Migrating GitLab.com to Kubernetes - How Multiple Clusters Saved Cost

Discover how GitLab.com successfully migrated to Kubernetes in this informative conference talk. Learn about the challenges faced when scaling beyond 10 million projects and the strategic decision to transition from chef-managed virtual machines to Kubernetes using Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE). Explore the migration process, starting with stateless services like the GitLab Container Registry, background processing, and Git requests. Gain insights into managing over 100 Terabytes of daily Git data and the considerations for regional GKE clusters spanning multiple availability zones. Understand the cost-saving approach of splitting regional clusters into multiple zonal clusters to control cross-availability zone network traffic. Follow GitLab's journey as they shift traffic to new clusters, addressing complexities, implementing testing procedures, and establishing maintenance protocols. This presentation offers valuable lessons for organizations looking to scale their infrastructure efficiently using Kubernetes.

Intro
Agenda
GitLabcom Overview
Getting Started with Kubernetes
GitLab Container
Cloud Costs
Web Service Pods
Multiple Clusters
Service Mesh
Complexity
Mitigation
Testing
Maintenance Procedures
Wrap Up