How to automate the creation of GitLab Runners

To automate the creation of GitLab Runners, follow these steps:

1. Retrieve a registration token:

   • If you need a token for the entire GitLab instance, go to Admin Area > Runners and click on "Set up a shared Runner manually". Then, copy the registration token provided.
   • For a specific group or project, navigate to the respective page and create a token under Settings > CI/CD > Runners.

2. Use the access token to create a runner:

   • With the registration token, you can create a runner programmatically using GitLab's API or command-line tool.
   • Save the access token as it will only be displayed once.

3. Reuse the runner token for multiple runners:

   • With the new runner creation method, you can reuse the runner token to register multiple runners.
   • Grouping runners with the same token provides a better overview in the Runners list.

4. Automation of runner installation and registration:

   • If hosting the runner on a public cloud virtual machine, use infrastructure-as-code tools like Terraform to automate the installation process.
   • For example, you can use Terraform to install the runner application on a virtual machine hosted on Google Cloud Compute Engine.

To summarize:

• Use the API or command-line tool to create a runner token and configuration.
• Reuse the runner token to register multiple runners and achieve better fleet management.
• Automate the runner installation and registration process using infrastructure-as-code tools like Terraform.