Container Registry Metadata Database Self-managed

Project plan for the rollout of Container Registry Metadata Database to self-managed users.

Weekly Project Plan

Epic: https://gitlab.com/groups/gitlab-org/-/epics/5521

Milestone 16.3 (June 18, 2023 - July 17, 2023)

Goals

Week of Aug 14-18

  • Completed:
    • Updated the architecture blueprint with a new table structured for our feature based rollout approach: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/128824
    • Completed the POC for installing the database using Helm and Omnibus for new installations. Demo videos are posted in the issue for both installation paths.
    • Implemented Headway automation. All issues and MRs marked with the ~headway-self-managed-registry-db label will be added to tables in the epic.
    • Product is researching how GitLab has structured communication with users in other beta programs through the use of separate issues for enrollment and feedback. This also provides a communication channel for users who reach out to us through our Support counterpart.

Milestone 16.4 (August 18, 2023 - September 17, 2023)

Goals

Week of Aug 21-26

  • Plan:
    • Define the features and draft changes for the feature based rollout approach discussed last week. This matrix of features will be documented in the architecture blueprint.
    • Officially opening the Beta program this week.
    • Continue testing data migration strategies with different types of storage backend and registry sizes.
    • Starting work on Omnibus and Helm Chart installations following discovery in the POC completed last week.
    • Experiment with enabling and configuring the metadata database in Omnibus installations. https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/container-registry/-/issues/1071
  • Completed:

Week of Aug 28-Sept 1

  • Plan:
    • Create issues for interaction and feedback with issues. Identifying a first user to start working with the beta this week.
    • Discussions and research to provision the container registry database in Omnibus. https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/container-registry/-/issues/1102
    • Testing different sizes of the registry for scalability.
    • Coordinate with our Support Liason to prepare for user interaction.
  • Completed:
    • Created issues for communication with users regarding beta interest and feedback. Discussions are in progress with a potential first user for the beta program.
    • Through testing, the team discovered a problem with persisting database configuration which will need to be fixed in 16.4 before the beta user can start the installation.

Week of Sept 4-8

  • Plan:
    • Review and merge the omnibus MR for persisting database settings.
    • Create walkthrough demo of the migration process (issue)
    • Add to the container registry seeder project to make testing easier.
  • Completed:
    • Merged omnibus MR and tested.
    • Recorded youtube video for import process.
    • Tested 100GB model for migration in GCP. (issue)

Week of Sept 11-15

  • Plan:
    • Investigate using a lock file for data integrety (issue). Prevent non-database registry changes (such as offline garbage collection) to database managed objects.
    • Further testing with AWS and 500GB models.
  • Completed:
    • Made progress on technical design for lockfiles to protect data integrity in the metadata database.

Milestone 16.5 (September 17, 2023 - October 10, 2023)

Goals

  • Open the Beta program for the container registry and start getting customer feedback about the docs and migration.
  • Provision a Container Registry database for Omnibus installations (issue)
  • Add observability metric in service ping to identify use of the new database in self-managed installs.
  • Test offline migration runtime with test registries of different sizes and storage backends

Week of Sept 18-22

  • Plan:
    • With the 16.4 release, the fix for persisting database settings will be available to self-managed and users can begin testing for the beta program.
    • Define detailed project delivery goals
  • Completed:
    • Discussion with Geo on feasibility of data migrations and registry changes across geo sites.
    • Initial work on lockfiles
    • Add observability metric to service ping for container registry project.

Week of Sept 25-29

  • Plan:
    • Engage with beta users and gather feedback from first installations.
    • Follow-up on discussion regarding geo support
    • Continue lockfiles implementation
  • Completed:

Week of Oct 2-6

  • Plan:
    • Create a dashboard and review data for service ping metric.
    • Scaling back on lockfiles to only be used for disabling offline GC.
    • Continue on Omnibus gitlab-ctl subcommand.
  • Completed:
    • Continued progress on Omnibus gitlab-ctl subcommand.
    • Completed observability metric work and created a dashboard for tracking db usage.

Week of Oct 9-13

  • Plan:
    • Refine issues for addressing first phase of beta feedback
    • Research methods for testing data migration in an environment with Geo
  • Completed:
    • Added support for a layer media type a user had trouble importing (issue)
    • Prevent offline gc from running if the database is in use (issue)

Milestone 16.6 (October 17, 2023 - November 10, 2023)

Goals

Week of Oct 16-20

  • Plan:
    • Prepare container registry release for 16.5.
    • Respond to user feedback regarding errors for unknown layer media types.
  • Completed:
    • Add registry database migrate command in omnibus is working in test environment
    • Additional testing in migration of large registries

Week of Oct 23-27

  • Plan:
    • Deprecating OSS and Swift storage drivers: issue
    • Store Unknown Layer Blobs as Generic Media Types Rather than failing: issue
    • Adding ability to target a primary databases node when running post-migration issue
  • Completed:
    • Import unknown media types as generic on parity with the API: issue
    • OSS and Swift are deprecated issue
    • Omnibus registry database migrate subcommand in review with Distribution MR
    • Wrapped up current scope of performance tests

Week of Oct 30-Nov 3 (Q3 ends on Oct 31)

  • Plan:
    • Several interactions with users in beta issue to address.
    • Continue progress on Omnibus registry database migrate command MR.
  • Completed:
    • Progress on the MR to add gitlab-ctl commands for the registry database MR

Week of Nov 6-10

  • Plan:
    • Investigation into validation of self-managed imports epic
    • Continue progress on Omnibus registry database migrate command MR
  • Completed:
    • Omnibus registry database migrate command MR is in review

Week of Nov 13-17

  • Plan:
    • Release issues related to feedback from first phase of beta users.
    • Build guides for omnibus installs including import and migrate commands.
    • Started a blog post to announce availability of the container registry database.
    • Developing plans to migrate .com only features (currently behind feature flags) to self-managed.
  • Completed:
    • Evaluate adding a progress bar and better log presentation for the importer.
    • Engage with users and customers who are running the importer on large registries.
    • Created list of feature flagged container registry endpoints that exist in GitLab Rails for .com.

Milestone 16.7 (November 13, 2023 - December 21, 2023)

Goals

  • Engage with beta users after 16.6 release improvements and gather feedback from self-managed installations.
  • Create imported image validation command issue

Week of Nov 20-24

  • Plan:
    • Finalize the MR for Omnibus registry database migrate command.
  • Completed:
    • Engage with users and customers who are running the importer on large repositories. Responding to feedback.

Week of Nov 27-Dec 1

  • Plan:
    • Finalize progress bar and UX improvements for the importer.
    • Continue communication with beta customers who are testing the import process.
  • Completed:
    • Discussion regarding expansion of usage ping metrics.
    • Draft of importer progress bar is ready for review.

Week of Dec 4-8

  • Plan:
    • Evaluate options for validating images after they are imported.
    • Respond to feedback in Omnibus MR to add the import command.
  • Completed:

Week of Dec 11-15

  • Plan:
    • Create plans for adding/testing new features for self-managed, now available to users with the metadata database.
    • Continue research into container image validation after import.
  • Completed:
    • Evaluate tools for validating images after import. (issue)

Milestone 16.8 (December 22, 2023 - January 18, 2024)

Goals

  • Implement issues related to feedback from second phase of beta users
  • Validate Self-Managed Imports
  • Utility support for registry database commands, such as in gitlab-ctl, equivalent to what is already present for offline garbage collection for charts

Week of Dec 18-22

  • Plan:
    • Working with major registry user who will do their data migration over the holiday break. Most of the container registry team is unavailable this week.

Week of Dec 25-29

  • Plan:
    • Continue working with major registry user on setup and migration of their registry database. Most of the container registry team is unavailable this week.
  • Completed:
    • Migration for this user was a huge success! We’ll address the follow-up issues in our next milestone.

Week of Jan 1-5

  • Plan:
    • Catching up after holidays and continued engagement with beta users.
  • Completed:
    • Reviewed customer migration successes and concerns, and developed follow-up issues.

Week of Jan 8-12

  • Plan:
    • Release issues related to feedback from second phase of beta users.
    • Develop next steps plan and a communcation campaign to increase visibility.
  • Completed:
    • Reorganized the project plan and delivery targets issue.

Milestone 16.9 (January 13, 2024 - February 15, 2024)

Goals

Week of Jan 22-26

  • Plan:
    • Start testing Geo support
    • Continue testing and documentation for manual Charts migration
  • Completed:
    • Progress on Charts documentation issue
    • Merged Omnibus documentation docs

Week of Jan 29-Feb 2

  • Plan:
    • Continue testing Geo support
    • Continue Charts migration documentation

Milestone 16.10 (February 16, 2024 - March 21, 2024)

Goals

Last modified July 9, 2024: Fix links and spelling (e30f31b6)
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