3.1. Types of Runners

GitLab supports two main types of runners:

Shared Runners:

These are provided by GitLab and shared among projects within a GitLab instance. They are managed by GitLab administrators and are available for all projects by default. Shared runners are suitable for small to medium-sized teams or projects with moderate CI/CD requirements.

Example with Calculator Project: For our calculator project, shared runners can be a cost-effective option during the early development phases. They allow the team to focus on writing code without the need for extensive infrastructure management. Shared runners can efficiently handle simple jobs like running tests or deploying the application if there are no complex dependencies.

Specific Runners (Project or Group Runners):

Specific runners are dedicated to a single project or a group of projects. They can be configured and registered and are isolated to their respective projects or groups. Specific runners offer more control and flexibility over resource allocation and environment configuration.

Example with Data Analysis Project: In a more advanced stage of our calculator project, we might opt for a specific runner. This allows us to customize the environment according to our application’s dependencies, such as ensuring that the correct version of Python and any necessary libraries are available. Using a specific runner also helps us manage security policies, ensuring that our sensitive data (like API keys, if applicable) are not exposed to other projects.