<!-- The first four sections: "Problem to solve", "Intended users", "User experience goal", and "Proposal", are strongly recommended, while the rest of the sections can be filled out during the problem validation or breakdown phase. However, keep in mind that providing complete and relevant information early helps our product team validate the problem and start working on a solution. --> ### Problem to solve * Our products have yearly releases channel, e.g. v2020, v2021 * The support period for each release channel overlaps with another release, that is, we're working on v2021 already while maintaining v2020 * We use git branches to target those release channels, so that stuff in the `foo/v2020` gets deployed to v2020 and so on * We have a few thousands of projects which make extensive use of GitLab CI pipelines * When starting a new release channel we need to create the matching branch on each project (5000+) * We use the API to efficiently create the new branch across thousands of projects * The release channel branches are protected and no direct pushes are allowed * We really don't want to trigger thousands of pipelines at the same time, we really don't need them to be run at that point * Unfortunately, while `git push` has `-o ci.skip` and the Merge Request API has the `ci_skip` flag [when initiating a rebase](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/merge_requests.html#rebase-a-merge-request), the branch API does not have anything like that. What we currently do is unprotect the branches, push with `ci.skip` and protect the branches again, which is not exactly great but works. ### Intended users * [Rachel (Release Manager)](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/product-marketing/roles-personas/#rachel-release-manager) ### User experience goal The goal is to expand the API so that it provides features already available via direct `git push` usage. It will also make the feature available in some context (creating new protected branches) where usage of `git push` is disallowed. ### Proposal Add a `skip_ci` like the one in the [API to rebase merge requests](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/merge_requests.html#rebase-a-merge-request) to the branch and commit creation APIs. I assume that disallowing `git push` when creating protected branches has been done for good reasons and it would be harder to change that. ### Further details <!-- Include use cases, benefits, goals, or any other details that will help us understand the problem better. --> ### Permissions and Security In general, `ci.skip` is already available via the git protocol, so this would not change permissions in any way. However, at the moment creating a new protected branch can be done only via the GitLab branch API and not via the git protocol, so in this specific case (which is the one we are actually interested in) there is an actual impact since currently when creating a new protected branch there is no way to skip CI. ### Documentation <!-- See the Feature Change Documentation Workflow https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/development/documentation/workflow.html#for-a-product-change * Add all known Documentation Requirements in this section. See https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/development/documentation/feature-change-workflow.html#documentation-requirements * If this feature requires changing permissions, update the permissions document. See https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/permissions.html --> ### Availability & Testing <!-- This section needs to be retained and filled in during the workflow planning breakdown phase of this feature proposal, if not earlier. What risks does this change pose to our availability? How might it affect the quality of the product? What additional test coverage or changes to tests will be needed? Will it require cross-browser testing? Please list the test areas (unit, integration and end-to-end) that needs to be added or updated to ensure that this feature will work as intended. Please use the list below as guidance. * Unit test changes * Integration test changes * End-to-end test change See the test engineering planning process and reach out to your counterpart Software Engineer in Test for assistance: https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/quality/test-engineering/#test-planning --> ### What does success look like, and how can we measure that? <!-- Define both the success metrics and acceptance criteria. Note that success metrics indicate the desired business outcomes, while acceptance criteria indicate when the solution is working correctly. If there is no way to measure success, link to an issue that will implement a way to measure this. --> ### What is the type of buyer? <!-- What is the buyer persona for this feature? See https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/product-marketing/roles-personas/buyer-persona/ In which enterprise tier should this feature go? See https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/pricing/#four-tiers --> Release managers handling many repositories with per-release protected branches that need to be regularly branched without running full CI pipelines every time. ### Is this a cross-stage feature? <!-- Communicate if this change will affect multiple Stage Groups or product areas. We recommend always start with the assumption that a feature request will have an impact into another Group. Loop in the most relevant PM and Product Designer from that Group to provide strategic support to help align the Group's broader plan and vision, as well as to avoid UX and technical debt. https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/#cross-stage-features --> ### Links / references