[GPRD] Enable FF `use_secret_detection_service` change management issue

Production Change

Change Summary

Rollout epic: gitlab-org&14935 (closed)

FF rollout issue: gitlab-org/gitlab#501441

Implementation issue: gitlab-org/gitlab#473440 (closed)

Enabling the use_secret_detection_service feature flag sends secret detection scan requests to the Secret Detection Service (SDS) in parallel with calling the bundled secret detection gem for the actual scanning. The responses from the SDS are ignored by the secret push protection (SPP) logic and all exceptions are handled to prevent it from affecting customer pushes.

We would like to enable the secret detection service feature flag on production for all .com projects on 2025-01-23 at 17:00 UTC.

Change Details

1. Services Impacted - Git pushes over SSH and HTTP
2. Change Technician - @eurie
3. Change Reviewer -
4. Time tracking - 210
5. Downtime Component - 0

Set Maintenance Mode in GitLab

If your change involves scheduled maintenance, add a step to set and unset maintenance mode per our runbooks. This will make sure SLA calculations adjust for the maintenance period.

Detailed steps for the change

Change Steps - steps to take to execute the change

As suggested in the FF rollout issue, wait 15+ minutes between each percentage increase.

Estimated Time to Complete (mins) - 90

• Set label changein-progress /label ~change::in-progress
• /chatops run feature set use_secret_detection_service 1 --actors
• /chatops run feature set use_secret_detection_service 10 --actors
• /chatops run feature set use_secret_detection_service 25 --actors
• /chatops run feature set use_secret_detection_service 50 --actors
• /chatops run feature set use_secret_detection_service 75 --actors
• /chatops run feature set use_secret_detection_service true
• Set label changecomplete /label ~change::complete

Rollback

Rollback steps - steps to be taken in the event of a need to rollback this change

Estimated Time to Complete (mins) - 30

• /chatops run feature set use_secret_detection_service false
• Set label changeaborted /label ~change::aborted

Monitoring

Logging: https://log.gprd.gitlab.net/app/discover#/view/31afcbb2-28e9-466f-a6c3-486e869e1ee3?_g=h@97e8101&_a=h@7bc9fa1, https://log.gprd.gitlab.net/app/discover#/view/db7ba29d-d406-46df-8b43-e6d9c47fbed7?_g=h@725fc2c&_a=h@6262242

Key metrics to observe

• Metric: json.message: PUSH BLOCKED: Secrets detected in code changes
  • Location: https://log.gprd.gitlab.net/app/discover#/view/db7ba29d-d406-46df-8b43-e6d9c47fbed7?_g=h@725fc2c&_a=h@6262242
  • What changes to this metric should prompt a rollback: An abnormally high number of pushes blocked by SPP. The number varies day-to-day, but for reference, between 2025-01-16 and 2025-01-22, the highest number of pushes blocked per day was 34. While this FF doesn't change the core SPP logic, it sends requests to the SDS in parallel to the SPP logic.
• Metric: Number of messages with "WARN --" or "ERROR --"
  • location: https://cloudlogging.app.goo.gl/83zdwGELUzWvr8FN8
  • What should prompt a rollback - a drastic increase in error logs.

Change Reviewer checklist

C4 C3 C2 C1:

• Check if the following applies:
  • The scheduled day and time of execution of the change is appropriate.
  • The change plan is technically accurate.
  • The change plan includes estimated timing values based on previous testing.
  • The change plan includes a viable rollback plan.
  • The specified metrics/monitoring dashboards provide sufficient visibility for the change.

C2 C1:

• Check if the following applies:
  • The complexity of the plan is appropriate for the corresponding risk of the change. (i.e. the plan contains clear details).
  • The change plan includes success measures for all steps/milestones during the execution.
  • The change adequately minimizes risk within the environment/service.
  • The performance implications of executing the change are well-understood and documented.
  • The specified metrics/monitoring dashboards provide sufficient visibility for the change.
    • If not, is it possible (or necessary) to make changes to observability platforms for added visibility?
  • The change has a primary and secondary SRE with knowledge of the details available during the change window.
  • The change window has been agreed with Release Managers in advance of the change. If the change is planned for APAC hours, this issue has an agreed pre-change approval.
  • The labels blocks deployments and/or blocks feature-flags are applied as necessary.

Change Technician checklist

• Check if all items below are complete:
  • The change plan is technically accurate.
  • This Change Issue is linked to the appropriate Issue and/or Epic
  • Change has been tested in staging and results noted in a comment on this issue.
  • A dry-run has been conducted and results noted in a comment on this issue.
  • The change execution window respects the Production Change Lock periods.
  • For C1 and C2 change issues, the change event is added to the GitLab Production calendar.
  • For C1 and C2 change issues, the SRE on-call has been informed prior to change being rolled out. (In #production channel, mention @sre-oncall and this issue and await their acknowledgement.)
  • For C1 and C2 change issues, the SRE on-call provided approval with the eoc_approved label on the issue.
  • For C1 and C2 change issues, the Infrastructure Manager provided approval with the manager_approved label on the issue.
  • Release managers have been informed prior to any C1, C2, or blocks deployments change being rolled out. (In #production channel, mention @release-managers and this issue and await their acknowledgment.)
  • There are currently no active incidents that are severity1 or severity2
  • If the change involves doing maintenance on a database host, an appropriate silence targeting the host(s) should be added for the duration of the change.