How to Upgrade Your Omnibus GitLab: A Step-by-Step Guide
Upgrading your GitLab instance is essential to leverage new features, security patches, and performance improvements. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the easiest and most secure way to upgrade your Omnibus GitLab installation on a Linux system.
How to Upgrade Your Omnibus GitLab
Introduction
GitLab is a powerful web-based Git repository manager that offers extensive features for code collaboration, version control, and continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD). The Omnibus GitLab package simplifies the installation and management process by bundling GitLab with all its dependencies.
Upgrading GitLab might seem daunting, especially if you’re new to system administration. However, with the right steps, you can perform the upgrade smoothly and securely. This guide is designed to help you upgrade your GitLab Omnibus installation step-by-step, ensuring minimal downtime and data integrity.
Table of Contents
- Before You Begin
- Step 1: Check Current GitLab Version
- Step 2: Determine the Upgrade Path
- Step 3: Backup Your GitLab Data
- Step 4: Update GitLab Package Repository
- Step 5: Perform the Upgrade
- Step 6: Restart GitLab Services
- Step 7: Verify the Upgrade
- Conclusion
- References
Before You Begin
Before starting the upgrade process, ensure you have:
- Root or Sudo Access: You need administrative privileges to perform the upgrade.
- Current GitLab Version Information: Know your existing GitLab version.
- Desired Upgrade Version: Determine the GitLab version you want to upgrade to.
- Backup Plan: Always back up your data before making significant changes.
Step 1: Check Current GitLab Version
First, find out which version of GitLab you are currently running. You can do this by accessing your GitLab instance’s help page or via the command line.
Option 1: Through the Web Interface
Navigate to:
http://your-gitlab-url/help
You’ll see the version number at the top of the page.
Option 2: Via Command Line
Run the following command on your GitLab server:
sudo gitlab-rake gitlab:env:info
This will display detailed information about your GitLab environment, including the version.
Step 2: Determine the Upgrade Path
Upgrading GitLab often requires stepping through intermediate versions, especially if you’re several versions behind. Use the GitLab Upgrade Path Tool to determine the correct upgrade path:
Enter your current version and the target version to get a tailored upgrade path.
Step 3: Backup Your GitLab Data
Important: Always back up your data before upgrading.
Create a Backup of GitLab Data
Run the following command to create a backup of your GitLab repositories, uploads, and more:
sudo gitlab-backup create
Backup Configuration Files
The backup command does not include your configuration files. Manually back up the following files:
GitLab Secrets:
sudo cp /etc/gitlab/gitlab-secrets.json /backup/location/gitlab-secrets.json
GitLab Configuration:
sudo cp /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb /backup/location/gitlab.rb
Replace /backup/location/
with your desired backup directory.
Step 4: Update GitLab Package Repository
Ensure your system is set up to receive GitLab package updates.
curl -s https://packages.gitlab.com/install/repositories/gitlab/gitlab-ce/script.deb.sh | sudo bash
This script adds the GitLab package repository to your system.
Step 5: Perform the Upgrade
Using the version information from the Upgrade Path Tool, run the appropriate command to upgrade to the next version in your upgrade path.
sudo apt-get install -y gitlab-ce=15.2.5-ce.0
Replace 15.2.5-ce.0
with the version number specified in your upgrade path.
Note: The package name might be gitlab-ce
for the Community Edition or gitlab-ee
for the Enterprise Edition.
Wait for the Upgrade to Complete
The upgrade process may take some time. Do not interrupt it. Once completed, you should see a success message.
Step 6: Restart GitLab Services
After upgrading, restart GitLab services to ensure all components are running the new version.
sudo gitlab-ctl restart
Step 7: Verify the Upgrade
Check GitLab Version
Visit your GitLab instance’s help page to confirm the new version:
http://your-gitlab-url/help
Run a System Check
Perform a health check to ensure all components are functioning correctly:
sudo gitlab-rake gitlab:check
Review the output for any errors or warnings.
Verify Database Migrations
Ensure all database migrations have been applied:
sudo gitlab-rake db:migrate:status
All migrations should have a status of up
.
Check Background Migrations
Background migrations may take additional time. Check their status:
- Log in to GitLab as an administrator.
- Navigate to Admin Area > Monitoring > Background Migrations.
- Ensure all migrations have a status of Finished.
Verify Running Processes
Check that all GitLab components are running:
sudo gitlab-ctl status
You should see that all services are running.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You’ve successfully upgraded your Omnibus GitLab installation. Regularly updating GitLab ensures you have the latest features, security updates, and performance improvements.
If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out to us at support.tools.