Why run your own self-managed GitLab instance at AWS?

Just a quick re-cap, how is GitLab different from GitHub?
GitHub and GitLab are both powerful platforms for version control and collaboration. We love using GitHub. It excels in community engagement, simplicity, and integrations, making it a top choice for open-source projects and teams valuing a user-friendly interface. GitLab, on the other hand, focuses on being an all-in-one DevOps solution with built-in CI/CD, security tools, and extensive self-hosting options, catering to businesses with strict compliance needs. While GitHub shines in collaboration and third-party integrations, GitLab is preferred for its integrated workflows and enterprise scalability.
So why run your own self-managed GitLab instance at AWS? Well, hosting a self-managed GitLab instance at AWS provides organisations with significantly greater control over their data, configurations, and overall infrastructure, making it particularly valuable for industries with stringent regulatory and compliance requirements, such as finance, healthcare, and government sectors.
Control
By hosting GitLab on AWS, organisations can ensure their data remains within their direct oversight, mitigating risks associated with third-party SaaS platforms. This is crucial for adhering to data sovereignty laws, privacy regulations like GDPR, and industry-specific standards, allowing organisations to maintain compliance with minimal risk.
Customisation
The ability to customise and fine-tune GitLab to meet specific business needs is another key advantage of self-hosting. Organisations can modify security settings to align with internal policies, implement bespoke authentication mechanisms, and integrate the platform seamlessly with existing in-house tools and workflows. This level of adaptability ensures that the DevOps pipeline is fully optimised for the organisation’s operational processes, something a SaaS alternative might struggle to accommodate.
Performance
Performance and resource management are also critical factors where self-hosting excels. Large teams or those with resource-intensive CI/CD pipelines can directly control infrastructure scaling, allocate computing resources effectively, and optimise network configurations to minimise latency and maximise throughput. For teams with demanding workloads, such as frequent builds or complex test suites, this granular level of control can lead to significant improvements in efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Requirements and Benefits
While managing a self-hosted GitLab instance requires technical expertise and ongoing maintenance, the long-term benefits often outweigh the challenges. By leveraging in-house IT teams or DevOps specialists, organisations can establish a highly secure, resilient, and scalable environment. This not only supports current business needs but also provides the flexibility to evolve with future requirements. The tailored DevOps environment ensures alignment with business continuity plans, offering a robust solution for maintaining productivity during unexpected disruptions or surges in demand.
Ultimately, a self-hosted GitLab solution empowers organisations to take full ownership of their development processes, fostering innovation while maintaining the highest standards of security and compliance.
At Habitat3, we believe that small businesses deserve big opportunities. That’s why we specialise in creating tailored cloud infrastructure that empowers our clients to thrive in the digital age.