<!-- The first section "Release notes" is required if you want to have your release post blog MR auto generated. Currently in BETA, details on the **release post item generator** can be found in the handbook: https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/blog/release-posts/#release-post-item-generator and this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfn9ebgTwKg. The next four sections: "Problem to solve", "Intended users", "User experience goal", and "Proposal", are strongly recommended in your first draft, 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. --> ### Release notes https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/yaml/#needs The default CI template of License Scanning is changing so that the job will no longer start before previous stages finish. This was unexpected and inconsistent default behaviour. If you have customized your `.gitlab-ci.yml` and explicitly set the `needs` attribute of the `license_scanning` job so that it only starts when its stage starts, you can now remove this customization. If you use the License Scanning CI template without customization and wish to revert the behavior, customize your `.gitlab-ci.yml` by overriding the `license_scanning` job and setting `needs: []` in the job definition. ### Summary <!-- Summarize the bug encountered concisely. --> Because the [`needs`](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/yaml/#needs) param of the `license_scanning` job is an empty array it may start before previous stages finish. See [CI template](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/4050f448d553cff65cf2aab17d1ac1cc8104b5fe/lib/gitlab/ci/templates/Security/License-Scanning.gitlab-ci.yml#L24). Also, `needs: []` is optimization for certain conditions, but it might slow down the pipeline or waste resources. See discussion on [pros & cons](#note_503764274). Review this behavior and look at commenting out or removing from template This was initially reported in https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/240945#note_452811728 ### Steps to reproduce <!-- Describe how one can reproduce the issue - this is very important. Please use an ordered list. --> see https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/240945 ### Example Project <!-- If possible, please create an example project here on GitLab.com that exhibits the problematic behavior, and link to it here in the bug report. If you are using an older version of GitLab, this will also determine whether the bug is fixed in a more recent version. --> ### What is the current *bug* behavior? <!-- Describe what actually happens. --> license scanning starts right away ### What is the expected *correct* behavior? <!-- Describe what you should see instead. --> license scanning waits if user made no changes for prior stage to finish ### Relevant logs and/or screenshots ### Output of checks ### Implementation plan - [x] Review this behavior, and decide what needs to be done - [x] Possibly update https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/4050f448d553cff65cf2aab17d1ac1cc8104b5fe/lib/gitlab/ci/templates/Security/License-Scanning.gitlab-ci.yml#L24 and remove `needs: []` line - [x] Check new template with different pipeline configurations - [x] When pipeline has defined order of stage - [x] When pipeline doesn't have defined order of stages - [x] Check updated template with GitLab project CI configuration No need to update documentation as this field isn't mention in License Compiance page