• Using local storage
• Using object storage
  • Object Storage Settings
    • Connection settings
    • OpenStack example

Uploads administration

Uploads represent all user data that may be sent to GitLab as a single file. As an example, avatars and notes’ attachments are uploads. Uploads are integral to GitLab functionality, and therefore cannot be disabled.

Using local storage

This is the default configuration. To change the location where the uploads are stored locally, use the steps in this section based on your installation method:

In Omnibus GitLab installations:

The uploads are stored by default in /var/opt/gitlab/gitlab-rails/uploads.

1. To change the storage path for example to /mnt/storage/uploads, edit /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb and add the following line:

   gitlab_rails['uploads_directory'] = "/mnt/storage/uploads"
   

   This setting only applies if you haven’t changed the gitlab_rails['uploads_storage_path'] directory.

2. Save the file and reconfigure GitLab for the changes to take effect.

In installations from source:

The uploads are stored by default in /home/git/gitlab/public/uploads.

1. To change the storage path for example to /mnt/storage/uploads, edit /home/git/gitlab/config/gitlab.yml and add or amend the following lines:

   uploads:
     storage_path: /mnt/storage
     base_dir: uploads
   

2. Save the file and restart GitLab for the changes to take effect.

Using object storage

If you don’t want to use the local disk where GitLab is installed to store the uploads, you can use an object storage provider like AWS S3 instead. This configuration relies on valid AWS credentials to be configured already.

Read more about using object storage with GitLab.

We recommend using the consolidated object storage settings. The following instructions apply to the original configuration format.

Object Storage Settings

For source installations the following settings are nested under uploads: and then object_store:. On Omnibus GitLab installs they are prefixed by uploads_object_store_.

Connection settings

See the available connection settings for different providers.

In Omnibus installations:

The uploads are stored by default in /var/opt/gitlab/gitlab-rails/uploads.

1. Edit /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb and add the following lines by replacing with the values you want:

   gitlab_rails['uploads_object_store_enabled'] = true
   gitlab_rails['uploads_object_store_remote_directory'] = "uploads"
   gitlab_rails['uploads_object_store_connection'] = {
     'provider' => 'AWS',
     'region' => 'eu-central-1',
     'aws_access_key_id' => 'AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID',
     'aws_secret_access_key' => 'AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY'
   }
   

   If you are using AWS IAM profiles, be sure to omit the AWS access key and secret access key/value pairs.

   gitlab_rails['uploads_object_store_connection'] = {
     'provider' => 'AWS',
     'region' => 'eu-central-1',
     'use_iam_profile' => true
   }
   

2. Save the file and reconfigure GitLab for the changes to take effect.
3. Migrate any existing local uploads to the object storage using gitlab:uploads:migrate Rake task.

4. Optional: Verify all files migrated properly. From PostgreSQL console (sudo gitlab-psql -d gitlabhq_production) verify objectstg below (where store=2) has count of all artifacts:

   gitlabhq_production=# SELECT count(*) AS total, sum(case when store = '1' then 1 else 0 end) AS filesystem, sum(case when store = '2' then 1 else 0 end) AS objectstg FROM uploads;
   
   total | filesystem | objectstg
   ------+------------+-----------
    2409 |          0 |      2409
   

   Verify no files on disk in artifacts folder:

   sudo find /var/opt/gitlab/gitlab-rails/uploads -type f | grep -v tmp | wc -l
   

In installations from source:

The uploads are stored by default in /home/git/gitlab/public/uploads.

1. Edit /home/git/gitlab/config/gitlab.yml and add or amend the following lines:

   uploads:
     object_store:
       enabled: true
       remote_directory: "uploads" # The bucket name
       connection:
         provider: AWS # Only AWS supported at the moment
         aws_access_key_id: AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID
         aws_secret_access_key: AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY
         region: eu-central-1
   

2. Save the file and restart GitLab for the changes to take effect.
3. Migrate any existing local uploads to the object storage using gitlab:uploads:migrate:all Rake task.

4. Optional: Verify all files migrated properly. From PostgreSQL console (sudo -u git -H psql -d gitlabhq_production) verify objectstg below (where file_store=2) has count of all artifacts:

   gitlabhq_production=# SELECT count(*) AS total, sum(case when store = '1' then 1 else 0 end) AS filesystem, sum(case when store = '2' then 1 else 0 end) AS objectstg FROM uploads;
   
   total | filesystem | objectstg
   ------+------------+-----------
    2409 |          0 |      2409
   

   Verify no files on disk in artifacts folder:

   sudo find /var/opt/gitlab/gitlab-rails/uploads -type f | grep -v tmp | wc -l
   

OpenStack example

In Omnibus installations:

The uploads are stored by default in /var/opt/gitlab/gitlab-rails/uploads.

1. Edit /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb and add the following lines by replacing with the values you want:

   gitlab_rails['uploads_object_store_remote_directory'] = "OPENSTACK_OBJECT_CONTAINER_NAME"
   gitlab_rails['uploads_object_store_connection'] = {
    'provider' => 'OpenStack',
    'openstack_username' => 'OPENSTACK_USERNAME',
    'openstack_api_key' => 'OPENSTACK_PASSWORD',
    'openstack_temp_url_key' => 'OPENSTACK_TEMP_URL_KEY',
    'openstack_auth_url' => 'https://auth.cloud.ovh.net/v2.0/',
    'openstack_region' => 'DE1',
    'openstack_tenant' => 'TENANT_ID',
   }
   

2. Save the file and reconfigure GitLab for the changes to take effect.
3. Migrate any existing local uploads to the object storage using gitlab:uploads:migrate:all Rake task.

4. Optional: Verify all files migrated properly. From PostgreSQL console (sudo gitlab-psql -d gitlabhq_production) verify objectstg below (where store=2) has count of all artifacts:

   gitlabhq_production=# SELECT count(*) AS total, sum(case when store = '1' then 1 else 0 end) AS filesystem, sum(case when store = '2' then 1 else 0 end) AS objectstg FROM uploads;
   
   total | filesystem | objectstg
   ------+------------+-----------
    2409 |          0 |      2409
   

   Verify no files on disk in artifacts folder:

   sudo find /var/opt/gitlab/gitlab-rails/uploads -type f | grep -v tmp | wc -l
   

In installations from source:

The uploads are stored by default in /home/git/gitlab/public/uploads.

1. Edit /home/git/gitlab/config/gitlab.yml and add or amend the following lines:

   uploads:
     object_store:
       enabled: true
       direct_upload: false
       background_upload: true
       proxy_download: false
       remote_directory: OPENSTACK_OBJECT_CONTAINER_NAME
       connection:
         provider: OpenStack
         openstack_username: OPENSTACK_USERNAME
         openstack_api_key: OPENSTACK_PASSWORD
         openstack_temp_url_key: OPENSTACK_TEMP_URL_KEY
         openstack_auth_url: 'https://auth.cloud.ovh.net/v2.0/'
         openstack_region: DE1
         openstack_tenant: 'TENANT_ID'
   

2. Save the file and reconfigure GitLab for the changes to take effect.
3. Migrate any existing local uploads to the object storage using gitlab:uploads:migrate:all Rake task.

4. Optional: Verify all files migrated properly. From PostgreSQL console (sudo -u git -H psql -d gitlabhq_production) verify objectstg below (where file_store=2) has count of all artifacts:

   gitlabhq_production=# SELECT count(*) AS total, sum(case when store = '1' then 1 else 0 end) AS filesystem, sum(case when store = '2' then 1 else 0 end) AS objectstg FROM uploads;
   
   total | filesystem | objectstg
   ------+------------+-----------
    2409 |          0 |      2409
   

   Verify no files on disk in artifacts folder:

   sudo find /var/opt/gitlab/gitlab-rails/uploads -type f | grep -v tmp | wc -l