GitLab CI/CD

Resources / Skills

GitLab CI/CD Skill Overview

Welcome to the GitLab CI/CD Skill page. You can use this skill
template as is or customize it to fit your needs and environment.

Category:

Description

GitLab CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment) is a powerful tool that automates the process of integrating code changes, testing them, and deploying applications. It uses pipelines defined in YAML files to streamline workflows, ensuring that code is consistently built, tested, and deployed with minimal manual intervention. By leveraging GitLab CI/CD, developers can catch bugs early, improve code quality, and accelerate the release cycle. The system supports various stages, jobs, and runners, allowing for flexible and scalable automation. Whether you're setting up simple pipelines or managing complex deployments, GitLab CI/CD enhances productivity and reliability in software development projects.

Expected Behaviors

Fundamental Awareness
At the fundamental awareness level, individuals are introduced to the basic concepts and terminology of GitLab CI/CD. They can understand simple pipeline structures and execute basic jobs, but require guidance and support for more complex tasks.
Novice
Novices can set up and manage basic GitLab CI/CD pipelines independently. They are familiar with configuring runners, using variables, and handling simple debugging tasks. However, they still rely on predefined templates and need assistance with advanced configurations.
Intermediate
Intermediate users have a solid understanding of GitLab CI/CD and can implement advanced YAML syntax, use templates, and integrate external services. They can manage artifacts and conditional job execution, and are capable of troubleshooting more complex issues with minimal guidance.
Advanced
Advanced practitioners optimize pipeline performance, implement security best practices, and automate testing and deployment processes. They can design and manage complex workflows, ensuring efficient and secure CI/CD operations across multiple projects.
Expert
Experts in GitLab CI/CD design scalable architectures and create custom scripts for automation. They excel in advanced debugging and troubleshooting, and can implement CI/CD solutions for large-scale projects. Additionally, they contribute to the GitLab CI/CD community through open-source projects and thought leadership.

Micro Skills

Fundamental Awareness20 micro skills • 0 months work experience

Definition of Continuous Integration (CI)

Definition of Continuous Deployment (CD)

Benefits of CI/CD

Common CI/CD tools and platforms

Overview of GitLab CI/CD

Key components of a GitLab CI/CD pipeline

Basic workflow of a GitLab CI/CD pipeline

Examples of simple GitLab CI/CD pipelines

Introduction to YAML format

Basic YAML syntax rules

Common YAML structures used in GitLab CI/CD

Creating a simple YAML file for GitLab CI/CD

Creating a .gitlab-ci.yml file

Defining basic stages and jobs

Running the pipeline for the first time

Viewing pipeline results in GitLab

Defining a job in .gitlab-ci.yml

Specifying job scripts

Using predefined variables in jobs

Monitoring job execution and results

Novice25 micro skills • 3 months work experience

Understanding the role of runners in GitLab CI/CD

Installing GitLab Runner on different operating systems

Registering a GitLab Runner with a GitLab instance

Configuring runner tags and executor types

Managing runner settings and permissions

Defining and using predefined variables

Creating custom environment variables

Securing sensitive information with secret variables

Using variables in job scripts

Overriding variables at different levels (project, group, instance)

Defining stages in a GitLab CI/CD pipeline

Creating jobs within stages

Setting job dependencies and order of execution

Using 'only' and 'except' keywords for job conditions

Configuring job retry and timeout settings

Understanding the purpose of caching in CI/CD

Defining cache paths in .gitlab-ci.yml

Using cache:key to control cache scope

Clearing and updating caches

Troubleshooting common caching issues

Reading and interpreting pipeline logs

Identifying and resolving syntax errors in .gitlab-ci.yml

Handling failed jobs and pipeline failures

Using GitLab CI/CD debugging tools

Best practices for maintaining pipeline health

Intermediate25 micro skills • 6 months work experience

Using anchors and aliases in YAML

Defining reusable blocks with YAML

Implementing complex job dependencies

Utilizing YAML merge keys

Handling multi-line strings in YAML

Creating custom GitLab CI/CD templates

Incorporating predefined templates

Managing template versions

Sharing templates across projects

Overriding template configurations

Using 'only' and 'except' keywords

Implementing rules for job execution

Using environment variables for conditions

Combining multiple conditions

Testing conditional job execution

Setting up webhooks for external services

Using GitLab CI/CD API for integrations

Configuring third-party service integrations

Managing authentication for external services

Monitoring and troubleshooting integrations

Defining artifacts in job configurations

Storing and retrieving artifacts

Using artifacts across stages

Configuring artifact expiration

Securing sensitive artifacts

Advanced25 micro skills • 12 months work experience

Identifying bottlenecks in pipeline execution

Implementing parallel job execution

Using caching effectively to speed up builds

Optimizing Docker image usage in pipelines

Reducing pipeline run times with efficient scripting

Setting up secure environment variables

Using secret management tools

Implementing access controls for CI/CD pipelines

Scanning for vulnerabilities in dependencies

Ensuring compliance with security policies

Configuring deployment environments

Setting up deployment pipelines

Automating rollback procedures

Monitoring deployments for issues

Integrating with Kubernetes for deployments

Setting up unit tests in CI/CD pipelines

Implementing integration tests

Running end-to-end tests

Generating test reports

Using test coverage tools

Creating multi-project pipelines

Using parent-child pipelines

Implementing pipeline triggers

Managing pipeline dependencies

Handling pipeline failures and retries

Expert25 micro skills • 24 months work experience

Analyzing project requirements for CI/CD

Choosing appropriate GitLab CI/CD runners

Implementing distributed CI/CD pipelines

Ensuring high availability of CI/CD services

Scaling CI/CD pipelines to handle large workloads

Writing custom scripts for CI/CD tasks

Integrating custom scripts with GitLab CI/CD jobs

Automating repetitive tasks using GitLab CI/CD

Using GitLab CI/CD API for advanced automation

Managing script dependencies in CI/CD pipelines

Identifying common CI/CD pipeline issues

Using GitLab CI/CD logs for debugging

Implementing error handling in CI/CD scripts

Monitoring CI/CD pipeline performance

Resolving complex CI/CD pipeline failures

Planning CI/CD strategy for large projects

Coordinating CI/CD across multiple teams

Managing CI/CD configurations for large codebases

Ensuring compliance with CI/CD best practices

Optimizing CI/CD workflows for large projects

Understanding GitLab CI/CD open-source contribution guidelines

Setting up a development environment for GitLab CI/CD

Submitting pull requests to GitLab CI/CD repositories

Reviewing and providing feedback on community contributions

Participating in GitLab CI/CD community discussions

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