CERN GitLab

CERN GitLab
Name	CERN GitLab
Developer	CERN
Programming language	Ruby (programming language), Go (programming language)
Operating system	Linux
Genre	Version control
License	MIT License

CERN GitLab CERN GitLab is an instance of GitLab operated by CERN to provide source code hosting, continuous integration, and collaboration services for scientific software and infrastructure at the European Organization for Nuclear Research. It supports software development for experiments such as ATLAS (experiment), CMS (particle detector), ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment), and LHCb while interacting with computing projects like CERN OpenStack Service and Worldwide LHC Computing Grid. The service aligns with policies from bodies such as the European Commission, Council of Europe, and standards from ISO/IEC JTC 1.

Overview

CERN GitLab offers hosted Git (software) repositories, Continuous integration pipelines, issue tracking, and container registry services tailored to research groups including ATLAS (experiment), CMS (particle detector), ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment), LHCb, ISOLDE, CAST, and support teams like CERN IT Department. It integrates with identity providers such as LDAP and OpenID Connect and interacts with platforms like Kubernetes, Docker (software), Prometheus (software), Grafana, and Elastic Stack. CERN GitLab underpins software used by experiments funded or coordinated with organizations like European Grid Infrastructure, European Strategy for Particle Physics, and national laboratories including Fermilab, DESY, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, and Brookhaven National Laboratory.

History and Development

CERN adopted Git-based workflows influenced by projects at Linux Foundation, GNOME Project, and Apache Software Foundation. The service evolved alongside infrastructure initiatives such as CERN OpenStack Service, OpenStack Foundation, and the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid. Early migration efforts referenced practices from GitHub and GitLab Inc. while coordinating with collaborations like HEP Software Foundation and funding agencies including European Research Council and Horizon 2020. Development cycles incorporated lessons from DevOps culture exemplified by Netflix, Spotify, and Google (company), while research software engineering initiatives at institutions like Software Sustainability Institute and RSE (Research Software Engineer) influenced governance models.

Features and Services

CERN GitLab provides repository management with merge requests, code review, and branch protection used by collaborations such as ATLAS (experiment), CMS (particle detector), ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment), LHCb, and software projects like ROOT (software), Geant4, Gaudi (software), CMSSW, and ATLAS Athena. CI/CD capabilities rely on runners compatible with Kubernetes, Docker Swarm, and HTCondor and integrate with artifact stores such as CERN EOS and CernVM-FS. Issue boards, milestones, and wikis support project management alongside ticket trackers like JIRA and code quality tools from SonarQube and Coverity. Package and container registries interoperate with ecosystems including Conda, PyPI, npm, Maven Central, and Docker Hub, supporting languages and frameworks like Python (programming language), C++, Fortran, Java, Go (programming language), Ruby (programming language), TensorFlow, and PyTorch.

Deployment and Infrastructure

The deployment architecture uses virtualization and orchestration technologies such as OpenStack, Kubernetes, and Docker (software), with storage solutions like CERN EOS, Ceph, and Lustre. Monitoring and logging employ Prometheus (software), Grafana, Elastic Stack, and alerting through PagerDuty-style workflows adopted by CERN IT Department. Network and compute rely on GÉANT, LHC Optical Private Network, Worldwide LHC Computing Grid, and interconnects to sites in collaborations with European Grid Infrastructure and national centers like CNRS, INFN, STFC, Kit (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology). Backup and disaster recovery align with practices from ISO 27001 and mirror strategies used by European Organization for Nuclear Research and partner labs such as Fermilab and Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Security and Compliance

Security practices follow frameworks and standards such as ISO 27001, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, and policies set by CERN Computer Security Team and coordinate with legal frameworks from the European Union and directives from European Commission. Access control integrates with LDAP, Kerberos, and OpenID Connect, while code scanning uses tools like SonarQube, Coverity, Clang Static Analyzer, and Bandit (software). Vulnerability management aligns with advisories from CVE and coordination with incident response teams at CERN Computer Security Team and partner institutions including Fermilab, DESY, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, and Brookhaven National Laboratory.

User Community and Governance

The user base includes physicists, engineers, and software teams from experiments such as ATLAS (experiment), CMS (particle detector), ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment), LHCb, accelerator divisions like PS Booster, SPS, LEIR, and service groups including CERN Mail, CERN Document Server, and CERN Open Data Portal. Governance draws on models from Open Source Initiative, FSF, and community practices propagated by HEP Software Foundation, Software Heritage, Software Sustainability Institute, and national research councils like ERC. Training and outreach collaborate with academic partners such as University of Geneva, ETH Zurich, Imperial College London, University of Oxford, CERN Summer Student Programme, and conferences like CHEP and ACAT.

Integration with CERN Projects and Experiments

CERN GitLab integrates deeply with software stacks used by ATLAS (experiment), CMS (particle detector), ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment), LHCb, ROOT (software), Geant4, Gaudi (software), and infrastructure projects including CERN OpenStack Service, CernVM, CernVM-FS, and EOS. It supports pipelines that deploy to computing fabrics like Worldwide LHC Computing Grid, European Grid Infrastructure, and national centers such as CC-IN2P3, KIT (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology), INFN CNAF, and STFC RAL. Data management and preservation workflows link to CERN Open Data Portal, Zenodo, InvenioRDM, and long-term stewardship programs involving European Strategy for Particle Physics partners.

Category:Software