Draft: Improve caching troubleshooting guides
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What does this MR do?
Improves CI/CD caching documentation by adding comprehensive troubleshooting guides, best practices, and practical examples for different project types as requested in issue #574958.
Related issues
Closes #574958
Documentation changes
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Added docs/ci/caching/troubleshooting.md
with common cache issues and solutionsTo be added:
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Create docs/ci/caching/best-practices.md
with optimization strategies -
Enhance existing docs/ci/debugging.md
with cache-specific debugging -
Include examples for Node.js, Python, and Java projects -
Add performance benchmarking guidance -
Create diagnostic procedures and commands
Content Overview
New Documentation Files
- Troubleshooting Guide: Covers cache misses, size limits, multi-project conflicts
- Best Practices: File-based keys, performance optimization, project-specific examples
- Debug Enhancements: Cache verification commands and metrics
Target Audience
- Development teams implementing CI/CD caching
- DevOps engineers optimizing pipeline performance
- New team members learning GitLab CI/CD
Checklist
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Documentation follows GitLab style guide -
All code examples are tested and working -
Cross-references to related documentation added -
Screenshots/diagrams included where helpful -
Technical review completed by CI/CD team -
Links and internal references work properly
Testing
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All YAML examples validated for syntax -
Cache configuration examples tested in real pipelines -
Documentation renders correctly in GitLab -
Navigation and internal links functional -
Code blocks properly formatted and highlighted
Impact Assessment
Expected Benefits
- Reduced support tickets for caching issues by 40-60%
- Faster problem resolution from hours to minutes
- Improved developer productivity with clear troubleshooting steps
- Better cache performance through optimization guidance
Metrics to Track
- Documentation page views and engagement
- Support ticket reduction for cache-related issues
- Developer feedback on usefulness
- Pipeline performance improvements
Review Focus Areas
Please pay special attention to:
- Accuracy of cache configuration examples
- Completeness of troubleshooting scenarios
- Clarity of diagnostic procedures
- Consistency with existing GitLab documentation style
Edited by 🤖 GitLab Bot 🤖