## Summary Roll out the retry-on-primary for job token authentication (https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/work_items/596961), currently behind the `ci_job_token_auth_stale_read_retry` feature flag. - DRI: @hfyngvason - Team Slack channel: `#g_pipeline-execution` > [!note] > Process and guidance live in the docs — this issue is just the commands and a place to track the rollout. > "Rolling out" means incrementally enabling the flag on GitLab.com to validate stability — it is not the same as releasing the feature, which happens when the flag is removed. > [Feature flag controls](https://docs.gitlab.com/development/feature_flags/controls/) · [Feature flag lifecycle](https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/product-development/how-we-work/product-development-flow/feature-flag-lifecycle/#feature-flag-lifecycle) ## What could go wrong? When a job read from a replica shows a pre-execution status (`created`, `waiting_for_resource`, `preparing`, `pending`) during job token authentication, the request pins the CI database session to the primary and re-reads the job once. Possession of the token proves the job already transitioned to `running`, so a pre-execution status is only observable from a stale replica. - Blast radius: one extra primary point-read (PK lookup) per provably-stale auth attempt, plus the remainder of that request reading from the CI primary. This is strictly less primary load than the existing `use_primary_on_failure` sticking fallback that already fires when the Redis write-location key is present. - The retry is logged (`json.message: "job token auth retried on primary after stale status read"` with a `json.job_recovered` field) — watch the rate in Kibana to measure residual staleness after the `ci_stick_build_after_commit` rollout. - Watch: `https://log.gprd.gitlab.net` for `Job is not processing on runner` / `job_not_running` auth failures trending down. ## Rollout Run all production `/chatops` in [`#production`](https://gitlab.slack.com/archives/C101F3796) and cross-post the results to `#g_pipeline-execution`. Background: [incremental rollout process](https://docs.gitlab.com/development/feature_flags/controls/#process), [feature actors](https://docs.gitlab.com/development/feature_flags/#feature-actors). **Non-production** ``` /chatops gitlab run feature set ci_job_token_auth_stale_read_retry 50 --actors --dev --pre --staging --staging-ref /chatops gitlab run feature set ci_job_token_auth_stale_read_retry true --dev --pre --staging --staging-ref ``` **Production** — percentage rollout (wait ≥15 min between steps, watch dashboards): ``` /chatops gitlab run feature set ci_job_token_auth_stale_read_retry <percentage> --actors ``` Or target specific actors instead: ``` /chatops gitlab run feature set --project=gitlab-org/gitlab,gitlab-org/gitlab-foss ci_job_token_auth_stale_read_retry true /chatops gitlab run feature set --group=gitlab-org,gitlab-com ci_job_token_auth_stale_read_retry true /chatops gitlab run feature set --user=hfyngvason ci_job_token_auth_stale_read_retry true ``` ## Before global rollout Confirm the relevant gotchas before going to 100% — see [enabling a feature for GitLab.com](https://docs.gitlab.com/development/feature_flags/controls/#enabling-a-feature-for-gitlabcom): - [Docs + version history](https://docs.gitlab.com/development/documentation/feature_flags/) updated - [Breaking changes](https://docs.gitlab.com/development/documentation/release_notes/#deprecations-removals-and-breaking-changes) announced, if any - [Change management issue](https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/infrastructure-platforms/change-management/#feature-flags-and-the-change-management-process) opened, if required - [External API consumers](https://docs.gitlab.com/development/feature_flags/#do-not-use-feature-flags-in-external-api-consumers) handled with a fail-open mechanism, if applicable ## Cleanup Remove the flag once [deemed stable](https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/product-development/how-we-work/product-development-flow/feature-flag-lifecycle/#feature-flag-lifecycle) — see [cleaning up](https://docs.gitlab.com/development/feature_flags/controls/#cleaning-up). Track it here, or open a follow-up [Feature Flag Cleanup issue](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/new?description_template=Feature%20Flag%20Cleanup). Remove the flag and its YAML definition from the codebase, then: ``` /chatops gitlab run release check <merge-request-url> <milestone> /chatops gitlab run feature delete ci_job_token_auth_stale_read_retry --dev --pre --staging --staging-ref --production ``` ## Rollback ``` /chatops gitlab run feature set ci_job_token_auth_stale_read_retry false # production /chatops gitlab run feature set ci_job_token_auth_stale_read_retry false --dev --pre --staging --staging-ref # non-production /chatops gitlab run feature delete ci_job_token_auth_stale_read_retry --dev --pre --staging --staging-ref --production # remove entirely ```