---
stage: Configure
group: Configure
info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#designated-technical-writers
---

# Runbooks

Runbooks are a collection of documented procedures that explain how to
carry out a particular process, be it starting, stopping, debugging,
or troubleshooting a particular system.

Using [Jupyter Notebooks](https://jupyter.org/) and the
[Rubix library](https://github.com/Nurtch/rubix),
users can get started writing their own executable runbooks.

Historically, runbooks took the form of a decision tree or a detailed
step-by-step guide depending on the condition or system.

Modern implementations have introduced the concept of an "executable
runbooks", where, along with a well-defined process, operators can execute
pre-written code blocks or database queries against a given environment.

## Executable Runbooks

> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-foss/issues/45912) in GitLab 11.4.

The JupyterHub app offered via GitLab’s Kubernetes integration now ships
with Nurtch’s Rubix library, providing a simple way to create DevOps
runbooks. A sample runbook is provided, showcasing common operations. While
Rubix makes it simple to create common Kubernetes and AWS workflows, you can
also create them manually without Rubix.

<i class="fa fa-youtube-play youtube" aria-hidden="true"></i>
Watch this [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_OqHIIUPjE)
for an overview of how this is accomplished in GitLab!

## Requirements

To create an executable runbook, you will need:

- **Kubernetes** - A Kubernetes cluster is required to deploy the rest of the
  applications. The simplest way to get started is to add a cluster using one
  of [GitLab's integrations](../add_remove_clusters.md#create-new-cluster).
- **Helm Tiller** - Helm is a package manager for Kubernetes and is required to
  install all the other applications. It's installed in its own pod inside the
  cluster which can run the Helm CLI in a safe environment.
- **Ingress** - Ingress can provide load balancing, SSL termination, and name-based
  virtual hosting. It acts as a web proxy for your applications.
- **JupyterHub** - [JupyterHub](https://jupyterhub.readthedocs.io/) is a multi-user
  service for managing notebooks across a team. Jupyter Notebooks provide a
  web-based interactive programming environment used for data analysis,
  visualization, and machine learning.

## Nurtch

Nurtch is the company behind the [Rubix library](https://github.com/Nurtch/rubix).
Rubix is an open-source Python library that makes it easy to perform common
DevOps tasks inside Jupyter Notebooks. Tasks such as plotting Cloudwatch metrics
and rolling your ECS/Kubernetes app are simplified down to a couple of lines of
code. See the [Nurtch Documentation](http://docs.nurtch.com/en/latest/) for more
information.

## Configure an executable runbook with GitLab

Follow this step-by-step guide to configure an executable runbook in GitLab using
the components outlined above and the pre-loaded demo runbook.

1. Add a Kubernetes cluster to your project by following the steps outlined in
   [Create new cluster](../add_remove_clusters.md#create-new-cluster).
1. After the cluster has been provisioned in GKE, click the **Install** button
   next to the **Helm Tiller** application to install Helm Tiller.

   ![install helm](img/helm-install.png)

1. After Helm Tiller has been installed successfully, click the **Install** button next
   to the **Ingress** application.

   ![install ingress](img/ingress-install.png)

1. After Ingress has been installed successfully, click the **Install** button next
   to the **JupyterHub** application. You will need the **Jupyter Hostname** provided
   here in the next step.

   ![install JupyterHub](img/jupyterhub-install.png)

1. After JupyterHub has been installed successfully, open the **Jupyter Hostname**
   in your browser. Click the **Sign in with GitLab** button to log in to
   JupyterHub and start the server. Authentication is enabled for any user of the
   GitLab instance with OAuth2. This button redirects you to a page at GitLab
   requesting authorization for JupyterHub to use your GitLab account.

   ![authorize Jupyter](img/authorize-jupyter.png)

1. Click **Authorize**, and you will be redirected to the JupyterHub application.
1. Click **Start My Server**, and the server will start in a few seconds.
1. To configure the runbook's access to your GitLab project, you must enter your
   [GitLab Access Token](../../../profile/personal_access_tokens.md)
   and your Project ID in the **Setup** section of the demo runbook:

   1. Double-click the **DevOps-Runbook-Demo** folder located on the left panel.

      ![demo runbook](img/demo-runbook.png)

   1. Double-click the `Nurtch-DevOps-Demo.ipynb` runbook.

      ![sample runbook](img/sample-runbook.png)

      Jupyter displays the runbook's contents in the right-hand side of the screen.
      The **Setup** section displays your `PRIVATE_TOKEN` and your `PROJECT_ID`.
      Enter these values, maintaining the single quotes as follows:

      ```sql
      PRIVATE_TOKEN = 'n671WNGecHugsdEDPsyo'
      PROJECT_ID = '1234567'
      ```

   1. Update the `VARIABLE_NAME` on the last line of this section to match the name of
      the variable you're using for your access token. In this example, our variable
      name is `PRIVATE_TOKEN`.

      ```sql
      VARIABLE_VALUE = project.variables.get('PRIVATE_TOKEN').value
      ```

1. To configure the operation of a runbook, create and configure variables:

   NOTE: **Note:**
   For this example, we are using the **Run SQL queries in Notebook** section in the
   sample runbook to query a PostgreSQL database. The first four lines of the following
   code block define the variables that are required for this query to function:

   ```sql
   %env DB_USER={project.variables.get('DB_USER').value}
   %env DB_PASSWORD={project.variables.get('DB_PASSWORD').value}
   %env DB_ENDPOINT={project.variables.get('DB_ENDPOINT').value}
   %env DB_NAME={project.variables.get('DB_NAME').value}
   ```

   1. Navigate to **{settings}** **Settings >> CI/CD >> Variables** to create
      the variables in your project.

      ![GitLab variables](img/gitlab-variables.png)

   1. Click **Save variables**.

   1. In Jupyter, click the **Run SQL queries in Notebook** heading, and then click
      **Run**. The results are displayed inline as follows:

      ![PostgreSQL query](img/postgres-query.png)

You can try other operations, such as running shell scripts or interacting with a
Kubernetes cluster. Visit the
[Nurtch Documentation](http://docs.nurtch.com/) for more information.
