Backing up Gitlab on Linode Object Storage

In This Guide

GitLab is a complete solution for all aspects of your software development. At its core, GitLab serves as your centralized remote Git repository. GitLab also features built-in tools that represent every task in your development workflow, from planning to testing to releasing.

All modern GitLab installations additionally include tooling to create backups on Linode’s Object Storage using a single command. This guide will describe the process for initially setting up an Object Storage Bucket which can be used to remotely store backups created directly from Gitlab.

Before you Begin

• Follow the guide for Deploying Gitlab Through the Linode Marketplace to completion, or otherwise ensure that a Gitlab installation is available and accessible over SSH.

• Create an Object Storage access key and a bucket. See the Manage Access Keys and Create and Manage Buckets](/docs/products/storage/object-storage/guides/manage-buckets/) guides.

Configuring Gitlab For Object Storage Backups

In order to configure Gitlab on Linode’s Object Storage, the Gitlab instance must first be Accessed Directly Over SSH. To do this, enter the following command, replacing the username and IP address with the unique username and IP address of your Linode:

ssh username@198.51.100.4

Once access has been gained, using a text editor of your choice, edit the ‘/etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb’ configuration file to reflect the following:

sudo nano /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb

File: /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb

gitlab_rails['backup_upload_connection'] = {
  'provider' => 'AWS',
  'region' => 'us-east-1',
  'endpoint'    => 'https://us-east-1.linodeobjects.com',
  'aws_access_key_id' =>YOUR_ACCESS_KEY,
  'aws_secret_access_key' =>YOUR_SECRET_KEY,
}
gitlab_rails['backup_upload_remote_directory'] = 'bucketname'

The following chart will explain each configuration settings in additional detail:

Once the configuration settings are completed, apply the configuration with the following command:

gitlab-ctl reconfigure

Creating a Backup

Once configured, backups can now be created for your gitlab instance at any time by using the following command:

gitlab-backup create

Once complete, the backup will be freely available in a compressed .tar file within the Object Storage bucket, and can be observed directly in the Linode Cloud Manager.