Advanced GitLab Training Course

Introduction and Foundations

• Calibrating baseline knowledge of Git and GitLab.
• Recapping core Git concepts: commits, branches, merges, and push/pull operations.
• Comparing GitLab editions: Free, Premium, and Ultimate.
• Exploring typical use cases and organizational advantages.

GitLab Features and Architecture Overview

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

GitLab Workflow Strategies

• Contrasting GitLab Flow with GitFlow methodologies.
• Managing merge requests, approvals, and review processes.
• Handling branch strategies and permission settings.

Project Organization via Groups and Namespaces

• Defining GitLab groups, subgroups, and namespace structures.
• Configuring project visibility and group-based permissions.
• Managing forking strategies and team access controls.

Implementing CI/CD with GitLab

• Installation and registration of GitLab Runners.
• Utilizing Docker and Kubernetes executors.
• Applying Docker-in-Docker (DIND): advantages and considerations.
• Resolving common runner-related issues.
• Authoring and structuring gitlab-ci.yml configurations.
• Leveraging variables and CI secrets for security.
• Designing CI workflows and defining stages.
• Incorporating templates and reusable pipeline definitions.
• Configuring triggers, schedules, and manual controls.
• Generating releases and implementing tagging strategies.

Issue Management and Team Collaboration

• Creating and cross-linking issues.
• Designing custom issue boards and label systems.
• Tracking progress through milestones.

Utilizing GitLab Markdown

• Formatting issues, merge requests, and wiki pages.
• Using Markdown for rich documentation and inline visuals.
• Incorporating checklists, code snippets, and tables.

GitLab Pages

• Deploying static websites from GitLab repositories.
• Configuring GitLab Pages with custom domains.
• Integrating CI/CD pipelines for Pages deployments.

Security and Access Control

• Managing personal and project access tokens.
• Protecting pipeline secrets and sensitive variables.
• Reviewing GitLab’s security scanning capabilities.

Troubleshooting and Diagnostics

• Addressing frequent CI/CD errors and resolutions.
• Analyzing runner logs to debug failed jobs.
• Adopting best practices for pipeline stability.

Conclusion and Future Path

• Course summary and open Q&A session.
• Final review or practical evaluation task.
• Collecting feedback and concluding the course.
• Providing resources for ongoing professional development.