For this tutorial, I'll be using an existing project named Velocity-Test-2. You can create a new one if you don't have any repositories yet.

Below is a sample test.gitlab-ci.yml pipeline code that I have used in this blog:

stages:

  - build

  - test

  - deploy

build-job:

  stage: build

  script:

    - echo "Compiling the code..."

    - echo "Compile complete."

deploy-dev:

  stage: deploy

  environment: DEV

  script:

    - echo "Deploying to DEV environment."

  when: manual

deploy-QA:

  stage: deploy

  environment: QA

  script:

    - echo "Deploying to QA environment."

  when: manual

deploy-PROD:

  stage: deploy

  environment: production

  script:

    - echo "Deploying to PROD environment."

  when: manual

Once you have created your GitLab project, the next step is to generate a Personal Access Token. This token will enable IBM DevOps Velocity to securely interact with your GitLab repository by providing the necessary authentication.

Step 2 :Generate Access token

• To generate access token, navigate to Edit Profile → Access tokens and click on Add a new token

• Provide the name of the token, expiry date and give it proper permissions and click on create token.

• Once created, save the token value as you won't be able to access it again.

Step 3: Setup the IBM DevOps Velocity integration with Gitlab

• Navigate to Settings → Integrations → Available and search for GitLab in the search box.
• Install the latest GitLab plugin.

• Once the plugin is installed. Navigate to Integrations → Installed tab and find the installed Gitlab plugin.

• Now to integrate IBM DevOps Velocity with GitLab we need to add integration.
• Click on Add Integration and provide the requested details.

In this blog I have provided the below information according to my Gitlab instance.

GitLab integration name: Provide the name for the integration.

URL: Provide the URL of GitLab.

Private token: Provide the access token generated earlier which we have saved from GitLab.

Project Names: Provide the name of your Gitlab project.

Once you have provided the required information click on Add. If the provided details are correct the status of the integration should be online, and the logs should show the build synced.

For Example:

You have now successfully integrated GitLab and DevOps Velocity and the integration page should show as below:

Step 4: Orchestrating a Deployment pipeline in DevOps Velocity

In the Gitlab pipeline we have specified the deployment phases to be manual. In order to automate the deployment and orchestrate it we need to create a deployment pipeline in Velocity.

We need to create a new value stream in DevOps velocity to orchestrate the deployment pipeline.

•  In the IBM DevOps Velocity Navigate to Value streams and click on Create value stream.

PRE-REQUISITE NOTE: The Application version should be built successfully in Gitlab before configuring the pipeline in DevOps Velocity.

• To configure Pipelines click on Add application and select GitLab in the managed by section.

• Once you select GitLab in the managed by section you will be able to see the applications created in the GitLab under the select your applications section.
• Select the application you want to add in Velocity and click Save.

• After adding the application to your pipeline, click on the + icon to include the desired application version for all your environments. From the options provided, select the version of your application that you want to deploy.

• Click on Deploy icon for the DEV environment.

• Then select the version and click Deploy.

Once the pipeline build has executed successfully, IBM Velocity will display the build number in the selected environment within the application pipeline. 

For Example 

I have performed the Deploy step for all the environments and you can see the version in the Input being deployed for all the environments.