Steps and considerations for separate deployment of GitLab

When we use GitLab for project management and code hosting, sometimes we need to deploy GitLab separately. This article will introduce the steps and precautions for separate deployment of GitLab.

1. Determine the reasons for separate deployment

Why should GitLab be deployed separately? There are several reasons:

• High availability. Dividing GitLab into multiple components and performing failover operations on each component can achieve high availability, ensuring that the GitLab service is always available.
• Optimize performance. Splitting GitLab into different components and running them on different hosts allows for better utilization of resources and provides appropriate performance for each component.
• safety. Running different GitLab components on separate hosts provides greater control over security and reduces the attack surface.

2. Separating GitLab Components

GitLab consists of several components, including:

• GitLab Application
• PostgreSQL Database
• Redis Node

Depending on the reasons for separate deployment, we can decide how to separate these components. Here is a common separation solution:

• GitLab application. Separate the GitLab application to a separate host and run it as a web server.
• PostgreSQL database. Separate the PostgreSQL database to a separate host and run it on that host.
• Redis node. Separate the Redis node to a separate host and run it on that host.

3. Installing the GitLab Application

Before installing the GitLab application on the new host, we need to shut down (and back up) the existing GitLab service. Then, install the GitLab application on the new host, as well as install and configure the necessary dependencies, such as nginx, LetsEncrypt, and SSL certificates.

4. Connecting the GitLab application and the PostgreSQL database

Install and configure the PostgreSQL database on another host to provide support for the GitLab application. By decoupling the database from the application, we have greater control over database access and resource usage.

On the GitLab application server, we need to create a connection for the database in the GitLab configuration file. As shown below:

production:
  db_host: postgresql_server
  db_port: 5432
  db_name: gitlabhq_production
  db_username: gitlab
  db_password: "password"
  db_adapter: postgresql

Make sure to change these values ​​to those appropriate for your environment.

5. Connecting the GitLab application and the Redis node

Install and configure the Redis node on another host to provide support to the GitLab application. Likewise, we can have better control over resource usage and access by decoupling Redis nodes from the application.

On the GitLab application server, we need to create a connection for Redis in the GitLab configuration file. As shown below:

production:
  redis:
    host: redis_server
    port: 6379
    password: "redis_password"

Make sure to change these values ​​to those appropriate for your environment.

6. Configuring Load Balancing

Now we have separated the GitLab application, PostgreSQL database, and Redis nodes and provided support to the application. However, we also need a way to bring all these components together to provide a single GitLab service.

One solution is to use a load balancer. Any load balancer can be used, but the most commonly used ones are HAProxy or NGINX. The load balancer distributes all requests to multiple GitLab instances and database instances.

7. Testing and Maintenance

After deploying GitLab, we need to test to ensure that all components are working properly and maintain them. Testing should include testing the GitLab application, PostgreSQL database, and Redis nodes individually, as well as testing the GitLab service as a whole.

At the same time, we need to install monitoring tools on each component server to be able to track the performance and resource usage of each component.

8. Summary

Deploying GitLab separately requires some preparation and work, but it can improve performance, security, and availability. This article describes a common approach to separating GitLab components and provides some advice on connecting components, configuring load balancers, testing, and maintenance.

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