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Identify types and current state of Internal Requests

Problem Statement

  • What is the problem?

While we have an internal requests workflow, this workflow does not cover all the different types of issues that are filed in the internal requests tracker.

Additionally, while GitLab.com Support Engineers traditionally took care of all issues in that tracker, that's not the case anymore as we've added a bunch of different types of issues to that tracker.

  • Why is this a problem?

  • Requests are not always worked on within the 24 hour best effort "SLA".
  • Team members focused on GitLab.com do not necessarily have the training and knowledge required to handle the various types of requests that are now created in the tracker. For example, without the Growth bootcamp, it's difficult to understand the details of trials and subscriptions.
  • Who is responsible for the different types of requests has become muddled over time. As such, it's not clear who should take action on some of the new types of issues.

Proposal

  1. Identify all types of internal requests including request type, label, access/tools required, workflow/documentation, responsible group
  2. MR to remove deprecated templates https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/support/internal-requests/-/merge_requests/49
  3. Create MRs or issues for missing documentation.
  4. Update the project readme to point to relevant workflows. https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/support/internal-requests/-/merge_requests/51
  5. Potentially in new issue(s): Work out any areas of responsibilities that are vague. Added to Outstanding Items below
  6. Ensure everyone is in the right group. See also Slack discussion and https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/team-member-epics/access-requests/-/merge_requests/658
  7. Ensure everyone is subscribed to the relevant labels. Added to SWIR and .com sync
    • L&R team: license issue, EULA ; also being discussed in #2580 (closed)
    • customers portal console: Console Escalation::Customers
    • .com admin: Admin Escalation ; GDPR project
    • .com console: Console Escalation::GitLab.com

DRI

Required Resources

  • Management support
  • Involvement with one or more Growth/L&R support group members as many request types are subscription/license related

Potential Roadblocks/Things to consider

  • As most of the issues that need a group for DRI may involve the customers portal which often throws errors, ideally, there is someone with admin or console access in each region.

Desired Outcome

  • What does success look like?

  • all types of issues are documented and have DRI "group"

  • How do we measure success?

  • all issue types are documented.
  • issues have an initial response within 24 hours. Being discussed in #2523 (closed)

  • Where would future feedback go?

  • this issue until closed, then new issue

Internal Requests

List of all internal request types separated by access required. Responsible group and categorization of issue type are based on required access.

General

Issue Type Label Template Intended Audience Workflow
Zendesk Ticket none Zendesk Ticket unused, removed

Requires .com admin

Responsible group: gitlab.com/support/dotcom

Note: The templates that have Admin Escalation require action from the Support .com admins, whereas others are meant for tracking only, where a Support team member creates it for themselves.

Side note: All .com admin holders should be subscribed to GDPR, which is not in this tracker, but a type of internal request.

Issue Type Label Template Intended Audience Workflow
Dormant Namespace Dormant Namespace Request Admin Escalation Dormant Namespace Request GitLab team, mentioned in internal support page workflow
Contact Contact Request Admin Escalation Contact Request GitLab team primarily infra, mentioned in internal support added to internal requests workflow
Repo Size Limit Repo Size Limit Repo Size Limit Change Support Team internal requests workflow
Pipeline Quota Reset Pipeline Quota Reset Pipeline Quota Reset Request Support Team, mention removed from internal support added link to wiki on internal requests workflow
Information legal Information Request N/A removed template
DMCA Takedown DMCA Legal DMCA Takedown N/A removed template

Requires .com console

Responsible group: gitlab.com/support/dotcom/console

Issue Type Label Template Intended Audience Workflow
Delete Project Console Escalation::GitLab.com Customer Soft-Deleted Project Support Team cross-linked internal requests workflow, delete project workflow
GL.com Console Console Escalation::GitLab.com GitLab.com Console Escalation Support Team, mentioned in working with issues N/A

Requires customers admin and/or license app

Responsible group: L&R team

Note: Plan Change Requests were originally meant to be handled by the .com team. However, no one seems to be handling these right now and that responsibility pre-dates the L&R related internal requests.

Issue Type Label Template Intended Audience Workflow
EULA EULA EULA GitLab team, mentioned in internal requests not documented? (asked in #2490 (comment 382619832) )
License License Issue License Issue GitLab team, mentioned in L&R queue workflow, internal requests license troubleshooting
Billable Members license issue Billable Members GitLab team, added to internal requests instructions on template
SM Trial Extension Trial Extension License issue Self-managed trial extension GitLab team, mentioned in internal support L&R trial extensions
Plan Change Plan Change Request Plan Change Request GitLab team, mentioned in internal support documented in L&R trial extensions

Note: Plan Change Requests may require .com admin if it cannot be done via customers admin, but engineers should add to an existing customers portal bug issue or file a new issue as required.

Requires customers console

Responsible group: gitlab.com/support/customers-console

Issue Type Label Template Intended Audience Workflow
Clear Subscription Console Escalation::Customers Clear Subscription Support team, not mentioned? (asked in #2490 (comment 382619832) ) instructions in template
GL.com Trial Extension Trial Extension Console Escalation::Customers GitLab.com Trial Extension GitLab team, mentioned in internal support customers console,
L&R trials extension

Note: GL.com trial extension majority of times requires console until https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/customers-gitlab-com/-/issues/973 and gitlab-org/customers-gitlab-com#1643 (closed) gitlab-org/customers-gitlab-com#1173 are resolved.

Outstanding items

  1. Document EULA process. If it can be public, in customers admin docs. Link from relevant workflow. Created #2586 (closed)
  2. Document when to use Clear Subscription template in relevant workflow. Created #2586 (closed)
  3. Discuss: Generic Customers Console template required? As per #2490 (comment 391730370) , no. We can always create one later if needed.
  4. Plan Change Request responsibilities. Possibly in new issue. Created #2587 (closed)
Edited by Cynthia "Arty" Ng