What repository storage should the Gitlab CE users for below 1000 users use if they have to move to 15.8.3?

In the documentation you have told that Gitaly is preconfigured for below 1000 users and in the repository storage you have told that repository storage with direct access to the repository path is deprecated. So what should I do now, because you have recommended Gitaly storage from 2k architecture onwards. Should I continue with direct storage and continue or move to Gitaly storage and then upgrade? I am using Gitlab CE. For 1k architecture how do I configure Gitaly and not use direct repository storage.

Here they have given that direct storage is deprecated which we are using currently

Here they have given for 1k architecture gitaly is preconfigured so there is no option but to use direct storage

What should I do now?

Linking the initial post on this topic: Gitlab NFS deprecated support

It would be best to keep the same discussion in the original thread. Opening a new one isn’t going to get it solved any faster.

You cannot continue with NFS, it’s deprecated, so you have to migrate away from it. I don’t use NFS so you’ll have to wait until someone who has already done this appears here and can offer you some advice or attempt to figure out a way yourself on how to migrate it.

You could attempt to use the gitlab backup and restore functionality to backup all your repository data stored on NFS, and restore this to a new installation of Gitlab that is configured by default with Gitaly. The backup can only be restored to the same version of Gitlab. So if the backup was from 15.7.0 it can only be restored to 15.7.0. Then you can continue upgrading after this. You can use your original gitlab.rb and gitlab-secrets.json from your original server but you will need to remove any NFS entries from gitlab.rb before attempting to run the new installation so as to make sure it’s using Gitaly. The default location for repository data, etc is /var/opt/gitlab or specifically /var/opt/gitlab/git-data/repositories. So you’ll need to make sure the new server has enough space to restore to. That’s probably about the best and easiest way to migrate that I can think of.

See backup and restore docs: Back up and restore GitLab | GitLab

If you cannot find a way how to do it, perhaps you need to think about purchasing support from Gitlab if nobody from the community has had a similar situation to you.

But using direct repository storage is deprecated as I mentioned earlier and hence using /var/opt/gitlab won’t be a good option, isn’t it?

Have you seen this Gitaly and Gitaly Cluster | GitLab

It says don’t access repository directly. So using direct storage like /var/opt/gitlab won’t be a good option. Isn’t it?

I’m using Gitlab with /var/opt/gitlab and it is accessible, my repository data is here and gitaly takes care of it. I don’t have a gitaly cluster, so unless you are confusing it with this, then I don’t know what you mean. NFS is what is deprecated. So I think you are confusing the two, or not explaining clearly what you mean.

I am also using latest version of Gitlab.

You shouldn’t use direct repository access is what I’m telling. Ya u will be able to access it and but you won’t be having support if you loose your data is what I’m telling as you are accessing your data through direct repository access and not through the gitaly node. That’s what I want to say