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of 31What is GitLab CI/CD and how does it differ from other CI/CD tools?
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GitLab CI/CD is an integrated continuous integration and continuous deployment platform built into GitLab. It automates the building, testing, and deployment of applications through pipelines defined in YAML files.
Key differentiators:
- Integrated approach: Built into GitLab, no separate tool needed
- Configuration as code: Everything defined in
.gitlab-ci.yml - Built-in container registry: Seamless Docker integration
- Auto DevOps: Automatic pipeline creation for common frameworks
- Comprehensive features: Issue tracking, code review, CI/CD, monitoring in one platform
Unlike Jenkins (requires plugins and setup) or GitHub Actions (GitHub-specific), GitLab CI/CD provides a complete DevOps platform out of the box.
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Explain the key components of a GitLab CI pipeline.
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A GitLab CI pipeline consists of several key components:
- Pipeline: The top-level component containing the entire CI/CD process
- Stages: Logical groupings that run sequentially (e.g., build, test, deploy)
- Jobs: Individual tasks within stages that can run in parallel
- Scripts: Commands executed within jobs
- Runners: Agents that execute the jobs
Example structure:
stages:
- build
- test
- deploy
build-job:
stage: build
script:
- echo "Building application"
test-job:
stage: test
script:
- echo "Running tests"
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What is the purpose of the `.gitlab-ci.yml` file and where should it be placed?
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The .gitlab-ci.yml file is the configuration file that defines your CI/CD pipeline. It must be placed in the root directory of your repository.
Purpose:
- Defines pipeline structure (stages, jobs, scripts)
- Specifies when and how jobs should run
- Configures deployment environments
- Sets up variables, artifacts, and dependencies
GitLab automatically detects this file when code is pushed and triggers the pipeline accordingly. The YAML format makes it version-controlled and easily readable.
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Explain the difference between `before_script`, `script`, and `after_script`.
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These are execution phases within GitLab CI jobs:
before_script: Runs before the main script, used for setup tasksscript: Main commands to execute (required)after_script: Runs after script completion, regardless of job success/failure
Example:
job-example:
before_script:
- echo "Setting up environment"
- apt-get update
script:
- echo "Running main commands"
- npm test
after_script:
- echo "Cleaning up"
- rm -rf temp/
Important: after_script always runs, making it ideal for cleanup tasks, while before_script failure will fail the entire job.
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What are pipeline stages and how do they work?
What are predefined variables in GitLab CI and give examples of commonly used ones?
What is the GitLab Container Registry and how do you use it?
What are GitLab Runners and what types are available?
How do you control when jobs run using `rules` vs `only`/`except`?
How do you implement conditional job execution based on file changes?
How do you configure a custom Docker image for your CI jobs?
What are GitLab CI services and how are they used?
How do you handle job dependencies and parallelization?
Explain the different types of variables in GitLab CI and their precedence.
How do you manage sensitive data like API keys and passwords?
What's the difference between artifacts and cache in GitLab CI?
How do you implement effective caching strategies?
How do you configure job artifacts for different purposes?
How do you build and push Docker images in GitLab CI?
What are GitLab environments and how do they work?
How do you implement approval workflows for deployments?
How do you implement security scanning in GitLab CI pipelines?
What are GitLab CI include templates and how do you use them?
How do you debug failing GitLab CI jobs?
What are some GitLab CI best practices for performance and maintainability?
How do you handle GitLab CI pipeline failures and notifications?
How do you implement different deployment strategies (blue-green, rolling, canary)?
How do you manage secrets and secure variables across different environments?
How do you implement parallel matrix builds?
What are GitLab CI compliance pipelines and how do they work?
How do you optimize GitLab CI pipeline execution time?
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