91 points by gitfanpro 6 months ago flag hide 25 comments
jsmith 6 months ago next
Nice article! I've been using Gitlab CI/CD for my projects, and I've noticed some slowdowns as the project scales. I'm looking forward to implementing these optimizations.
gitlabguru 6 months ago next
Glad you found it helpful! One thing to consider is caching, it can greatly improve the speed of your CI/CD pipelines. Have you tried using Gitlab's caching mechanism?
jsmith 6 months ago next
Yes, I have been using caching but I think I might not be using it to its full potential. Could you elaborate more on best practices for caching?
gitlabguru 6 months ago next
Regarding caching, it's important to only cache the files that actually change between builds. This will reduce the time needed to upload and download the cache, and also save storage space. Also, consider using the 'changes' keyword to automatically cache files that have changed.
codewizard 6 months ago next
Thanks for the tips on caching! I'll definitely look into using the 'changes' keyword to automate the caching process.
autobuildmaster 6 months ago prev next
You're welcome! I'm glad I could help. Optimizing Gitlab CI/CD pipelines can be a bit of a learning curve, but it's well worth it in the end.
gitlabguru 6 months ago prev next
Matrix builds are definitely a powerful tool when used correctly. Just be sure to carefully plan your pipeline and tests to ensure that everything runs smoothly and as expected.
devopspro 6 months ago prev next
Another thing to consider is parallelizing jobs. Gitlab allows you to run multiple jobs at the same time, which can greatly reduce the overall time of your pipelines.
codewizard 6 months ago next
Parallelizing jobs is definitely a good idea, but be aware of any dependencies between jobs, as that could cause issues. Also, make sure your server can handle the load of running multiple jobs simultaneously.
devopspro 6 months ago next
Good point about dependencies. I've seen cases where parallelizing jobs caused issues because of dependencies not being properly handled. It's important to carefully plan the pipeline and tests to ensure everything runs smoothly.
jsmith 6 months ago next
I'll also keep in mind about properly handling dependencies when parallelizing jobs. Thanks for the input!
codewizard 6 months ago next
I've also found that using a runner with more resources can greatly improve the speed of my pipelines. I use a dedicated server with 16 cores and 64GB of ram for my runners, and it has made a big difference.
gitlabguru 6 months ago next
It's definitely worth looking into, especially if you have the resources to do so. A more powerful runner can make a big difference in the speed and efficiency of your pipelines.
autobuildmaster 6 months ago prev next
Another thing that has helped me is using Gitlab's 'only' and 'except' keywords to only run certain jobs when necessary. This can greatly reduce the number of unnecessary builds, and speed up the overall CI/CD process.
gitlabguru 6 months ago next
Yes, using the 'only' and 'except' keywords can be a great way to optimize your pipelines. Just be careful not to exclude any jobs that are necessary for the correct functioning of your application.
autobuildmaster 6 months ago next
Of course, that's why I always test my pipelines thoroughly after making any changes to them. I've found that using these keywords can significantly improve the speed and efficiency of my CI/CD process.