Merge request diffs storage

Merge request diffs are size-limited copies of diffs associated with merge requests. When viewing a merge request, diffs are sourced from these copies wherever possible as a performance optimization.

By default, merge request diffs are stored in the database, in a table named merge_request_diff_files. Larger installations may find this table grows too large, in which case, switching to external storage is recommended.

Merge request diffs can be stored on disk, or in object storage. In general, it is better to store the diffs in the database than on disk. A compromise is available that only stores outdated diffs outside of database.

Using external storage

Linux package (Omnibus)

  1. Edit /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb and add the following line: 

    gitlab_rails['external_diffs_enabled'] = true

  2. The external diffs are stored in /var/opt/gitlab/gitlab-rails/shared/external-diffs. To change the path, for example, to /mnt/storage/external-diffs, edit /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb and add the following line: 

    gitlab_rails['external_diffs_storage_path'] = "/mnt/storage/external-diffs"

  3. Save the file and reconfigure GitLab for the changes to take effect. GitLab then migrates your existing merge request diffs to external storage.

Self-compiled (source)

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

    external_diffs:
  enabled: true

  2. The external diffs are stored in /home/git/gitlab/shared/external-diffs. To change the path, for example, to /mnt/storage/external-diffs, edit /home/git/gitlab/config/gitlab.yml and add or amend the following lines: 

    external_diffs:
  enabled: true
  storage_path: /mnt/storage/external-diffs

  3. Save the file and restart GitLab for the changes to take effect. GitLab then migrates your existing merge request diffs to external storage.

Using object storage

caution
Migrating to object storage is not reversible.

Instead of storing the external diffs on disk, we recommended the use of an object store like AWS S3 instead. This configuration relies on valid AWS credentials to be configured already.

Linux package (Omnibus)

  1. Edit /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb and add the following line: 

    gitlab_rails['external_diffs_enabled'] = true
  2. Set object storage settings.
  3. Save the file and reconfigure GitLab for the changes to take effect. GitLab then migrates your existing merge request diffs to external storage.
Self-compiled (source)

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

    external_diffs:
  enabled: true
  2. Set object storage settings.
  3. Save the file and restart GitLab for the changes to take effect. GitLab then migrates your existing merge request diffs to external storage.

Read more about using object storage with GitLab.

Object Storage Settings

In GitLab 13.2 and later, you should use the consolidated object storage settings. This section describes the earlier configuration format.

For self-compiled installations, these settings are nested under external_diffs: and then object_store:. On Linux package installations, they are prefixed by external_diffs_object_store_.

Setting Description Default
enabled Enable/disable object storage false
remote_directory The bucket name where external diffs are stored  
proxy_download Set to true to enable proxying all files served. Option allows to reduce egress traffic as this allows clients to download directly from remote storage instead of proxying all data false
connection Various connection options described below  

S3 compatible connection settings

See the available connection settings for different providers.

Linux package (Omnibus)

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

    gitlab_rails['external_diffs_enabled'] = true
gitlab_rails['external_diffs_object_store_enabled'] = true
gitlab_rails['external_diffs_object_store_remote_directory'] = "external-diffs"
gitlab_rails['external_diffs_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, omit the AWS access key and secret access key/value pairs. For example: 

    gitlab_rails['external_diffs_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.

Self-compiled (source)

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

    external_diffs:
  enabled: true
  object_store:
    enabled: true
    remote_directory: "external-diffs" # 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.

Alternative in-database storage

Enabling external diffs may reduce the performance of merge requests, as they must be retrieved in a separate operation to other data. A compromise may be reached by only storing outdated diffs externally, while keeping current diffs in the database.

To enable this feature, perform the following steps:

Linux package (Omnibus)

  1. Edit /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb and add the following line: 

    gitlab_rails['external_diffs_when'] = 'outdated'

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

Self-compiled (source)

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

    external_diffs:
  enabled: true
  when: outdated

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

With this feature enabled, diffs are initially stored in the database, rather than externally. They are moved to external storage after any of these conditions become true:

  • A newer version of the merge request diff exists
  • The merge request was merged more than seven days ago
  • The merge request was closed more than seven day ago

These rules strike a balance between space and performance by only storing frequently-accessed diffs in the database. Diffs that are less likely to be accessed are moved to external storage instead.

Switching from external storage to object storage

Automatic migration moves diffs stored in the database, but it does not move diffs between storage types. To switch from external storage to object storage:

  1. Move files stored on local or NFS storage to object storage manually.

  2. Run this Rake task to change their location in the database.

    For Linux package installations: 

    sudo gitlab-rake gitlab:external_diffs:force_object_storage

    For self-compiled installations: 

    sudo -u git -H bundle exec rake gitlab:external_diffs:force_object_storage RAILS_ENV=production

    By default, sudo does not preserve existing environment variables. You should append them, rather than prefix them, like this: 

    sudo gitlab-rake gitlab:external_diffs:force_object_storage START_ID=59946109 END_ID=59946109 UPDATE_DELAY=5

These environment variables modify the behavior of the Rake task:

Name Default value Purpose
ANSI true Use ANSI escape codes to make output more understandable.
BATCH_SIZE 1000 Iterate through the table in batches of this size.
START_ID nil If set, begin scanning at this ID.
END_ID nil If set, stop scanning at this ID.
UPDATE_DELAY 1 Number of seconds to sleep between updates.
  • START_ID and END_ID can be used to run the update in parallel, by assigning different processes to different parts of the table.
  • BATCH and UPDATE_DELAY enable the speed of the migration to be traded off against concurrent access to the table.
  • ANSI should be set to false if your terminal does not support ANSI escape codes.