• Location
• Example dictionary file
• Adding tables
  • Schema
  • Process
• Dropping tables
  • Schema
  • Process
• Adding views
  • Schema
  • Process
• Dropping views
• Schema
  • Process

Database Dictionary

This page documents the database schema for GitLab, so data analysts and other groups can locate the feature categories responsible for specific database tables.

Location

Database dictionary metadata files are stored in the gitlab project under db/docs/ for the main and ci databases. For the embedding database, the dictionary files are stored under ee/db/embedding/docs/. For the geo database, the dictionary files are stored under ee/db/geo/docs/.

Example dictionary file

---
table_name: terraform_states
classes:
- Terraform::State
feature_categories:
- infrastructure_as_code
description: Represents a Terraform state backend
introduced_by_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/26619
milestone: '13.0'
gitlab_schema: gitlab_main

Adding tables

Schema

Process

When adding a table, you should:

1. Create a new file for this table in the appropriate directory:
   • gitlab_main table: db/docs/
   • gitlab_ci table: db/docs/
   • gitlab_shared table: db/docs/
   • gitlab_embedding table: ee/db/embedding/docs/
   • gitlab_geo table: ee/db/geo/docs/
2. Name the file <table_name>.yml, and include as much information as you know about the table.
3. Include this file in the commit with the migration that creates the table.

Dropping tables

Schema

Process

When dropping a table, you should:

1. Move the dictionary file for this table to the deleted_tables directory:
   • gitlab_main table: db/docs/deleted_tables/
   • gitlab_ci table: db/docs/deleted_tables/
   • gitlab_shared table: db/docs/deleted_tables/
   • gitlab_embedding table: ee/db/embedding/docs/deleted_tables/
   • gitlab_geo table: ee/db/geo/docs/deleted_tables/
2. Add the fields removed_by_url and removed_in_milestone to the dictionary file.
3. Include this change in the commit with the migration that drops the table.

Adding views

Schema

Process

When adding a new view, you should:

1. Create a new file for this view in the appropriate directory:
   • gitlab_main view: db/docs/views/
   • gitlab_ci view: db/docs/views/
   • gitlab_shared view: db/docs/views/
   • gitlab_embedding view: ee/db/embedding/docs/views/
   • gitlab_geo view: ee/db/geo/docs/views/
2. Name the file <view_name>.yml, and include as much information as you know about the view.
3. Include this file in the commit with the migration that creates the view.

Dropping views

Schema

Process

When dropping a view, you should:

1. Move the dictionary file for this table to the deleted_views directory:
   • gitlab_main view: db/docs/deleted_views/
   • gitlab_ci view: db/docs/deleted_views/
   • gitlab_shared view: db/docs/deleted_views/
   • gitlab_embedding view: ee/db/embedding/docs/deleted_views/
   • gitlab_geo view: ee/db/geo/docs/deleted_views/
2. Add the fields removed_by_url and removed_in_milestone to the dictionary file.
3. Include this change in the commit with the migration that drops the view.