Advanced GitLab Training Course

Introduction and Core Concepts

• Assessment of existing participant knowledge regarding Git and GitLab
• Recap of fundamental Git operations: commits, branches, merges, and push/pull
• Comparison of GitLab tiers (Free versus Premium versus Ultimate)
• Typical applications and organizational advantages of GitLab

GitLab Capabilities and Architectural Overview

• Navigating the GitLab interface and project hierarchy
• Key functionalities: repository control, pipeline monitoring, and issue boards
• Understanding GitLab CI/CD architecture and runner infrastructure

GitLab Workflow Strategies

• Comparing standard workflows: GitLab Flow versus GitFlow
• Managing merge requests, approvals, and review cycles
• Branch governance and permission settings

Project Organization via Groups and Namespaces

• Conceptual understanding of GitLab groups, subgroups, and namespaces
• Controlling project visibility and group-level access rights
• Forking strategies and team access administration

CI/CD Implementation in GitLab

• Configuration and registration of GitLab Runners
• Utilizing Docker and Kubernetes executors
• Implementing Docker-in-Docker (DIND): advantages and considerations
• Resolving runner-related issues
• Composition and structuring of gitlab-ci.yml
• Leveraging variables and CI secrets
• Defining CI workflows and pipeline stages
• Incorporating templates and reusable pipeline definitions
• Managing triggers, schedules, and manual pipeline initiation
• Release generation and version tagging strategies

Issue Management and Team Collaboration

• Creation and cross-linking of issues
• Configuration of custom issue boards and labeling
• Tracking progress through milestones

Application of GitLab Markdown

• Formatting standards for issues, merge requests, and wikis
• Using Markdown for documentation and visual elements
• Incorporating checklists, code snippets, and tabular data

GitLab Pages Deployment

• Hosting static websites directly from GitLab repositories
• Configuring GitLab Pages with custom domain names
• Integrating CI/CD pipelines with Pages deployments

Security Protocols and Access Control

• Managing personal access tokens and project-specific tokens
• Protecting pipeline secrets and sensitive variables
• Introduction to GitLab’s security scanning capabilities

Troubleshooting and Diagnostic Procedures

• Identifying and resolving common CI/CD errors
• Analyzing runner logs to debug failed jobs
• Best practices for ensuring pipeline stability

Conclusion and Future Directions

• Course summary and question-and-answer session
• Final assessment or evaluation activity
• Feedback collection and course closure
• Recommended resources for ongoing professional development