GitLab CI Job Exceeds Artifact Size Limit

The artifacts generated by the job exceed the maximum allowed size.

Understanding GitLab CI

GitLab CI/CD is a powerful tool integrated into GitLab that automates the software development process. It allows developers to build, test, and deploy their code efficiently. By defining a .gitlab-ci.yml file in the repository, developers can specify the stages, jobs, and scripts to be executed in the CI/CD pipeline.

Identifying the Symptom

One common issue encountered in GitLab CI is the error message indicating that a job exceeds the artifact size limit. This error typically appears in the job logs and can halt the pipeline execution, preventing further stages from running.

Observed Error Message

The error message usually looks like this:

ERROR: Job failed: artifact size limit exceeded

This message indicates that the total size of the artifacts generated by the job surpasses the maximum allowed size configured in GitLab.

Exploring the Issue

The artifact size limit is a constraint set in GitLab to prevent excessive storage usage. Artifacts are files generated by jobs, such as build outputs or test results, that are stored and can be downloaded later. When the total size of these artifacts exceeds the configured limit, GitLab will not store them, resulting in the error.

Default Artifact Size Limit

By default, GitLab sets a limit on the artifact size to ensure optimal performance and resource management. This limit can vary depending on the GitLab instance configuration and the plan you are on. You can find more details about GitLab's artifact limits in the official documentation.

Steps to Resolve the Issue

To resolve the "Job Exceeds Artifact Size Limit" error, you can either reduce the size of the artifacts or increase the artifact size limit. Here are the steps for both approaches:

Reducing Artifact Size

  • Review the artifacts being generated by the job and identify unnecessary files that can be excluded.
  • Modify the .gitlab-ci.yml file to exclude these files using the artifacts:paths directive. For example:

artifacts:
paths:
- build/
- reports/
exclude:
- build/temp/

This configuration will exclude the build/temp/ directory from the artifacts.

Increasing Artifact Size Limit

  • Access the GitLab instance settings with administrative privileges.
  • Navigate to Admin Area > Settings > CI/CD.
  • Locate the Maximum artifact size (MB) setting and increase the limit as needed.
  • Save the changes and rerun the pipeline.

For more detailed instructions, refer to the GitLab Administration Guide.

Conclusion

By understanding and addressing the "Job Exceeds Artifact Size Limit" error, you can ensure that your GitLab CI/CD pipelines run smoothly without interruptions. Whether by optimizing artifact size or adjusting configuration settings, these steps will help you maintain efficient and effective CI/CD processes.

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