[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":820},["ShallowReactive",2],{"/en-us/blog/how-to-begin-your-devops-journey":3,"navigation-en-us":40,"banner-en-us":450,"footer-en-us":460,"blog-post-authors-en-us-Christina Hupy, Ph.D.":701,"blog-related-posts-en-us-how-to-begin-your-devops-journey":716,"blog-promotions-en-us":758,"next-steps-en-us":810},{"id":4,"title":5,"authorSlugs":6,"authors":8,"body":10,"category":11,"categorySlug":11,"config":12,"content":16,"date":20,"description":17,"extension":25,"externalUrl":26,"featured":14,"heroImage":19,"isFeatured":14,"meta":27,"navigation":28,"path":29,"publishedDate":20,"rawbody":30,"seo":31,"slug":13,"stem":35,"tagSlugs":36,"tags":38,"template":15,"updatedDate":26,"__hash__":39},"blogPosts/en-us/blog/how-to-begin-your-devops-journey.yml","How to begin your DevOps journey",[7],"christina-hupy-phd",[9],"Christina Hupy, Ph.D.","\n[DevOps](/topics/devops/) is a hot career track. The DevOps industry is projected by IDC to be at [$17.7 billion in revenue by 2024](https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=US45188520). Such growth requires more DevOps practitioners in all realms. Yet, due to the speed of change in DevOps, students are generally not learning DevOps skills and workflows while in a degree program. That doesn’t mean you have to wait to gain these critical skills. We share how to get the skills you need now.\n\n## Why early exposure to DevOps is important\n\nBy learning DevOps early on in their education, students can drastically shorten the typical six-years-or-more timeline to becoming a DevOps professional. In our [GitLab for Education Survey](/blog/devops-in-education-2021-survey-results/), 40% of student respondents answered that DevOps is critical for workforce readiness and 45% viewed the ability to build a portfolio and record of contributions as a top benefit of using DevOps while in school.\n\nStudents and young professionals learning to code with the same approach they will use in the industry gives them a jump on their careers and makes the transition from the classroom to a DevOps culture that much easier. It can also help to accelerate the digital transformation as newly onboarded employees begin to spread the benefits of iterating faster, innovating together, and increasing deployment velocity.\n\nHere’s how to get a headstart on learning DevOps.\n\n### 1. Bring DevOps to your classroom\n\nIf your university and professors are not currently teaching DevOps or using DevOps tools in your classes, don't worry, we've got a blog post that covers [5 easy ways to bring DevOps into your classroom](/blog/5-ways-to-bring-devops-to-your-campus/). Learn about how our GitLab for Education team can visit your classroom and give a guest lecture on DevOps or a workshop. And how our GitLab for Education Program offers free, top-tier, unlimited licenses to qualifying institutions. Students can also sign up individually for [GitLab’s free tier](/pricing/).\n\n### 2. Explore DevOps on your own\n\nExploring DevOps on your own is a great way to extend your knowledge, gain different perspectives, and build on top of your degree.\n\nDevOps as a discipline, platform, and culture is ever-evolving. With social media, tech publications, case studies, and blog posts there is no shortage of content for you to access. It is easy to tune into industry conversations on Twitter and elsewhere to stay on the cutting edge. We recommend getting started by reading some of our [GitLab blogs](/blog/) or blogs from other organizations in the DevOps space that catch your eye.\n\nFor instance, follow Developer Evangelists or Developer Relations professionals, known as DevRels, from your favorite organizations, and see what they are sharing. Don’t worry about understanding all the details at first, just look for the high-level points, the tools they discuss, and general industry trends. Follow [Michael Friedrich](https://gitlab.com/dnsmichi), GitLab Developer Evangelist, to learn about all things DevOps, especially CI/CD, monitoring, and observability, and follow [Abubakar Siddiq Ango](https://gitlab.com/abuango), GitLab Developer Evangelism Program Manager, to learn about DevSecOps with a focus on the Cloud Native Ecosystem.\n\n### 3. Start networking\n\nThere is no better way to get excited about DevOps and its potential than through networking with other DevOps professionals and enthusiasts.\n\n- Meetups. Tech companies in the DevOps space host monthly meetups (in-person and virtual), where professionals and community members alike listen to a short talk and then engage in a Q&A. These meetups provide opportunities for networking as well. At GitLab, you can see our [upcoming events](https://www.meetup.com/pro/gitlab) and register for free or sign up to host one for your classmates or teammates. We are here to help and get you started.\n\n- Conferences. GitLab‘s annual user conference, GitLab Commit, showcases amazing presentations from customers across all industries and community members from all over the world, along with breakout sessions so you can network. Keep an eye out for the next one in September and [view the playlist](https://www.youtube.com/c/Gitlab/playlists?view=50&sort=dd&shelf_id=1) from GitLab Commit 2021. Also [DevOps Days](https://devopsdays.org/), a series of free technical conferences around the world, lets you mingle with DevOps professionals and learn more about the industry.\n\n### 4. Get hands-on with DevOps tools and platforms\n\nReady to jump in? Gaining hands-on experience is the fastest way to start your journey, and you don’t need an internship or job to access tools. If you are a current student or early professional, you can begin to build a portfolio of projects on GitLab or your [platform of choice](https://about.gitlab.com/topics/devops/beginner-devops-platform/). Even simple projects, such as creating a Twitter bot or Python script, can be done in a source control management system like GitLab.\n\nStore relevant homework, course projects, capstone projects, and side projects in one central repository and your future employers will be able to see your portfolio and how your skills have progressed over time. With [GitLab pages](https://docs.gitlab.com/user/project/pages/), you can even publish your resume and keep a journal of blog posts documenting your journey in DevOps.\n\nAs example, check out [the profile page of PJ Metz](https://gitlab.com/PjMetz), GitLab Education Evangelist. Notice everything he’s worked on is right there and you can click to see his commits and merge requests. The earlier you start to build a portfolio, the more you’ll have to share with potential employers\n\n### 5. Contribute to the open source community\n\nAnother great way to gain experience is to contribute to open source projects. Students and young professionals often aren't aware of the value of contributing to open source projects, haven’t considered it, or maybe think that you need high-level developer skills to contribute.\n\nBy nature, anyone who has very basic technical skills can contribute to an open source project at some level. Most open source projects have resources available for new contributors or first-time contributors, including a “Getting Started” guide or a list of contributions needed. Contributions aren’t limited to expert coders; open source communities accept input from a variety of skill levels and experience. For example, new contributors can work on documentation and language translation. Minor UX changes or bug fixes are also great first contributions.\n\nAdditionally, many open source projects often have engaged communities that are invested in helping new contributors learn and grow their skills. This set of unique characteristics makes contributing to open source projects a great starting point for people from diverse backgrounds.\n\nGitLab is an open core platform with a vibrant community. We have over 10,000 merge requests from the wider community with an average of 250 contributors per month. You can contribute to GitLab in [three ways](/community/contribute/):\n\n- Fix bugs\n- Add to documentation\n- Translate our docs and products to different languages\n\nWe make contributing very easy and accessible to first-time contributors. We even label each issue with `quick win`.  Our [quarterly hackathons](https://contributors.gitlab.com/hackathon) enable you to network with our community, meet merge request coaches, attend meetups, and win sweet swag prizes. For more, check out our #contributors channel on [Discord](https://discord.gg/gitlab).\n\n### 6. Earn some industry credentials\n\nAfter getting your feet wet and building skills on your own, you may also be interested in adding some more formal credentials to your resume. Courses and certificate programs are a great way to add to your degree or work on professional development early in your career. Certifications are generally achieved after gaining some hands-on experience and working in the field.\n\n- DevOps courses. Most online learning platforms, such as Coursera, Udemy, and LinkedIn Learning have some form of DevOps course. For example, LinkedIn Learning has a free [DevOps foundations course](https://www.linkedin.com/learning/devops-foundations/development-and-operations-2?autoAdvance=true&autoSkip=false&autoplay=true&resume=true&u=2255073).\n\n- DevOps certifications. If you have some experience under your belt and are interested in a more formal path, a DevOps certification could be of interest to you. DevOps certification is an accredited credential that is earned by demonstrating some specific skills and subject matter that are required to work in the DevOps profession. These credentials are earned by taking courses, passing assessments, and participating in performance reviews, or providing work samples. DevOps certifications can be specific to a certain tool, such as the Docker Certified Associate or Kubernetes Certification. Amazon Web Services, or AWS, also offers a Certified DevOps Engineer Exam. Some DevOps certifications are more tool- and platform-agnostic such as those offered by the [DevOps Institute](https://www.devopsinstitute.com/certifications/).\n\nGitLab has a learning platform with several courses and certification pathways, including a GitLab Certified Associate, GitLab Certified CI/CD Specialist, and GitLab DevOps Professional. See our [full list](https://university.gitlab.com/certifications/public/) or [sign up to learn more](https://gitlab.edcast.com/).\n\nWherever you are on your journey to becoming a DevOps professional, these resources should help you move forward and learn more about this exciting aspect of software development.\n","devsecops",{"slug":13,"featured":14,"template":15},"how-to-begin-your-devops-journey",false,"BlogPost",{"title":5,"description":17,"authors":18,"heroImage":19,"date":20,"body":10,"category":11,"tags":21},"So you want a career in DevOps? These easy and affordable opportunities will let you get started today.",[9],"https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1749663736/Blog/Hero%20Images/a-deep-dive-into-the-security-analyst-persona.jpg","2022-01-13",[22,23,24],"DevOps platform","careers","community","yml",null,{},true,"/en-us/blog/how-to-begin-your-devops-journey","seo:\n  title: How to begin your DevOps journey\n  description: >-\n    So you want a career in DevOps? These easy and affordable opportunities will\n    let you get started today.\n  ogTitle: How to begin your DevOps journey\n  ogDescription: >-\n    So you want a career in DevOps? These easy and affordable opportunities will\n    let you get started today.\n  noIndex: false\n  ogImage: >-\n    https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1749663736/Blog/Hero%20Images/a-deep-dive-into-the-security-analyst-persona.jpg\n  ogUrl: https://about.gitlab.com/blog/how-to-begin-your-devops-journey\n  ogSiteName: https://about.gitlab.com\n  ogType: article\n  canonicalUrls: https://about.gitlab.com/blog/how-to-begin-your-devops-journey\ncontent:\n  title: How to begin your DevOps journey\n  description: >-\n    So you want a career in DevOps? These easy and affordable opportunities will\n    let you get started today.\n  authors:\n    - Christina Hupy, Ph.D.\n  heroImage: >-\n    https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1749663736/Blog/Hero%20Images/a-deep-dive-into-the-security-analyst-persona.jpg\n  date: '2022-01-13'\n  body: \"\n\n    [DevOps](/topics/devops/) is a hot career track. The DevOps industry is\n    projected by IDC to be at [$17.7 billion in revenue by\n    2024](https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=US45188520). Such growth\n    requires more DevOps practitioners in all realms. Yet, due to the speed of\n    change in DevOps, students are generally not learning DevOps skills and\n    workflows while in a degree program. That doesn’t mean you have to wait to\n    gain these critical skills. We share how to get the skills you need now.\n\n\n    ## Why early exposure to DevOps is important\n\n\n    By learning DevOps early on in their education, students can drastically\n    shorten the typical six-years-or-more timeline to becoming a DevOps\n    professional. In our [GitLab for Education\n    Survey](/blog/devops-in-education-2021-survey-results/), 40% of student\n    respondents answered that DevOps is critical for workforce readiness and 45%\n    viewed the ability to build a portfolio and record of contributions as a top\n    benefit of using DevOps while in school.\n\n\n    Students and young professionals learning to code with the same approach\n    they will use in the industry gives them a jump on their careers and makes\n    the transition from the classroom to a DevOps culture that much easier. It\n    can also help to accelerate the digital transformation as newly onboarded\n    employees begin to spread the benefits of iterating faster, innovating\n    together, and increasing deployment velocity.\n\n\n    Here’s how to get a headstart on learning DevOps.\n\n\n    ### 1. Bring DevOps to your classroom\n\n\n    If your university and professors are not currently teaching DevOps or using\n    DevOps tools in your classes, don't worry, we've got a blog post that covers\n    [5 easy ways to bring DevOps into your\n    classroom](/blog/5-ways-to-bring-devops-to-your-campus/). Learn about how\n    our GitLab for Education team can visit your classroom and give a guest\n    lecture on DevOps or a workshop. And how our GitLab for Education Program\n    offers free, top-tier, unlimited licenses to qualifying institutions.\n    Students can also sign up individually for [GitLab’s free tier](/pricing/).\n\n\n    ### 2. Explore DevOps on your own\n\n\n    Exploring DevOps on your own is a great way to extend your knowledge, gain\n    different perspectives, and build on top of your degree.\n\n\n    DevOps as a discipline, platform, and culture is ever-evolving. With social\n    media, tech publications, case studies, and blog posts there is no shortage\n    of content for you to access. It is easy to tune into industry conversations\n    on Twitter and elsewhere to stay on the cutting edge. We recommend getting\n    started by reading some of our [GitLab blogs](/blog/) or blogs from other\n    organizations in the DevOps space that catch your eye.\n\n\n    For instance, follow Developer Evangelists or Developer Relations\n    professionals, known as DevRels, from your favorite organizations, and see\n    what they are sharing. Don’t worry about understanding all the details at\n    first, just look for the high-level points, the tools they discuss, and\n    general industry trends. Follow [Michael\n    Friedrich](https://gitlab.com/dnsmichi), GitLab Developer Evangelist, to\n    learn about all things DevOps, especially CI/CD, monitoring, and\n    observability, and follow [Abubakar Siddiq\n    Ango](https://gitlab.com/abuango), GitLab Developer Evangelism Program\n    Manager, to learn about DevSecOps with a focus on the Cloud Native\n    Ecosystem.\n\n\n    ### 3. Start networking\n\n\n    There is no better way to get excited about DevOps and its potential than\n    through networking with other DevOps professionals and enthusiasts.\n\n\n    - Meetups. Tech companies in the DevOps space host monthly meetups\n    (in-person and virtual), where professionals and community members alike\n    listen to a short talk and then engage in a Q&A. These meetups provide\n    opportunities for networking as well. At GitLab, you can see our [upcoming\n    events](https://www.meetup.com/pro/gitlab) and register for free or sign up\n    to host one for your classmates or teammates. We are here to help and get\n    you started.\n\n\n    - Conferences. GitLab‘s annual user conference, GitLab Commit, showcases\n    amazing presentations from customers across all industries and community\n    members from all over the world, along with breakout sessions so you can\n    network. Keep an eye out for the next one in September and [view the\n    playlist](https://www.youtube.com/c/Gitlab/playlists?view=50&sort=dd&shelf_\\\n    id=1) from GitLab Commit 2021. Also [DevOps Days](https://devopsdays.org/),\n    a series of free technical conferences around the world, lets you mingle\n    with DevOps professionals and learn more about the industry.\n\n\n    ### 4. Get hands-on with DevOps tools and platforms\n\n\n    Ready to jump in? Gaining hands-on experience is the fastest way to start\n    your journey, and you don’t need an internship or job to access tools. If\n    you are a current student or early professional, you can begin to build a\n    portfolio of projects on GitLab or your [platform of\n    choice](https://about.gitlab.com/topics/devops/beginner-devops-platform/).\n    Even simple projects, such as creating a Twitter bot or Python script, can\n    be done in a source control management system like GitLab.\n\n\n    Store relevant homework, course projects, capstone projects, and side\n    projects in one central repository and your future employers will be able to\n    see your portfolio and how your skills have progressed over time. With\n    [GitLab pages](https://docs.gitlab.com/user/project/pages/), you can even\n    publish your resume and keep a journal of blog posts documenting your\n    journey in DevOps.\n\n\n    As example, check out [the profile page of PJ\n    Metz](https://gitlab.com/PjMetz), GitLab Education Evangelist. Notice\n    everything he’s worked on is right there and you can click to see his\n    commits and merge requests. The earlier you start to build a portfolio, the\n    more you’ll have to share with potential employers\n\n\n    ### 5. Contribute to the open source community\n\n\n    Another great way to gain experience is to contribute to open source\n    projects. Students and young professionals often aren't aware of the value\n    of contributing to open source projects, haven’t considered it, or maybe\n    think that you need high-level developer skills to contribute.\n\n\n    By nature, anyone who has very basic technical skills can contribute to an\n    open source project at some level. Most open source projects have resources\n    available for new contributors or first-time contributors, including a\n    “Getting Started” guide or a list of contributions needed. Contributions\n    aren’t limited to expert coders; open source communities accept input from a\n    variety of skill levels and experience. For example, new contributors can\n    work on documentation and language translation. Minor UX changes or bug\n    fixes are also great first contributions.\n\n\n    Additionally, many open source projects often have engaged communities that\n    are invested in helping new contributors learn and grow their skills. This\n    set of unique characteristics makes contributing to open source projects a\n    great starting point for people from diverse backgrounds.\n\n\n    GitLab is an open core platform with a vibrant community. We have over\n    10,000 merge requests from the wider community with an average of 250\n    contributors per month. You can contribute to GitLab in [three\n    ways](/community/contribute/):\n\n\n    - Fix bugs\n\n    - Add to documentation\n\n    - Translate our docs and products to different languages\n\n\n    We make contributing very easy and accessible to first-time contributors. We\n    even label each issue with `quick win`.  Our [quarterly\n    hackathons](https://contributors.gitlab.com/hackathon) enable you to network\n    with our community, meet merge request coaches, attend meetups, and win\n    sweet swag prizes. For more, check out our #contributors channel on\n    [Discord](https://discord.gg/gitlab).\n\n\n    ### 6. Earn some industry credentials\n\n\n    After getting your feet wet and building skills on your own, you may also be\n    interested in adding some more formal credentials to your resume. Courses\n    and certificate programs are a great way to add to your degree or work on\n    professional development early in your career. Certifications are generally\n    achieved after gaining some hands-on experience and working in the field.\n\n\n    - DevOps courses. Most online learning platforms, such as Coursera, Udemy,\n    and LinkedIn Learning have some form of DevOps course. For example, LinkedIn\n    Learning has a free [DevOps foundations\n    course](https://www.linkedin.com/learning/devops-foundations/development-an\\\n    d-operations-2?autoAdvance=true&autoSkip=false&autoplay=true&resume=true&u=\\\n    2255073).\n\n\n    - DevOps certifications. If you have some experience under your belt and are\n    interested in a more formal path, a DevOps certification could be of\n    interest to you. DevOps certification is an accredited credential that is\n    earned by demonstrating some specific skills and subject matter that are\n    required to work in the DevOps profession. These credentials are earned by\n    taking courses, passing assessments, and participating in performance\n    reviews, or providing work samples. DevOps certifications can be specific to\n    a certain tool, such as the Docker Certified Associate or Kubernetes\n    Certification. Amazon Web Services, or AWS, also offers a Certified DevOps\n    Engineer Exam. Some DevOps certifications are more tool- and\n    platform-agnostic such as those offered by the [DevOps\n    Institute](https://www.devopsinstitute.com/certifications/).\n\n\n    GitLab has a learning platform with several courses and certification\n    pathways, including a GitLab Certified Associate, GitLab Certified CI/CD\n    Specialist, and GitLab DevOps Professional. See our [full\n    list](https://university.gitlab.com/certifications/public/) or [sign up to\n    learn more](https://gitlab.edcast.com/).\n\n\n    Wherever you are on your journey to becoming a DevOps professional, these\n    resources should help you move forward and learn more about this exciting\n    aspect of software development.\\n\"\n  category: devsecops\n  tags:\n    - DevOps platform\n    - careers\n    - community\nconfig:\n  slug: how-to-begin-your-devops-journey\n  featured: false\n  template: 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GitLab","Learn how University of Washington lecturer Stephen G. Dame uses GitLab for Education to manage student assignments, distribute course materials, and provide inline code feedback at scale.\n",[722],"Rod Burns","https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1749659537/Blog/Hero%20Images/display-article-image-0679-1800x945-fy26.png","2026-04-29","For instructors teaching software development, one of the biggest logistical challenges is assignment distribution and feedback at scale. How do you give large groups of students access to course materials, keep solution code private, and still deliver meaningful, contextual feedback without lots of administrative overhead?\n\nThe **[GitLab for Education program](https://about.gitlab.com/solutions/education/)** provides qualifying institutions with free access to **GitLab Ultimate**, enabling instructors to build professional-grade workflows that mirror real-world software development environments. In this article, you'll learn how Stephen G. Dame, a lecturer in the Computing and Software Systems department at the University of Washington, Bothell, uses simple workflows in GitLab to manage everything from course materials to student feedback across multiple classes.\n\n## From aerospace to academia: Bringing GitLab to the classroom\n\nDame came to academia with years of experience as a chief software engineer at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, where GitLab was used for aerospace projects. As an adjunct professor, he became an early advocate for GitLab within the university, joining the GitLab for Education program to access the full feature set needed to run structured, scalable course workflows.\n\n> **\"GitLab provides the greatest way to organize multiple classes, student assignments, lectures, and code samples through the use of Groups and Subgroups, which I found to be unique to GitLab compared to other repository platforms.\"**\n>\n> - Stephen G. Dame, University of Washington, Bothell\n\n## Set up groups: Build the right structure before writing a line of code\n\nThe foundation of an effective GitLab-based course is a well-planned group hierarchy. GitLab's **[Groups and Subgroups](https://docs.gitlab.com/tutorials/manage_user/#create-the-organization-parent-group-and-subgroups)** allow instructors to model the natural structure of a university department institution, course, and role with precise, inheritable permissions at every level.\n\nDame's structure places the university at the root (`UWTeaching`), with each course occupying its own subgroup (e.g. `css430`). Within each course sit repositories for `lecture-materials` and `code`, alongside dedicated Subgroups for `students` and `graders`. Instructor materials remain private, while student and grader subgroups are configured with controlled permissions so that assignment briefs and solutions are visible only to the right people.\n\n![Screenshot of GitLab group hierarchy — institution, course subgroup, and per-student subgroups](https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1777463673/dpxfnitv76pdmvcqtgag.png)\n\nPermissions cascade downward through the hierarchy via **Manage > Members**, allowing Dame to add students to a course's `students` subgroup with `Reporter` access and an expiration date tied to the end of the academic quarter. Students can clone and pull from assignment repositories but cannot push — keeping solution code firmly under instructor control.\n\nStudents are guided to set up SSH keys across all their working environments (local machines, cloud shells, virtual machines) so they can clone repositories and receive weekly updates via `git pull`. They copy relevant code into their own private repositories to manage their own version history.\n\n**Tip for large classes:** For larger cohorts, adding students by hand is impractical. GitLab's REST API lets you automate subgroup creation and membership from a list of usernames. Below is a sample Python script that handles this:\n\n```python\n    import gitlab\n    from datetime import datetime\n\n    # Connect to your GitLab instance\n    gl = gitlab.Gitlab('https://gitlab.com', private_token='YOUR_PRIVATE_TOKEN')\n\n    # Target parent group ID (e.g., the ID for \"css430 > students\")\n    parent_group_id = 12345678\n\n    # Set expiration: typically the beginning of the next month after quarter end\n    expiry_date = '2025-01-01'\n\n    # List of collected student usernames\n    student_list = ['alice_css430', 'bob_css430', 'carol_css430', 'dave_css430', 'eve_css430']\n\n    for username in student_list:\n        try:\n            # 1. Create a personal subgroup for the student\n            subgroup = gl.groups.create({\n                'name': username,\n                'path': username,\n                'parent_id': parent_group_id,\n                'visibility': 'private'\n            })\n\n            # 2. Add student to the new subgroup with Expiration\n            user = gl.users.list(username=username)[0]\n            subgroup.members.create({\n                'user_id': user.id,\n                'access_level': gitlab.const.REPORTER_ACCESS,\n                'expires_at': expiry_date\n            })\n            print(f\"Success: Subgroup created and student added for {username}\")\n        except Exception as e:\n            print(f\"Error processing {username}: {e}\")\n```\nThere is also an [open source project that automates class management](https://gitlab.com/edu-docs/class-management-automation) published by GitLab that provides additional tooling for this workflow.\n## Give feedback where the work actually lives\n\nOnce the structure is in place, the feedback workflow is where GitLab's value becomes most apparent to students. Dame asks students to submit assignments by opening a **[merge request](https://docs.gitlab.com/user/project/merge_requests/)** in their repository. This gives instructors an immediate, clean diff of everything the student has written.\n![A GitLab merge request showing inline code comment function for an instructor](https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1777467468/icclzyglbkwlvfysggbi.png)\nInstructors can click any line of code and leave an **inline comment** — not just flagging what is wrong, but explaining why, and pointing to what to look at next. Students receive this feedback in direct context with their code, which is far more actionable than a comment at the bottom of a submitted document.\n\n## Join GitLab for Education\n\nSetting up your first GitLab assignment takes some initial effort, but once the structure is in place it largely runs itself. The real payoff goes beyond organization: Students graduate having worked daily in an environment that mirrors professional software development, building habits around [version control](https://about.gitlab.com/topics/version-control/) and [code review](https://docs.gitlab.com/development/code_review/) rather than learning them as abstract concepts.\n\nIf you are just getting started, keep it simple. Begin with a single course group, one assignment template, and a basic pipeline. The structure will grow naturally alongside your confidence with the platform.\n\nMake sure to **[sign up for GitLab for Education](https://about.gitlab.com/solutions/education/join/)** so that you and your students can access all top-tier features, including unlimited reviewers on merge requests, additional compute minutes, and expanded storage.\n\n> [Apply to the GitLab for Education program today](https://about.gitlab.com/solutions/education/join/).",[623,727],"open source",{"featured":14,"template":15,"slug":729},"teaching-software-development-the-easy-way-using-gitlab",{"content":731,"config":742},{"description":732,"authors":733,"heroImage":735,"date":736,"title":737,"body":738,"category":11,"tags":739},"AI-generated code is 34% of development work. Discover how to balance productivity gains with quality, reliability, and security.",[734],"Manav Khurana","https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1767982271/e9ogyosmuummq7j65zqg.png","2026-01-08","AI is reshaping DevSecOps: Attend GitLab Transcend to see what’s next","AI promises a step change in innovation velocity, but most software teams are hitting a wall. According to our latest [Global DevSecOps Report](https://about.gitlab.com/developer-survey/), AI-generated code now accounts for 34% of all development work. Yet 70% of DevSecOps professionals report that AI is making compliance management more difficult, and 76% say agentic AI will create unprecedented security challenges.\n\nThis is the AI paradox: AI accelerates coding, but software delivery slows down as teams struggle to test, secure, and deploy all that code.\n\n## Productivity gains meet workflow bottlenecks\nThe problem isn't AI itself. It's how software gets built today. The traditional DevSecOps lifecycle contains hundreds of small tasks that developers must navigate manually: updating tickets, running tests, requesting reviews, waiting for approvals, fixing merge conflicts, addressing security findings. These tasks drain an average of seven hours per week from every team member, according to our research.\n\nDevelopment teams are producing code faster than ever, but that code still crawls through fragmented toolchains, manual handoffs, and disconnected processes. In fact, 60% of DevSecOps teams use more than five tools for software development overall, and 49% use more than five AI tools. This fragmentation creates collaboration barriers, with 94% of DevSecOps professionals experiencing factors that limit collaboration in the software development lifecycle.\n\nThe answer isn't more tools. It's intelligent orchestration that brings software teams and their AI agents together across projects and release cycles, with enterprise-grade security, governance, and compliance built in.\n\n## Seeking deeper human-AI partnerships\nDevSecOps professionals don't want AI to take over — they want reliable partnerships. The vast majority (82%) say using agentic AI would increase their job satisfaction, and 43% envision an ideal future with a 50/50 split between human and AI contributions. They're ready to trust AI with 37% of their daily tasks without human review, particularly for documentation, test writing, and code reviews.\n\nWhat we heard resoundingly from DevSecOps professionals is that AI won't replace them; rather, it will fundamentally reshape their roles. 83% of DevSecOps professionals believe AI will significantly change their work within five years, and notably, 76% think this will create more engineering jobs, not fewer. As coding becomes easier with AI, engineers who can architect systems, ensure quality, and apply business context will be in high demand.\n\nCritically, 88% agree there are essential human qualities that AI will never fully replace, including creativity, innovation, collaboration, and strategic vision.\n\nSo how can organizations bridge the gap between AI’s promise and the reality of fragmented workflows?\n\n## Join us at GitLab Transcend: Explore how to drive real value with agentic AI\nOn February 10, 2026, GitLab will be hosting Transcend, where we'll reveal how intelligent orchestration transforms AI-powered software development. You'll get a first look at GitLab's upcoming product roadmap and learn how teams are solving real-world challenges by modernizing development workflows with AI.\n\nOrganizations winning in this new era balance AI adoption with security, compliance, and platform consolidation. AI offers genuine productivity gains when implemented thoughtfully — not by replacing human developers, but by freeing DevSecOps professionals to focus on strategic thinking and creative innovation.\n\n[Register for Transcend today](https://about.gitlab.com/events/transcend/virtual/) to secure your spot and discover how intelligent orchestration can help your software teams stay in flow.",[740,22,741],"AI/ML","security",{"featured":28,"template":15,"slug":743},"ai-is-reshaping-devsecops-attend-gitlab-transcend-to-see-whats-next",{"content":745,"config":756},{"title":746,"description":747,"authors":748,"heroImage":750,"date":751,"body":752,"category":11,"tags":753},"Atlassian ending Data Center as GitLab maintains deployment choice","As Atlassian transitions Data Center customers to cloud-only, GitLab presents a menu of deployment choices that map to business needs.",[749],"Emilio Salvador","https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1750098354/Blog/Hero%20Images/Blog/Hero%20Images/blog-image-template-1800x945%20%281%29_5XrohmuWBNuqL89BxVUzWm_1750098354056.png","2025-10-07","Change is never easy, especially when it's not your choice. Atlassian's announcement that [all Data Center products will reach end-of-life by March 28, 2029](https://www.atlassian.com/blog/announcements/atlassian-ascend), means thousands of organizations must now reconsider their DevSecOps deployment and infrastructure. But you don't have to settle for deployment options that don't fit your needs. GitLab maintains your freedom to choose — whether you need self-managed for compliance, cloud for convenience, or hybrid for flexibility — all within a single AI-powered DevSecOps platform that respects your requirements.\n\nWhile other vendors force migrations to cloud-only architectures, GitLab remains committed to supporting the deployment choices that match your business needs. Whether you're managing sensitive government data, operating in air-gapped environments, or simply prefer the control of self-managed deployments, we understand that one size doesn't fit all.\n\n## The cloud isn't the answer for everyone\n\nFor the many companies that invested millions of dollars in Data Center deployments, including those that migrated to Data Center [after its Server products were discontinued](https://about.gitlab.com/blog/atlassian-server-ending-move-to-a-single-devsecops-platform/), this announcement represents more than a product sunset. It signals a fundamental shift away from customer-centric architecture choices, forcing enterprises into difficult positions: accept a deployment model that doesn't fit their needs, or find a vendor that respects their requirements.\n\nMany of the organizations requiring self-managed deployments represent some of the world's most important organizations: healthcare systems protecting patient data, financial institutions managing trillions in assets, government agencies safeguarding national security, and defense contractors operating in air-gapped environments.\n\nThese organizations don't choose self-managed deployments for convenience; they choose them for compliance, security, and sovereignty requirements that cloud-only architectures simply cannot meet. Organizations operating in closed environments with restricted or no internet access aren't exceptions — they represent a significant portion of enterprise customers across various industries.\n\n![GitLab vs. Atlassian comparison table](https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1759928476/ynl7wwmkh5xyqhszv46m.jpg)\n\n## The real cost of forced cloud migration goes beyond dollars\n\nWhile cloud-only vendors frame mandatory migrations as \"upgrades,\" organizations face substantial challenges beyond simple financial costs:\n\n* **Lost integration capabilities:** Years of custom integrations with legacy systems, carefully crafted workflows, and enterprise-specific automations become obsolete. Organizations with deep integrations to legacy systems often find cloud migration technically infeasible.\n\n* **Regulatory constraints:** For organizations in regulated industries, cloud migration isn't just complex — it's often not permitted. Data residency requirements, air-gapped environments, and strict regulatory frameworks don't bend to vendor preferences. The absence of single-tenant solutions in many cloud-only approaches creates insurmountable compliance barriers.\n\n* **Productivity impacts:** Cloud-only architectures often require juggling multiple products: separate tools for planning, code management, CI/CD, and documentation. Each tool means another context switch, another integration to maintain, another potential point of failure. GitLab research shows [30% of developers spend at least 50% of their job maintaining and/or integrating their DevSecOps toolchain](https://about.gitlab.com/developer-survey/). Fragmented architectures exacerbate this challenge rather than solving it.\n\n## GitLab offers choice, commitment, and consolidation\n\nEnterprise customers deserve a trustworthy technology partner. That's why we've committed to supporting a range of deployment options — whether you need on-premises for compliance, hybrid for flexibility, or cloud for convenience, the choice remains yours. That commitment continues with [GitLab Duo](https://about.gitlab.com/gitlab-duo-agent-platform/), our AI solution that supports developers at every stage of their workflow.\n\nBut we offer more than just deployment flexibility. While other vendors might force you to cobble together their products into a fragmented toolchain, GitLab provides everything in a **comprehensive AI-native DevSecOps platform**. Source code management, CI/CD, security scanning, Agile planning, and documentation are all managed within a single application and a single vendor relationship.\n\nThis isn't theoretical. When Airbus and [Iron Mountain](https://about.gitlab.com/customers/iron-mountain/) evaluated their existing fragmented toolchains, they consistently identified challenges: poor user experience, missing functionalities like built-in security scanning and review apps, and management complexity from plugin troubleshooting. **These aren't minor challenges; they're major blockers for modern software delivery.**\n\n## Your migration path: Simpler than you think\n\nWe've helped thousands of organizations migrate from other vendors, and we've built the tools and expertise to make your transition smooth:\n\n* **Automated migration tools:** Our [Bitbucket Server importer](https://docs.gitlab.com/user/import/bitbucket_server/) brings over repositories, pull requests, comments, and even Large File Storage (LFS) objects. For Jira, our [built-in importer](https://docs.gitlab.com/user/project/import/jira/) handles issues, descriptions, and labels, with professional services available for complex migrations.\n\n* **Proven at scale:** A 500 GiB repository with 13,000 pull requests, 10,000 branches, and 7,000 tags is likely to [take just 8 hours to migrate](https://docs.gitlab.com/user/import/bitbucket_server/) from Bitbucket to GitLab using parallel processing.\n\n* **Immediate ROI:** A [Forrester Consulting Total Economic Impact™ study commissioned by GitLab](https://about.gitlab.com/resources/study-forrester-tei-gitlab-ultimate/) found that investing in GitLab Ultimate confirms these benefits translate to real bottom-line impact, with a three-year 483% ROI, 5x time saved in security related activities, and 25% savings in software toolchain costs.\n\n## Start your journey to a unified DevSecOps platform\n\nForward-thinking organizations aren't waiting for vendor-mandated deadlines. They're evaluating alternatives now, while they have time to migrate thoughtfully to platforms that protect their investments and deliver on promises.\n\nOrganizations invest in self-managed deployments because they need control, compliance, and customization. When vendors deprecate these capabilities, they remove not just features but the fundamental ability to choose environments matching business requirements.\n\nModern DevSecOps platforms should offer complete functionality that respects deployment needs, consolidates toolchains, and accelerates software delivery, without forcing compromises on security or data sovereignty.\n\n[Talk to our sales team](https://about.gitlab.com/sales/) today about your migration options, or explore our [comprehensive migration resources](https://about.gitlab.com/move-to-gitlab-from-atlassian/) to see how thousands of organizations have already made the switch.\n\nYou also can [try GitLab Ultimate with GitLab Duo Enterprise](https://about.gitlab.com/free-trial/devsecops/) for free for 30 days to see what a unified DevSecOps platform can do for your organization.",[574,567,754,755],"product","features",{"featured":28,"template":15,"slug":757},"atlassian-ending-data-center-as-gitlab-maintains-deployment-choice",{"promotions":759},[760,774,785,796],{"id":761,"categories":762,"header":764,"text":765,"button":766,"image":771},"ai-modernization",[763],"ai-ml","Is AI achieving its promise at scale?","Quiz will take 5 minutes or less",{"text":767,"config":768},"Get your AI maturity score",{"href":769,"dataGaName":770,"dataGaLocation":244},"/assessments/ai-modernization-assessment/","modernization assessment",{"config":772},{"src":773},"https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1772138786/qix0m7kwnd8x2fh1zq49.png",{"id":775,"categories":776,"header":777,"text":765,"button":778,"image":782},"devops-modernization",[754,11],"Are you just managing tools or shipping innovation?",{"text":779,"config":780},"Get your DevOps maturity score",{"href":781,"dataGaName":770,"dataGaLocation":244},"/assessments/devops-modernization-assessment/",{"config":783},{"src":784},"https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1772138785/eg818fmakweyuznttgid.png",{"id":786,"categories":787,"header":788,"text":765,"button":789,"image":793},"security-modernization",[741],"Are you trading speed for security?",{"text":790,"config":791},"Get your security maturity score",{"href":792,"dataGaName":770,"dataGaLocation":244},"/assessments/security-modernization-assessment/",{"config":794},{"src":795},"https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1772138786/p4pbqd9nnjejg5ds6mdk.png",{"id":797,"paths":798,"header":801,"text":802,"button":803,"image":808},"github-azure-migration",[799,800],"migration-from-azure-devops-to-gitlab","integrating-azure-devops-scm-and-gitlab","Is your team ready for GitHub's Azure move?","GitHub is already rebuilding around Azure. Find out what it means for you.",{"text":804,"config":805},"See how GitLab compares to GitHub",{"href":806,"dataGaName":807,"dataGaLocation":244},"/compare/gitlab-vs-github/github-azure-migration/","github azure migration",{"config":809},{"src":784},{"header":811,"blurb":812,"button":813,"secondaryButton":818},"Start building faster today","See what your team can do with the intelligent orchestration platform for DevSecOps.\n",{"text":814,"config":815},"Get your free trial",{"href":816,"dataGaName":51,"dataGaLocation":817},"https://gitlab.com/-/trial_registrations/new?glm_content=default-saas-trial&glm_source=about.gitlab.com/","feature",{"text":506,"config":819},{"href":55,"dataGaName":56,"dataGaLocation":817},1777493640061]