Status Updates: Explore websockets and graphql subscriptions

We're considering the 'newer' approach to keeping the frontend up to date in a situation that would have previously relied on status polling.

Investigate whether WebSockets/GraphQL subscriptions are feasible for the offline transfer project, specifically for the metadata parsing step on the destination instance.

&19870 (comment 2946424482)

https://docs.gitlab.com/development/real_time/

https://about.gitlab.com/blog/how-we-supercharged-gitlab-ci-statuses-with-websockets/

Investigation Plan

1. Build a stripped-down WebSocket implementation

• Create a minimal WebSocket connection that works with import frontend and REST + Rails controllers backend

2. Understand WebSocket vs GraphQL Subscriptions

• Investigate whether these are separate concerns or overlapping
• Determine which one (or both) you actually need for this use case

3. Test GraphQL controller approach

• Once you have a working WebSocket pattern, test what happens if the backend uses GraphQL controllers instead of REST + Rails controllers
• See if that changes the implementation or feasibility

4. Evaluate frontend communication approach

• Research using GraphQL on the frontend to communicate with a REST backend