## Overview This epic outlines the migration of hosted runners from the legacy compute minutes buying model to GitLab's unified usage-based billing platform and GitLab Credits. This migration will provide customers with a modern, flexible consumption model that leverages the full capabilities of the GitLab Credits system. ## Problem Statement The current compute minutes buying model for hosted runners operates separately from GitLab's unified billing platform. This creates: * Fragmented billing experiences across different GitLab features * Limited features for existing compute minutes billing with no overage support * Inconsistent commitment models compared to other GitLab services * Technical debt from maintaining separate billing infrastructure ## Proposed Solution Migrate hosted runners to the usage-based billing platform with GitLab Credits, which already includes all necessary features: 1. **GitLab Credits as the unified currency** for compute consumption 2. **Pre-commitment with drawdown** - customers commit to credit volumes with volume-based discounts 3. **Automatic overage billing** when pre-committed credits are exhausted 4. **Real-time usage tracking and forecasting** through the existing Credits platform 5. **Unified billing experience** across all GitLab consumption-based features This migration will leverage the existing Credits platform infrastructure, eliminating the need to build separate systems while providing customers with a consistent experience. ### Targeted User Experience * Seamless transition from compute minutes to GitLab Credits with no interruption to CI/CD operations * Unified view of all credit consumption across GitLab features * Consistent purchasing and management experience aligned with other GitLab services * Clear visibility into credit usage, trends, and projected needs * Flexible commitment options with volume-based discounting ### Intended Users Personas are described at https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/personas/ * [Delaney (Development Team Lead)](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/personas/#delaney-development-team-lead) * [Dakota (Application Development Director)](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/personas/#dakota-application-development-director) ### Key Features (Leveraging Existing Credits Platform) 1. Credit-based consumption model for hosted runner usage 2. Volume-based commitment discounts through Credits pre-purchase 3. Automatic overage handling when credits are depleted 4. Unified usage dashboard with forecasting (existing Credits platform feature) 5. Notification system for low credit balance (existing Credits platform feature) 6. Conversion mechanism from legacy compute minutes to GitLab Credits ### Non-Functional Requirements * **Performance**: Zero impact on job start times during the migration * **Scalability**: Leverage existing Credits platform scalability for all GitLab installations (.com, Dedicated, self-managed) * **Reliability**: Maintain 99.95% uptime during and after migration * **Security**: Ensure secure transactions using existing Credits platform security controls * **Compliance**: SOX-compliance for billing data through existing Credits infrastructure * **Backward Compatibility**: Ensure smooth transition for existing customers with minimal disruption ### Implementation Milestones 1. **Migration Planning & Design** * Define conversion rates from compute minutes to GitLab Credits * Design customer communication and transition plan * Identify technical integration points with Credits platform 2. **Backend Integration** * Integrate hosted runner consumption tracking with Credits platform * Implement credit deduction logic for runner usage * Migrate existing customer balances and commitments 3. **Customer Experience Updates** * Update UI to reflect Credits-based consumption * Update documentation and help resources 4. **Testing & Validation** * Conduct thorough testing in staging environments * Validate billing accuracy and credit consumption rates * Test migration scripts with sample customer data 5. **Rollout** * Complete migration of all customers * Remove legacy code and systems ## Success Metrics 1. **100% of customers migrated** to Credits-based billing within planned timeline 2. **Zero CI/CD interruptions** due to billing system changes during migration 3. **90% customer satisfaction** with the new Credits-based model within 3 months of migration 4. **25% increase in hosted runner utilization** due to improved flexibility 5. **Reduced operational overhead** from consolidating billing systems 6. **Improved billing accuracy** with real-time credit consumption tracking ## Migration Considerations * Existing customer commitments must be honored and converted appropriately * Clear communication plan for all affected customers * Support team training on new Credits-based model * Comprehensive documentation updates across all customer-facing materials --- <!--triage-serverless v3 PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE THIS SECTION--> _This page may contain information related to upcoming products, features and functionality. It is important to note that the information presented is for informational purposes only, so please do not rely on the information for purchasing or planning purposes. Just like with all projects, the items mentioned on the page are subject to change or delay, and the development, release, and timing of any products, features, or functionality remain at the sole discretion of GitLab Inc._ <!--triage-serverless v3 PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE THIS SECTION--> ## Roadmap - Category: Hosted Runners for Dedicated