# Runbooks Runbooks are a collection of documented procedures that explain how to carry out a particular process, be it starting, stopping, debugging, or troubleshooting a particular system. Using [Jupyter Notebooks](https://jupyter.org/) and the [Rubix library](https://github.com/Nurtch/rubix), users can get started writing their own executable runbooks. ## Overview Historically, runbooks took the form of a decision tree or a detailed step-by-step guide depending on the condition or system. Modern implementations have introduced the concept of an "executable runbooks", where, along with a well-defined process, operators can execute pre-written code blocks or database queries against a given environment. ## Executable Runbooks > [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-foss/issues/45912) in GitLab 11.4. The JupyterHub app offered via GitLab’s Kubernetes integration now ships with Nurtch’s Rubix library, providing a simple way to create DevOps runbooks. A sample runbook is provided, showcasing common operations. While Rubix makes it simple to create common Kubernetes and AWS workflows, you can also create them manually without Rubix. ** Watch this [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_OqHIIUPjE) for an overview of how this is accomplished in GitLab!** ## Requirements To create an executable runbook, you will need: 1. **Kubernetes** - A Kubernetes cluster is required to deploy the rest of the applications. The simplest way to get started is to add a cluster using [GitLab's GKE integration](../index.md#add-new-gke-cluster). 1. **Helm Tiller** - Helm is a package manager for Kubernetes and is required to install all the other applications. It is installed in its own pod inside the cluster which can run the Helm CLI in a safe environment. 1. **Ingress** - Ingress can provide load balancing, SSL termination, and name-based virtual hosting. It acts as a web proxy for your applications. 1. **JupyterHub** - [JupyterHub](https://jupyterhub.readthedocs.io/) is a multi-user service for managing notebooks across a team. Jupyter Notebooks provide a web-based interactive programming environment used for data analysis, visualization, and machine learning. ## Nurtch Nurtch is the company behind the [Rubix library](https://github.com/Nurtch/rubix). Rubix is an open-source Python library that makes it easy to perform common DevOps tasks inside Jupyter Notebooks. Tasks such as plotting Cloudwatch metrics and rolling your ECS/Kubernetes app are simplified down to a couple of lines of code. See the [Nurtch Documentation](http://docs.nurtch.com/en/latest/) for more information. ## Configure an executable runbook with GitLab Follow this step-by-step guide to configure an executable runbook in GitLab using the components outlined above and the preloaded demo runbook. ### 1. Add a Kubernetes cluster Follow the steps outlined in [Add new GKE cluster](../index.md#add-new-gke-cluster) to add a Kubernetes cluster to your project. ### 2. Install Helm Tiller, Ingress, and JupyterHub Once the cluster has been provisioned in GKE, click the **Install** button next to the **Helm Tiller** app. ![install helm](img/helm-install.png) Once Tiller has been installed successfully, click the **Install** button next to the **Ingress** app. ![install ingress](img/ingress-install.png) Once Ingress has been installed successfully, click the **Install** button next to the **JupyterHub** app. ![install jupyterhub](img/jupyterhub-install.png) ### 3. Login to JupyterHub and start the server Once JupyterHub has been installed successfully, navigate to the displayed **Jupyter Hostname** URL and click **Sign in with GitLab**. Authentication is automatically enabled for any user of the GitLab instance via OAuth2. This will redirect to GitLab in order to authorize JupyterHub to use your GitLab account. Click **Authorize**. ![authorize jupyter](img/authorize-jupyter.png) Once the application has been authorized you will taken back to the JupyterHub application. Click **Start My Server**. The server will take a couple of seconds to start. ### 4. Configure access In order for the runbook to access your GitLab project, you will need to enter a [GitLab Access Token](../../../profile/personal_access_tokens.md) as well as your Project ID in the **Setup** section of the demo runbook. Double-click the **DevOps-Runbook-Demo** folder located on the left panel. ![demo runbook](img/demo-runbook.png) Double-click the "Nurtch-DevOps-Demo.ipynb" runbook. ![sample runbook](img/sample-runbook.png) The contents on the runbook will be displayed on the right side of the screen. Under the "Setup" section, you will find entries for both your `PRIVATE_TOKEN` and your `PROJECT_ID`. Enter both these values, conserving the single quotes as follows: ```sql PRIVATE_TOKEN = 'n671WNGecHugsdEDPsyo' PROJECT_ID = '1234567' ``` Update the `VARIABLE_NAME` on the last line of this section to match the name of the variable you are using for your access token. In this example our variable name is `PRIVATE_TOKEN`. ```sql VARIABLE_VALUE = project.variables.get('PRIVATE_TOKEN').value ``` ### 5. Configure an operation For this example we'll use the "**Run SQL queries in Notebook**" section in the sample runbook to query a postgres database. The first 4 lines of the section define the variables that are required for this query to function. ```sql %env DB_USER={project.variables.get('DB_USER').value} %env DB_PASSWORD={project.variables.get('DB_PASSWORD').value} %env DB_ENDPOINT={project.variables.get('DB_ENDPOINT').value} %env DB_NAME={project.variables.get('DB_NAME').value} ``` Create the matching variables in your project's **Settings >> CI/CD >> Variables** ![gitlab variables](img/gitlab-variables.png) Back in Jupyter, click the "Run SQL queries in Notebook" heading and the click *Run*. The results will be displayed in-line as follows: ![postgres query](img/postgres-query.png) You can try other operations such as running shell scripts or interacting with a Kubernetes cluster. Visit the [Nurtch Documentation](http://docs.nurtch.com/) for more information.