Periodically summarize your understanding and ask Chat to validate or correct it.

Remember, while GitLab Duo Chat is a powerful tool, it's most effective when combined with your own critical thinking and domain knowledge. Use it to guide your learning and decision-making process, but always validate important information and test solutions in a safe environment before applying them to production systems.

Potential applications for self-managed GitLab instances

User management at scale

Admin: We need to onboard 1,000 new users from an acquired company. The data is in a CSV file. How can we automate this process? I am an Admin, can I use a Python script for this?

Chat: You can use GitLab's API for bulk user creation. Here's a Python script to get you started:

import requests
import csv

def create_user(username, email, name, password):
    url = 'https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/users'
    headers = {'PRIVATE-TOKEN': 'your_access_token'}
    data = {
        'username': username,
        'email': email,
        'name': name,
        'password': password,
        'skip_confirmation': True
    }
    response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, data=data)
    return response.status_code == 201

with open('new_users.csv', 'r') as f:
    reader = csv.reader(f)
    for row in reader:
        username, email, name, password = row
        if create_user(username, email, name, password):
            print(f"Created user: {username}")
        else:
            print(f"Failed to create user: {username}")

This script reads user data from a CSV file and creates users via the GitLab API. Remember to handle errors and rate limiting for large batches.

Project and group administration

Admin: We need to implement a standardized project structure across our organization. How can we automate this? Assume I am an admin. Write me a script to do this via the API.

Chat: You can use GitLab's API to create a project template and then apply it to new projects. Here's a bash script to create a new project with a standard structure:

#!/bin/bash

TOKEN="your_access_token"
GROUP_ID="your_group_id"

create_project() {
  curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: $TOKEN" \
  --data "name=$1&namespace_id=$GROUP_ID" \
  "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects"
}

add_file() {
  curl --request POST --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: $TOKEN" \
  --form "branch=main" \
  --form "content=$2" \
  --form "commit_message=Add $1" \
  "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/$3/repository/files/$1"
}

PROJECT_ID=$(create_project "New-Standardized-Project" | jq '.id')

add_file "README.md" "# Welcome to our standardized project" $PROJECT_ID
add_file ".gitlab-ci.yml" "stages:\n  - build\n  - test\n  - deploy" $PROJECT_ID
add_file "CONTRIBUTING.md" "## How to contribute to this project" $PROJECT_ID

echo "Project created with ID: $PROJECT_ID"

This script creates a new project with a README, a basic CI/CD configuration, and a CONTRIBUTING guide. You can expand this to include more files or even clone a template repository.

Performance optimization

Admin: Our merge request creation process is slow. How can we diagnose and improve this? Assume I am an admin.

Chat: As an instance admin, there are a few potential areas you can investigate to diagnose and improve the merge request creation process: Database Performance: The provided quotes show some example SQL queries related to merge request metrics. Slow database queries can significantly impact merge request creation performance. You should review the database performance, indexes, and query plans for any queries involved in the merge request creation process.

• Background jobs: Merge request creation may involve background jobs (e.g., for data processing, notifications, etc.). If these jobs are backed up or running slowly, it can impact the overall merge request creation time. Check the background job queues and workers.
• Code optimization: Analyze the code responsible for merge request creation to identify any potential bottlenecks or inefficiencies. This could include things like unnecessary database queries, inefficient algorithms, or lack of caching.
• Resource utilization: Monitor the resource utilization (CPU, memory, disk I/O) of the GitLab application servers during merge request creation. High resource utilization can lead to performance degradation.
• Network performance: If your GitLab instance is distributed across multiple nodes or servers, network performance between these components can impact merge request creation times. Check for any network bottlenecks or latency issues.
• Caching: Ensure that appropriate caching mechanisms are in place and functioning correctly. Inefficient or incorrect caching can lead to unnecessary overhead during merge request creation.
• Load testing: Perform load testing to simulate real-world scenarios and identify any performance bottlenecks or scalability issues that may arise under high load.
• Logging and monitoring: Enable detailed logging and monitoring for the merge request creation process. This can help identify specific areas of slowness or bottlenecks.

To effectively diagnose and improve the merge request creation process, you'll likely need to combine multiple techniques, such as profiling, code analysis, database optimization, and load testing. Additionally, consulting the GitLab documentation and community resources can provide valuable insights and best practices specific to your GitLab version and configuration.

Troubleshooting complex issues

Admin: We're experiencing intermittent 502 errors on our GitLab instance. How can we troubleshoot this? I am an instance admin, how can I check the logs to find answers?

Chat: To troubleshoot intermittent 502 errors on your GitLab instance as an admin, you can follow these steps:

1. Check the main GitLab logs while reproducing the issue by running:

sudo gitlab-ctl tail | tee /tmp/<case-ID-and-keywords>.log

2. Press Ctrl+C to stop tailing the logs.

3. Run GitLabSOS to gather broader diagnostics about your instance:

sudo /opt/gitlab/embedded/bin/gitlab-sos

4. Use the fast-stats tool to analyze performance statistics from the logs:

sudo /opt/gitlab/embedded/bin/fast-stats /var/log/gitlab/gitlab-rails/production.log

5.Look for relevant log entries using the correlation ID that is present in most requests.

6. Check the Pages logs (gitlab_pages_error.log) for any specific errors related to Pages communication issues with the GitLab API or loopback timeouts if using an AWS Network Load Balancer.

7. Ensure your gitlab-secrets.json file is synced across all GitLab Pages instances if using domain_config_source=auto.

8. If using systemd, configure GitLab Pages to listen on an explicit IP and port to avoid /tmp being cleaned up.

Get started with GitLab Duo Chat

GitLab Duo Chat is a powerful ally for administrators of self-managed GitLab instances. By leveraging its capabilities, you can tackle complex tasks more efficiently, learn new techniques, and ultimately become a more effective GitLab administrator.

We encourage you to experiment with Chat in your administrative workflows. Remember to use it responsibly and always verify the solutions it provides.

Try GitLab Duo free for 60 days.

Resources

• GitLab Duo documentation
• GitLab Rails Console Cheat Sheet
• GitLab API documentation
• 10 best practices for using AI-powered GitLab Duo Chat
• GitLab Duo Chat 101: Get more done on GitLab with our AI assistant