Migration from GitLab to Managed Service for GitLab

Before starting, check the procedure for running migration from a GitLab custom installation to Managed Service for GitLab.

To migrate data to the cloud:

1. Create a Managed Service for GitLab instance.

2. Add to the Managed Service for GitLab instance the same settings that are in the custom installation. For example, OmniAuth or group access rights restrictions if you used them. Such entities as users, groups, and pipelines will be migrated later when working with a backup of your custom installation.

3. Find out your custom installation's GitLab version. For correct migration, the custom installation version must match the Managed Service for GitLab version.

   1. Open your GitLab custom installation.

   2. In the menu on the left, click Help.

      A pop-up window will display the GitLab version.

4. Test the migration:

   1. Create a backup of the custom installation and configuration files.

   2. Provide to the technical support this backup and your custom installation's GitLab version. The technical support will restore the instance from your backup in Managed Service for GitLab.

   3. After the support reports that the instance has been restored, open it and make sure that in Managed Service for GitLab:

      • All necessary settings, data, and projects are present.
      • You can send commits and update branches.

5. Perform the production migration:

   1. Inform the technical support of your planned migration date.
   2. On the eve of the migration day, place your GitLab custom installation into a read-only state.
   3. Back up your custom installation and configuration files.
   4. Provide this backup to the technical support.
   5. On the specified migration day, the technical support will restore your instance from the backup in Managed Service for GitLab.

6. (Optional) Configure your instance domain name:

   1. If you used a custom domain name for your custom installation and want to keep it, please provide that domain name to the technical support. They will configure it for your Managed Service for GitLab instance.
   2. In your custom installation, configure a CNAME DNS record to redirect users from the Managed Service for GitLab instance domain to your custom domain.