GitLab unveils GitLab 16.8 with GCP Secret Manager support & Workspaces availability

GitLab has announced the release of GitLab 16.8, which boasts GCP Secret Manager support, the ability to speed up builds with the Maven dependency proxy, general availability of Workspaces, a new organisation-level DevOps view with DORA-based industry benchmarks, among several other key features and improvements.

The latest version includes various upgrades with over 25+ improvements in this release. One of the key advancements includes GCP Secret Manager support. Secrets stored in GCP Secret Manager can now be retrieved and used in CI/CD jobs. GitLab's new integration simplifies the process of interacting with GCP Secret Manager through GitLab CI/CD, aiming to streamline your build and deploy processes.

Another significant improvement is the way developers can speed up their builds with the Maven dependency proxy. GitLab recognises that software projects lean heavily on a variety of dependencies, also known as packages. Following their own research, GitLab has found that most projects utilise a balance of publicly sourced and internally maintained packages, in a 50/50 mix.

To streamline this process GitLab has introduced a system whereby one external Java repository can be added to the project. Once this is in place, GitLab then attempts to retrieve the package from the external repository. On successful installation, this package is then integrated into the GitLab project, reducing the need to continuously pull from the external source, thus making your pipelines faster and more reliable.

GitLab is also celebrating the overall availability of Workspaces. These on-demand remote development environments are designed to promote developer efficiency. Since their introduction in GitLab 16.0, this function has seen enhancements including better error handling and reconciliation, support for private projects and SSH connections, additional configuration options, and a new administrator interface.

GitLab 16.8 also launches a new organisational-level DevOps view with DORA-based industry benchmarks. A new DORA Performers score panel has been added to the Value Streams Dashboard visualising the status of the organisation's DevOps performance across projects. This gives executives a comprehensive understanding of the DevOps health within their organisation and allows for comparison with industry benchmarks or peers. This process empowers executives to evaluate their current standing in relation to others, and to identify best practices or areas where they may need to improve.

Software development company GitLab Inc. has announced the launch of GitLab 16.8, an upgraded software platform that boasts a myriad of features. With this updated release, you won't have to worry about keeping track of upcoming releases. The company's 'Upcoming Releases' page offers previews of future upgrades, including a sneak peek of their 16.9 release kickoff video.