Advanced search migration style guide
Create a new advanced search migration
NOTE: This functionality is only supported for indices created in GitLab 13.0 and later.
With a script
- Introduced in GitLab 16.3.
Execute scripts/elastic-migration
and follow the prompts to create:
- A migration file to define the migration:
ee/elastic/migrate/YYYYMMDDHHMMSS_migration_name.rb
- A spec file to test the migration:
ee/spec/elastic/migrate/YYYYMMDDHHMMSS_migration_name_spec.rb
- A dictionary file to identify the migration:
ee/elastic/docs/YYYYMMDDHHMMSS_migration_name.yml
Manually
- Introduced in GitLab 13.6.
In the ee/elastic/migrate/
folder, create a new file with the filename format YYYYMMDDHHMMSS_migration_name.rb
. This format is the same for Rails database migrations.
# frozen_string_literal: true
class MigrationName < Elastic::Migration
# Important: Any updates to the Elastic index mappings must be replicated in the respective
# configuration files:
# - `Elastic::Latest::Config`, for the main index.
# - `Elastic::Latest::<Type>Config`, for standalone indices.
def migrate
end
# Check if the migration has completed
# Return true if completed, otherwise return false
def completed?
end
end
Applied migrations are stored in gitlab-#{RAILS_ENV}-migrations
index. All migrations not executed
are applied by the Elastic::MigrationWorker
cron worker sequentially.
To update Elastic index mappings, apply the configuration to the respective files:
- For the main index:
Elastic::Latest::Config
. - For standalone indices:
Elastic::Latest::<Type>Config
.
Migrations can be built with a retry limit and have the ability to be failed and marked as halted. Any data or index cleanup needed to support migration retries should be handled in the migration.
Skipped migrations
You can skip a migration by adding a skip_if
proc which evaluates to true
or false
:
class MigrationName < Elastic::Migration
skip_if ->() { true|false }
The migration is executed only if the condition is false
. Skipped migrations will not be shown as part of pending migrations.
Skipped migrations can be marked as obsolete, but the skip_if
condition must be kept so that these migrations are always skipped.
Once a skipped migration is obsolete, the only way to apply the change is by recreating the index from scratch.
Update the skipped migration's documentation file with the following attributes:
skippable: true
skip_condition: '<description>'
Migration helpers
The following migration helpers are available in ee/app/workers/concerns/elastic/
:
Elastic::MigrationBackfillHelper
Backfills a specific field in an index. In most cases, the mapping for the field should already be added.
Requires the field_name
method and DOCUMENT_TYPE
constant to backfill a single field.
class MigrationName < Elastic::Migration
include Elastic::MigrationBackfillHelper
DOCUMENT_TYPE = Issue
private
def field_name
:schema_version
end
end
Requires the field_names
method and DOCUMENT_TYPE
constant to backfill multiple fields if any field is null.
class MigrationName < Elastic::Migration
include Elastic::MigrationBackfillHelper
DOCUMENT_TYPE = Issue
private
def field_names
%w[schema_version visibility_level]
end
end
Elastic::MigrationUpdateMappingsHelper
Updates a mapping in an index by calling put_mapping
with the mapping specified.
Requires the new_mappings
method and DOCUMENT_TYPE
constant.
class MigrationName < Elastic::Migration
include Elastic::MigrationUpdateMappingsHelper
DOCUMENT_TYPE = Issue
private
def new_mappings
{
schema_version: {
type: 'short'
}
}
end
end
Elastic::MigrationRemoveFieldsHelper
Removes specified fields from an index.
Requires the index_name
, document_type
methods. If there is one field to remove, add the field_to_remove
method, otherwise add fields_to_remove
with an array of fields.
Checks in batches if any documents that match document_type
have the fields specified in Elasticsearch. If documents exist, uses a Painless script to perform update_by_query
.
class MigrationName < Elastic::Migration
include Elastic::MigrationRemoveFieldsHelper
batched!
throttle_delay 1.minute
private
def index_name
User.__elasticsearch__.index_name
end
def document_type
'user'
end
def fields_to_remove
%w[two_factor_enabled has_projects]
end
end
The default batch size is 10_000
. You can override this value by specifying BATCH_SIZE
:
class MigrationName < Elastic::Migration
include Elastic::MigrationRemoveFieldsHelper
batched!
BATCH_SIZE = 100
...
end
Elastic::MigrationObsolete
Marks a migration as obsolete when it's no longer required.
class MigrationName < Elastic::Migration
include Elastic::MigrationObsolete
end
When marking a skippable migration as obsolete, you must keep the skip_if
condition.
Elastic::MigrationCreateIndex
Creates a new index.
Requires:
- The
target_class
anddocument_type
methods - Mappings and index settings for the class
WARNING: You must perform a follow-up migration to populate the index in the same milestone.
class MigrationName < Elastic::Migration
include Elastic::MigrationCreateIndex
retry_on_failure
def document_type
:epic
end
def target_class
Epic
end
end
Search::Elastic::MigrationReindexBasedOnSchemaVersion
Reindexes all documents in the index that stores the specified document type and updates schema_version
.
Requires the DOCUMENT_TYPE
and NEW_SCHEMA_VERSION
constants.
The index mapping must have a schema_version
integer field in a YYWW
(year/week) format.
NOTE:
Previously index mapping schema_version
used YYMM
format. New versions should use the YYWW
format.
class MigrationName < Elastic::Migration
skip_if ->() { true|false }
```0
#### `Search::Elastic::MigrationDeleteBasedOnSchemaVersion`
Deletes all documents in the index that stores the specified document type and has `schema_version` less than the given value.
Requires the `DOCUMENT_TYPE` constant and `schema_version` method.
The index mapping must have a `schema_version` integer field in a `YYWW` (year/week) format.
NOTE:
Previously index mapping `schema_version` used `YYMM` format. New versions should use the `YYWW` format.
```ruby
class MigrationName < Elastic::Migration
skip_if ->() { true|false }
```1
#### `Search::Elastic::MigrationDatabaseBackfillHelper`
Reindexes all documents in the database to the elastic search index respecting the `limited_indexing` setting.
Requires the `DOCUMENT_TYPE` constant and `respect_limited_indexing?` method.
```ruby
class MigrationName < Elastic::Migration
skip_if ->() { true|false }
```2
#### `Elastic::MigrationHelper`
Contains methods you can use when a migration doesn't fit the previous examples.
```ruby
class MigrationName < Elastic::Migration
skip_if ->() { true|false }
```3
### Migration options supported by the `Elastic::MigrationWorker`
[`Elastic::MigrationWorker`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/ee/app/workers/elastic/migration_worker.rb) supports the following migration options:
- `batched!` - Allow the migration to run in batches. If set, [`Elastic::MigrationWorker`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/ee/app/workers/elastic/migration_worker.rb)
re-enqueues itself with a delay which is set using the `throttle_delay` option described below. The batching
must be handled in the `migrate` method. This setting controls the re-enqueuing only.
- `batch_size` - Sets the number of documents modified during a `batched!` migration run. This size should be set to a value which allows the updates
enough time to finish. This can be tuned in combination with the `throttle_delay` option described below. The batching
must be handled in a custom `migrate` method or by using the [`Elastic::MigrationBackfillHelper`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/ee/app/workers/concerns/elastic/migration_backfill_helper.rb)
`migrate` method which uses this setting. Default value is 1000 documents.
- `throttle_delay` - Sets the wait time in between batch runs. This time should be set high enough to allow each migration batch
enough time to finish. Additionally, the time should be less than 5 minutes because that is how often the
[`Elastic::MigrationWorker`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/ee/app/workers/elastic/migration_worker.rb)
cron worker runs. The default value is 3 minutes.
- `pause_indexing!` - Pause indexing while the migration runs. This setting records the indexing setting before
the migration runs and set it back to that value when the migration is completed.
- `space_requirements!` - Verify that enough free space is available in the cluster when the migration runs. This setting
halts the migration if the storage required is not available when the migration runs. The migration must provide
the space required in bytes by defining a `space_required_bytes` method.
- `retry_on_failure` - Enable the retry on failure feature. By default, it retries
the migration 30 times. After it runs out of retries, the migration is marked as halted.
To customize the number of retries, pass the `max_attempts` argument:
`retry_on_failure max_attempts: 10`
```ruby
class MigrationName < Elastic::Migration
skip_if ->() { true|false }
```4
## Avoiding downtime in migrations
### Reverting a migration
If a migration fails or is halted on GitLab.com, we prefer to revert the change that introduced the migration. This
prevents self-managed customers from receiving a broken migration and reduces the need for backports.
### When to merge
We prefer not to merge migrations within 1 week of the release. This allows time for a revert if a migration fails or
doesn't work as expected. Migrations still in development or review during the final week of the release should be pushed
to the next milestone.
### Multi-version compatibility
Advanced search migrations, like any other GitLab changes, need to support the case where
[multiple versions of the application are running at the same time](../multi_version_compatibility.md).
Depending on the order of deployment, it's possible that the migration
has started or finished and there's still a server running the application code from before the
migration. We need to take this into consideration until we can
[ensure all advanced search migrations start after the deployment has finished](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/321619).
### High risk migrations
Because Elasticsearch does not support transactions, we always need to design our
migrations to accommodate a situation where the application
code is reverted after the migration has started or after it is finished.
For this reason we generally defer destructive actions (for example, deletions after
some data is moved) to a later merge request after the migrations have
completed successfully. To be safe, for self-managed customers we should also
defer it to another release if there is risk of important data loss.
## Calculating migration runtime
It's important to understand how long a migration might take to run on GitLab.com. Derive the number of documents that
will be processed by the migration. This number may come from querying the database or an existing Elasticsearch index.
Use the following formula to calculate the runtime:
```ruby
class MigrationName < Elastic::Migration
skip_if ->() { true|false }
```5
## Best practices for advanced search migrations
Follow these best practices for best results:
- Order all migrations for each document type so that any migrations that use
[`Elastic::MigrationUpdateMappingsHelper`](#elasticmigrationupdatemappingshelper)
are executed before migrations that use the
[`Elastic::MigrationBackfillHelper`](#elasticmigrationbackfillhelper). This avoids
reindexing the same documents multiple times if all of the migrations are unapplied
and reduces the backfill time.
- When working in batches, keep the batch size under 9,000 documents.
The bulk indexer is set to run every minute and process a batch
of 10,000 documents. This way, the bulk indexer has time to
process records before another migration batch is attempted.
- To ensure that document counts are up to date, you should refresh
the index before checking if a migration is completed.
- Add logging statements to each migration when the migration starts, when a
completion check occurs, and when the migration is completed. These logs
are helpful when debugging issues with migrations.
- Pause indexing if you're using any Elasticsearch Reindex API operations.
- Consider adding a retry limit if there is potential for the migration to fail.
This ensures that migrations can be halted if an issue occurs.
## Cleaning up advanced search migrations
Because advanced search migrations usually require us to support multiple
code paths for a long period of time, it's important to clean those up when we
safely can.
We choose to use GitLab [required stops](../database/required_stops.md) as a safe time to remove
backwards compatibility for indices that have not been fully migrated. We
[document this in our upgrade documentation](../../update/plan_your_upgrade.md).
[GitLab Housekeeper](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/gems/gitlab-housekeeper/README.md)
is used to automate the cleanup process. This process includes
marking existing migrations as obsolete and deleting obsolete migrations.
When a migration is marked as obsolete, the migration code is replaced with
obsolete migration code and tests are replaced with obsolete migration shared
examples so that:
- We don't need to maintain any code that is called from our advanced search
migrations.
- We don't waste CI time running tests for migrations that we don't support
anymore.
- Operators who have not run this migration and who upgrade directly to the
target version see a message prompting them to reindex from scratch.
To be extra safe, we do not clean up migrations that were created in the last
minor version before the last required stop. For example, if the last required stop
was `%14.0`, we should not clean up migrations that were only added in `%13.12`.
This extra safety net allows for migrations that might take multiple weeks to
finish on GitLab.com. Because our deployments to GitLab.com
are automated and we do not have automated checks to prevent this cleanup,
the extra precaution is warranted.
Additionally, even if we did have automated checks to prevent it, we wouldn't
actually want to hold up GitLab.com deployments on advanced search migrations,
as they may still have another week to go, and that's too long to block
deployments.
### Process for marking migrations as obsolete
Run the [`Keeps::MarkOldAdvancedSearchMigrationsAsObsolete` Keep](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/gems/gitlab-housekeeper/README.md#running-for-real)
manually to mark migrations as obsolete.
For every migration that was created two versions before the last required stop,
the Keep:
1. Retains the content of the migration and adds a prepend to the bottom:
```ruby
ClassName.prepend ::Elastic::MigrationObsolete
- Replaces the spec file content with the
'a deprecated Advanced Search migration'
shared example. - Randomly selects a Global Search backend engineer as an assignee.
- Updates the dictionary file to mark the migration as obsolete.
The MR assignee must:
- Ensure the dictionary file has the correct
marked_obsolete_by_url
andmarked_obsolete_in_milestone
. - Verify that no references to the migration or spec files exist in the
.rubocop_todo/
directory. - Remove any logic-handling backwards compatibility for this migration by
looking for
Elastic::DataMigrationService.migration_has_finished?(:migration_name_in_lowercase)
. - Push any required changes to the merge request.
Process for removing obsolete migrations
Run the Keeps::DeleteObsoleteAdvancedSearchMigrations
Keep
manually to remove obsolete migrations and specs. The Keep removes all but the most
recent obsolete migration.
- Select obsolete migrations that were marked as obsolete before the last required stop.
- If the first step includes all obsolete migrations, keep one obsolete migration as a safeguard for customers with unapplied migrations.
- Delete migration files and spec files for those migrations.
- Create a merge request and assign it to a Global Search team member.
The MR assignee must:
- Backup migrations from the default branch to the migration graveyard
- Verify that no references to the migration or spec files exist in the
.rubocop_todo/
directory. - Push any required changes to the merge request.