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DevOps / GitLab CI Basics Interview Questions

What is the 'include' keyword and how do you share CI configuration across projects?

The include keyword lets you split pipeline configuration across multiple files or pull shared configuration from external sources. This is the foundation for sharing CI standards across many projects in an organisation.

include types
TypeSyntaxUse case
localinclude: local: '/templates/jobs.yml'Another file in the same repository
projectinclude: project: 'group/repo', file: '/ci/template.yml'File in another GitLab project
remoteinclude: remote: 'https://example.com/ci.yml'Any publicly accessible URL
templateinclude: template: 'Auto-DevOps.gitlab-ci.yml'GitLab built-in templates
# Include multiple sources
include:
  - local: '/ci/build.yml'         # file in same repo
  - project: 'myorg/ci-templates' # file from another project
    ref: main
    file: '/templates/deploy.yml'
  - template: 'SAST.gitlab-ci.yml'  # GitLab built-in security template
  - remote: 'https://cdn.example.com/ci/lint.yml'  # external URL

# Using included configuration
# The included files can define jobs, stages, variables, etc.
# They are merged into the main .gitlab-ci.yml

stages:
  - build
  - test
  - security
  - deploy

# Your local jobs here, plus everything from the included files

Security note: when including files from another project with include: project, the user triggering the pipeline must have at least Reporter access to that project. Using a specific SHA hash for ref (rather than a branch name) is recommended for stability and security - branch-based refs can change.

Which include type pulls a shared CI template from another GitLab project in the same instance?
Why is it recommended to use a specific SHA hash for 'ref' when including files from another project?

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