Advanced GitLab Training Course

Introduction and Foundations

• Assessment of existing knowledge regarding Git and GitLab.
• Refresher on fundamental Git concepts, including commits, branching, merging, and push/pull operations.
• Comparison of GitLab editions: Free versus Premium versus Ultimate.
• Analysis of typical GitLab use cases and their organizational advantages.

GitLab Features and Architecture Overview

• Navigating the GitLab interface and understanding project structure.
• Exploration of core features such as repository management, pipelines, and issue boards.
• An overview of GitLab CI/CD architecture and runner capabilities.

GitLab Workflow

• Evaluation of common workflows, contrasting GitLab Flow with GitFlow.
• Managing merge requests, approvals, and review cycles.
• Branch management strategies and permission settings.

Project Organization via Groups and Namespaces

• In-depth understanding of GitLab groups, subgroups, and namespaces.
• Configuring project visibility and group-level permissions.
• Implementing forking strategies and managing team access.

Implementing CI/CD in GitLab

• Configuration and registration of GitLab Runners.
• Utilization of Docker and Kubernetes executors.
• Application of Docker-in-Docker (DIND), including benefits and potential pitfalls.
• Diagnosing and resolving runner-related issues.
• Composition and structuring of the gitlab-ci.yml file.
• Management of variables and CI secrets.
• Designing CI workflows and defining stages.
• Incorporation of templates and reusable pipeline definitions.
• Control of triggers, schedules, and manual pipeline executions.
• Generation of releases and development of tagging strategies.

Issue Management and Collaboration

• Creation and interlinking of issues.
• Customization of issue boards and label usage.
• Tracking progress through milestones.

Utilizing GitLab Markdown

• Formatting issues, merge requests, and wikis effectively.
• Creating documentation and inline visuals using Markdown.
• Incorporating checklists, code blocks, and tables.

GitLab Pages

• Publishing static websites directly from GitLab repositories.
• Configuration of GitLab Pages with custom domains.
• Integration of CI/CD processes with Pages deployments.

Security and Access Management

• Management of personal access tokens and project tokens.
• Protection of pipeline secrets and variables.
• Overview of GitLab’s built-in security scanning features.

Troubleshooting and Diagnostics

• Identification and resolution of common CI/CD errors.
• Analysis of runner logs and debugging of failed jobs.
• Adoption of best practices for maintaining pipeline reliability.

Summary and Next Steps

• Course recap and question-and-answer session.
• Final review session or completion of an evaluation task.
• Feedback collection and course conclusion.
• Provision of resources for continued learning.