167 lines
5.9 KiB
Markdown
167 lines
5.9 KiB
Markdown
---
|
|
stage: Enablement
|
|
group: Distribution
|
|
info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#assignments
|
|
description: "GitLab administrator: enable and disable GitLab features deployed behind feature flags"
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
# Enable and disable GitLab features deployed behind feature flags **(FREE SELF)**
|
|
|
|
GitLab adopted [feature flags strategies](../development/feature_flags/index.md)
|
|
to deploy features in an early stage of development so that they can be
|
|
incrementally rolled out.
|
|
|
|
Before making them permanently available, features can be deployed behind
|
|
flags for a [number of reasons](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product-development-flow/feature-flag-lifecycle/#when-to-use-feature-flags), such as:
|
|
|
|
- To test the feature.
|
|
- To get feedback from users and customers while in an early stage of the development of the feature.
|
|
- To evaluate users adoption.
|
|
- To evaluate how it impacts the performance of GitLab.
|
|
- To build it in smaller pieces throughout releases.
|
|
|
|
Features behind flags can be gradually rolled out, typically:
|
|
|
|
1. The feature starts disabled by default.
|
|
1. The feature becomes enabled by default.
|
|
1. The feature flag is removed.
|
|
|
|
These features can be enabled and disabled to allow or disallow users to use
|
|
them. It can be done by GitLab administrators with access to GitLab Rails
|
|
console.
|
|
|
|
When you disable a feature flag, the feature is hidden from users and all of the functionality is turned off.
|
|
For example, data is not recorded and services do not run.
|
|
|
|
If you used a certain feature and identified a bug, a misbehavior, or an
|
|
error, it's very important that you [**provide feedback**](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/new?issue[title]=Docs%20-%20feature%20flag%20feedback%3A%20Feature%20Name&issue[description]=Describe%20the%20problem%20you%27ve%20encountered.%0A%0A%3C!--%20Don%27t%20edit%20below%20this%20line%20--%3E%0A%0A%2Flabel%20~%22docs%5C-comments%22%20) to GitLab as soon
|
|
as possible so we can improve or fix it while behind a flag. When you upgrade
|
|
GitLab, the feature flag status may change.
|
|
|
|
## Risks when enabling features still in development
|
|
|
|
Features that are disabled by default may change or be removed without notice in a future version of GitLab.
|
|
|
|
Data corruption, stability degradation, performance degradation, or security issues might occur if
|
|
you enable a feature that's disabled by default. Problems caused by using a default
|
|
disabled feature aren't covered by GitLab support, unless you were directed by GitLab
|
|
to enable the feature.
|
|
|
|
Security issues found in features that are disabled by default are patched in regular releases
|
|
and do not follow our regular [maintenance policy](../policy/maintenance.md#security-releases)
|
|
with regards to backporting the fix.
|
|
|
|
## Risks when disabling released features
|
|
|
|
In most cases, the feature flag code is removed in a future version of GitLab.
|
|
If and when that occurs, from that point onward you can't keep the feature in a disabled state.
|
|
|
|
## How to enable and disable features behind flags
|
|
|
|
Each feature has its own flag that should be used to enable and disable it.
|
|
The documentation of each feature behind a flag includes a section informing
|
|
the status of the flag and the command to enable or disable it.
|
|
|
|
### Start the GitLab Rails console
|
|
|
|
The first thing you need to enable or disable a feature behind a flag is to
|
|
start a session on GitLab Rails console.
|
|
|
|
For Omnibus installations:
|
|
|
|
```shell
|
|
sudo gitlab-rails console
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
For installations from the source:
|
|
|
|
```shell
|
|
sudo -u git -H bundle exec rails console -e production
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
For details, see [starting a Rails console session](operations/rails_console.md#starting-a-rails-console-session).
|
|
|
|
### Enable or disable the feature
|
|
|
|
Once the Rails console session has started, run the `Feature.enable` or
|
|
`Feature.disable` commands accordingly. The specific flag can be found
|
|
in the feature's documentation itself.
|
|
|
|
To enable a feature, run:
|
|
|
|
```ruby
|
|
Feature.enable(:<feature flag>)
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
Example, to enable a fictional feature flag named `my_awesome_feature`:
|
|
|
|
```ruby
|
|
Feature.enable(:my_awesome_feature)
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
To disable a feature, run:
|
|
|
|
```ruby
|
|
Feature.disable(:<feature flag>)
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
Example, to disable a fictional feature flag named `my_awesome_feature`:
|
|
|
|
```ruby
|
|
Feature.disable(:my_awesome_feature)
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
Some feature flags can be enabled or disabled on a per project basis:
|
|
|
|
```ruby
|
|
Feature.enable(:<feature flag>, Project.find(<project id>))
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
For example, to enable the [`:product_analytics`](../operations/product_analytics.md#enable-or-disable-product-analytics) feature flag for project `1234`:
|
|
|
|
```ruby
|
|
Feature.enable(:product_analytics, Project.find(1234))
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
`Feature.enable` and `Feature.disable` always return `nil`, this is not an indication that the command failed:
|
|
|
|
```ruby
|
|
irb(main):001:0> Feature.enable(:my_awesome_feature)
|
|
=> nil
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
When the feature is ready, GitLab removes the feature flag, and the option for
|
|
enabling and disabling it no longer exists. The feature becomes available in all instances.
|
|
|
|
### Check if a feature flag is enabled
|
|
|
|
To check if a flag is enabled or disabled, use `Feature.enabled?` or `Feature.disabled?`.
|
|
For example, for a feature flag named `my_awesome_feature` that is already enabled:
|
|
|
|
```ruby
|
|
Feature.enabled?(:my_awesome_feature)
|
|
=> true
|
|
Feature.disabled?(:my_awesome_feature)
|
|
=> false
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
When the feature is ready, GitLab removes the feature flag, and the option for
|
|
enabling and disabling it no longer exists. The feature becomes available in all instances.
|
|
|
|
### View set feature flags
|
|
|
|
You can view all GitLab administrator set feature flags:
|
|
|
|
```ruby
|
|
Feature.all
|
|
=> [#<Flipper::Feature:198220 name="my_awesome_feature", state=:on, enabled_gate_names=[:boolean], adapter=:memoizable>]
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
### Unset feature flag
|
|
|
|
You can unset a feature flag so that GitLab will fall back to the current defaults for that flag:
|
|
|
|
```ruby
|
|
Feature.remove(:my_awesome_feature)
|
|
=> true
|
|
```
|