GitLab pull request configurations

  • Release version: Washingtondc
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of GitLab Pull Request Configurations

    This document outlines the integration of GitLab pull (merge) request configurations with DevOps Change Velocity, enabling tracking and managing pipeline executions for change acceleration before deployment to production. It highlights how metadata from GitLab merge requests is utilized in the DevOps Change Velocity for change policies and approvals.

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    Key Features

    • Supports creation, updating, closing, re-opening, and merging of pull requests.
    • Automatically updates GitLab pipeline status with pull request status after change creation.
    • Pipelines are paused and resumed automatically based on pull request activities.
    • Tracks a maximum of 100 commits; access to additional commits requires reference to the GitLab instance.
    • Only the latest comment from merge requests is captured.

    Key Outcomes

    To enable pull request tracking and orchestration pipeline linking, the following steps are necessary:

    • Ensure the DevOps property to track GitLab pull requests is enabled (default setting).
    • Use GitLab Docker for change tracking.
    • Configure your GitLab settings to require successful pipelines for merge requests.
    • Add specific rules to your .yml file to manage pipeline behavior based on merge request events.

    By following these configurations, customers can ensure effective change management and approval processes within their DevOps environment.

    GitLab pull (merge) request pipeline executions, which goes through change acceleration before moving to production, can be tracked in DevOps Change Velocity. This integration also collects GitLab merge requests meta data to persist in DevOps Change Velocity. The data is linked with the change created in the merge request pipeline execution and can be used for applying change policies, review, and approval.

    • Create, update, close, re-open, and merge of pull requests are supported.
    • Pull request pipeline execution for change acceleration in GitLab pipelines is supported. Pull request details will be available for use in the change approval policy.
    • Status of GitLab pipeline is updated with the pull request status automatically after the change creation. The pipeline is paused and resumed automatically.
    • Email ids are defaulted to the format <user_name>@noreply.gitlab.com.
    • Comments are supported as part of merge request support. Create and update to pull requests are supported, while delete and edit are not supported.
    • Maximum of 100 commits will be shown in DevOps Change Velocity. If you need to access more than 100, you must refer your GitLab instance. Only the latest comment is populated.

    Settings to enable pull (merge) requests for change approval

    The DevOps property Enable to track GitLab pull (merge) requests. If not enabled, then pull (merge) requests and related events will be ignored enables the tracking of pull (merge) requests from GitLab in DevOps Change Velocity.
    Note:
    The property is enabled by default. If you don't want the merge (pull) requests to be tracked, you must disable it.

    When enabled, the pull (merge) request changes will be reflected in DevOps Change Velocity. When disabled, DevOps Change Velocity ignores the pull request events.

    For pull request and orchestration pipeline linking and to enable change approval tracking, the following are required:
    • Use GitLab Docker for change tracking. For detailed information, see Implement custom actions for pipelines using generic Docker container image.
    • From your GitLab project,
      1. Navigate to
        • For GitLab cloud: Settings > Merge requests.
        • For On premises (13.x): Settings > General > Merge requests.
      2. Select the Pipelines must succeed check box.

        With this selection, only if the change is approved, you can proceed with the merge request. That is, when the check box is selected, pull requests will be blocked until the change is approved.

        Settings for merge options.

      3. Select Save changes.
    • Navigate to your project and open the .yml file.
      To the .yml file, add the following rule at the pipeline level or at specific job levels.
      rules:
 - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'merge_request event'
 - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE != 'merge_request_event'

      Example for pipeline level:

      workflow:
  rules:
  - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'merge_request_event'
  - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE != 'merge_request_event'

      Example for job level:

      changeapproval:
   stage: changeapproval
   script:
     - sndevopscli create change -p '{"changeStepDetails":{"timeout":3600,"interval":100},"attributes":{"short_description":"Automated Software Deployment","description":"Automated Software Deployment.","assignment_group":"a715cd759f2002002920bde8132e7018","implementation_plan":"Software update is tested and results can be found in Test Summaries Tab.","backout_plan":"When software fails in production, the previous software release will be re-deployed.","test_plan":"Testing if the software was successfully deployed or not"}}'
   rules:
   - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'merge_request_event'
   - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE != 'merge_request_event'