<!--IssueSummary start--> <details> <summary> Everyone can contribute. [Help move this issue forward](https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/developer-relations/contributor-success/community-contributors-workflows/#contributor-links) while earning points, leveling up and collecting rewards. </summary> - [Close this issue](https://contributors.gitlab.com/manage-issue?action=close&projectId=278964&issueIid=333737) </details> <!--IssueSummary end--> <!-- 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 --> <!-- What is the problem and solution you're proposing? This content sets the overall vision for the feature and serves as the release notes that will populate in various places, including the [release post blog](https://about.gitlab.com/releases/categories/releases/) and [Gitlab project releases](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/releases). " --> ### Problem to solve <!-- What problem do we solve? Try to define the who/what/why of the opportunity as a user story. For example, "As a (who), I want (what), so I can (why/value)." --> The current Project Alias API is not fully integrated into the nested groups. When creating a project alias using the [Project Alias API](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/project_aliases.html), we can currently control which project (by providing the project_id) the alias will link to, and how the alias name for the project will be. As of now, we can not provide a group (by any means) in which the new alias will appear, effectively limiting aliases to projects without groups. ### Intended users This feature will primarily be used by: * [Sidney (Systems Administrator)](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/product-marketing/roles-personas/#sidney-systems-administrator) * [Devon (DevOps Engineer)](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/product-marketing/roles-personas/#devon-devops-engineer) * [Priyanka (Platform Engineer)](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/product-marketing/roles-personas/#priyanka-platform-engineer) <!-- Who will use this feature? If known, include any of the following: types of users (e.g. Developer), personas, or specific company roles (e.g. Release Manager). It's okay to write "Unknown" and fill this field in later. Personas are described at https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/product-marketing/roles-personas/ * [Cameron (Compliance Manager)](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/product-marketing/roles-personas/#cameron-compliance-manager) * [Parker (Product Manager)](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/product-marketing/roles-personas/#parker-product-manager) * [Delaney (Development Team Lead)](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/product-marketing/roles-personas/#delaney-development-team-lead) * [Presley (Product Designer)](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/product-marketing/roles-personas/#presley-product-designer) * [Sasha (Software Developer)](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/product-marketing/roles-personas/#sasha-software-developer) * [Sam (Security Analyst)](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/product-marketing/roles-personas/#sam-security-analyst) * [Rachel (Release Manager)](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/product-marketing/roles-personas/#rachel-release-manager) * [Alex (Security Operations Engineer)](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/product-marketing/roles-personas/#alex-security-operations-engineer) * [Simone (Software Engineer in Test)](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/product-marketing/roles-personas/#simone-software-engineer-in-test) * [Allison (Application Ops)](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/product-marketing/roles-personas/#allison-application-ops) * [Dana (Data Analyst)](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/product-marketing/roles-personas/#dana-data-analyst) * [Eddie (Content Editor)](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/product-marketing/roles-personas/#eddie-content-editor) --> ### User experience goal <!-- What is the single user experience workflow this problem addresses? For example, "The user should be able to use the UI/API/.gitlab-ci.yml with GitLab to <perform a specific task>" https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/ux-research-training/user-story-mapping/ --> The (administrative) user should be able to create aliases using the established Project Alias API in any valid namespace (path/group) by providing a single `group_id` to attach the alias to, or continue to create aliases in the root namespace. This should be consistent with the way projects can be created in the root namespace, or any valid group. ### Proposal <!-- How are we going to solve the problem? Try to include the user journey! https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/journeys/#user-journey --> We propose to expand the Project Aliases and the [Project Alias API](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/project_aliases.html) by an optional argument `group_id`, which allows to attach and alias to a group to surface in. Further, the alias system must be expanded to allow access to the project by the group only, if a `group_id` is given, and by the root of all projects only, if no `group_id` is given. Example: Consider this legacy structure (synthesized from our actual structure; as seen from build process, hence with `.git` extension): application.git components/gluefunc1.git components/gluefunc2.git libfunc1.git libfunc2.git Now, the structure is changed to divide mirrored external projects from local projects: external/libfunc1.git project/application.git project/components/gluefunc1.git project/components/gluefunc2.git project/libfunc1.git With the Project Alias API, we can add compatibility links to some of the projects: application.git --> project/application.git libfunc1.git --> external/libfunc1.git libfunc2.git --> project/libfunc1.git We can, however, not provide aliases for these projects: components/gluefunc1.git --> project/components/gluefunc1.git components/gluefunc2.git --> project/components/gluefunc2.git In this example, the proposed system allows to keep a group `components` in the root namespace, create a distinct group `project/components` (in the `project` group/namespace), move the projects `gluefunc1` and `gluefunc2` there, and link to them in the `components` group. This allows access to those projects as required. ### Further details <!-- Include use cases, benefits, goals, or any other details that will help us understand the problem better. --> #### Use Case: Support Migration In our legacy Git server instance, we need to organize projects in groups for a number of reasons. Once in a while, we tend to change the structure of our projects, to reflect new organizational changes, or mitigate problems (like name clashes). While we move a project to a new path, we must provide a backward compatibile project structure for legacy builds: Those build should run without modifications for some time. We can easily achive this by moving the project to the intended target path, then provide a symlink to make the same project available at the original path. When migrating the legacy Git server to Gitlab, we need to provide those backward compatible access paths, which is even under perfect circumstances not always possible. Since the legacy repository tree is imported into its own group as a separate namespace, we cannot leverage the Project Alias API at all. #### Use Case: Restructuration of Projects In the past, in our projects a number of reasons lead to a restructuration of our repository/project structure: Distinction of projects, code origin, different ideas on limiting the access to specific parts of the source tree, automation requirements, and, finally, convenience. We always need to keep old build structures alive for a limited time. This does not only allow to move projects into groups, but keeps a list of currently available access paths in form of the list of project aliases. This allows us to enable backward compatibility, and, when no longer needed, safely terminate it. ### Permissions and Security This should not impact permissions or security concerns beyond what should already be in place for the current Project Alias system. <!-- What permissions are required to perform the described actions? Are they consistent with the existing permissions as documented for users, groups, and projects as appropriate? Is the proposed behavior consistent between the UI, API, and other access methods (e.g. email replies)? Consider adding checkboxes and expectations of users with certain levels of membership https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/permissions.html * [ ] Add expected impact to members with no access (0) * [ ] Add expected impact to Guest (10) members * [ ] Add expected impact to Reporter (20) members * [ ] Add expected impact to Developer (30) members * [ ] Add expected impact to Maintainer (40) members * [ ] Add expected impact to Owner (50) members --> ### Documentation Dokumentation on the [Project Alias API](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/project_aliases.html) needs to be updated. It is assumed documentation of the current limitations needs to be adapted, if there is anything beyond the Project Alias API. <!-- 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/workflow.html * 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 --> <!-- ### Available Tier --> <!-- This section should be used for setting the appropriate tier that this feature will belong to. Pricing can be found here: https://about.gitlab.com/pricing/ * Free * Premium/Silver * Ultimate/Gold --> ### 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. Create tracking issue using the the Snowplow event tracking template. See https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/.gitlab/issue_templates/Snowplow%20event%20tracking.md --> For context: At this point we consider the alias as a more or less temporary helper for git/ssh access to repositories, not as full-blown generic alias with impact to the web GUI. For success, GitLab project aliases should be useable like symlinks of git repositories insofar as git/ssh access to the repository is concerned. <!-- ### 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/#three-tiers --> <!-- ### 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 <!-- Label reminders - you should have one of each of the following labels. Use the following resources to find the appropriate labels: - https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/labels - https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/categories/features/ --> <!-- not sure I should set these labels here, so I'm disabling this for now... / label ~devops:: ~group: ~Category: / label ~"GitLab Free"/~"GitLab Premium"/~"GitLab Ultimate" / label ~feature / label ~documentation / label ~direction -->