## Summary Roll out [the feature](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/627268) currently behind the `rate_limit_pipeline_delete` feature flag. - DRI: @srajadas - 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? The flag adds two rate limits to user-triggered pipeline deletion. The worst case is rejecting a delete that should have been allowed. There is no data loss. Both buckets are keyed on the calling user, so one actor cannot exhaust another user's budget. Only the user-facing entry points are throttled: the REST endpoint `DELETE /api/:version/projects/:id/pipelines/:pipeline_id`, the GraphQL `pipelineDestroy` mutation, and the web UI. Housekeeping paths (automatic pipeline cleanup, project deletion, and batch issuable deletion) use a separate unthrottled code path and are not affected. Watch the `429` rate on `json.route.keyword: "/api/:version/projects/:id/pipelines/:pipeline_id"` with `json.method: DELETE`, and the `json.rate_limiting_gates` field for `pipeline_delete` and `pipeline_delete_per_project`. Rejections should be close to zero at the current thresholds. Any rejection is a signal to inspect the actor before raising the limit. The per-project threshold is the `pipeline_delete_limit_per_user_project` application setting (default 400), so it can be tuned without a deploy. The per-pipeline limit is fixed at 5 per minute and needs a code change. One nuance: the rate limit is counted before the permission check, so a call that gets a `403` still counts against the user's buckets. This is on purpose, because about a quarter of production delete calls are `403`s from a few scripts. ## Events <!-- Replace feature flag name in the link--> - [Exceptions with rate_limit_pipeline_delete:1](https://log.gprd.gitlab.net/app/discover#/?_g=(time:(from:now-1d,to:now))&_a=(index:'7092c4e2-4eb5-46f2-8305-a7da2edad090',query:(language:kuery,query:'json.exception.feature_flag_states.keyword:%22rate_limit_pipeline_delete:1%22'),columns:!(json.exception.class,json.exception.message,json.extra.workflow_id,json.meta.caller_id),sort:!(!(json.time,desc)))) - [Events with rate_limit_pipeline_delete:1](https://log.gprd.gitlab.net/app/discover#/?_g=(time:(from:now-1d,to:now))&_a=(index:'7092c4e2-4eb5-46f2-8305-a7da2edad090',query:(language:kuery,query:'json.feature_flag_states:%22rate_limit_pipeline_delete:1%22'),columns:!(json.meta.caller_id,json.feature_flag_states),sort:!(!(json.time,desc)))) - [Error rate and other graphs by modifying the examples in the Visualization Library](https://log.gprd.gitlab.net/app/visualize#/?_g=h@358d019&s=FF%20Observability) Feature Flag events are only logged by default for feature flags marked for the current or future milestones. To enable while the feature flag is active, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/feature_flags/#logging ## 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 rate_limit_pipeline_delete 50 --actors --dev --pre --staging --staging-ref /chatops gitlab run feature set rate_limit_pipeline_delete true --dev --pre --staging --staging-ref ``` **Production** — percentage rollout (wait ≥15 min between steps, watch dashboards): ``` /chatops gitlab run feature set rate_limit_pipeline_delete <percentage> --actors ``` Or target specific actors instead: ``` /chatops gitlab run feature set --project=gitlab-org/gitlab,gitlab-org/gitlab-foss rate_limit_pipeline_delete true /chatops gitlab run feature set --group=gitlab-org,gitlab-com rate_limit_pipeline_delete true /chatops gitlab run feature set --user=srajadas rate_limit_pipeline_delete 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/-/work_items/new?description_template=Feature%20Flag%20Cleanup). Remove the flag and its YAML definition from the codebase, then: ``` /chatops gitlab run release check https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/257908 19.5 /chatops gitlab run feature delete rate_limit_pipeline_delete --dev --pre --staging --staging-ref --production ``` ## Rollback ``` /chatops gitlab run feature set rate_limit_pipeline_delete false # production /chatops gitlab run feature set rate_limit_pipeline_delete false --dev --pre --staging --staging-ref # non-production /chatops gitlab run feature delete rate_limit_pipeline_delete --dev --pre --staging --staging-ref --production # remove entirely ```