Instance Level is not an issue for self-managed because there are no cells, and only one organization.
Top Level Groups are a pseudo level that overload Group level with specific behavior.
This has been the de facto method of GitLab.com finding parity with Self Managed, until Organizations.
On GitLab.com, top-level groups currently serve as the container for organization-level features (billing, settings, etc.). These features will move to the Organization level. Top-level groups will then function identically to regular groups and subgroups - the 'pseudo level' distinction goes away. This brings GitLab.com into alignment with Self-Managed, where this distinction never existed.
Below is a depiction of the current and future hierarchy levels within GitLab.
| Current Hierarchy | Future Hierarchy |
| ------------------------- | -----------------|
| Instance Level | Instance Level |
| Instance Level | Most settings move to Organization |
| | Organization Level |
| Top Level Group | |
| Group | Group |
| Project | Project |
| Top Level Group | Loses special status. Becomes a normal group |
| Group | Group (unchanged) |
| Project | Project (unchanged) |
Only core features will be moved to Organization prior to Organization launch.
After launch all remaining features will move to the Organization level.
