>>> GitLab Upgrades

GitLab upgrades right every time.

GitLab Professional Services Select Partner

Safe, repeatable upgrades for self-managed GitLab instances — with rollback capability, hypercare support, and a 12-month programme that keeps you current without the overhead.

Talk to us about your upgrade → See how it works

No commitment. Just a conversation. We reply within one working day.

Most self-managed GitLab instances have the same problems. They've just been quietly accumulating.

Versions behind — security patches not applied, AI features locked out
Hardware ageing — slow builds, unexpected downtime, developers losing trust in the platform
Vulnerabilities sitting open and undetected in the network
No upgrade programme — every version jump is a one-off risk
The team that knows they need to upgrade but doesn't want to own the process

OTTRA takes the whole thing off your plate.

A client situation

Version 14. Ageing hardware. A team that didn't want to become GitLab administrators.

A financial services organisation was running GitLab on-premises at version 14. The hardware was ageing, the instance was unreliable, and developers were feeling it every day — slow builds, unexpected downtime, a platform that was supposed to accelerate delivery but was getting in the way of it. Security patches weren't being applied. The latest GitLab features, including AI functionality, were out of reach. And underneath it all, an undetected HTTP vulnerability was sitting open in their network.

OTTRA took on the full upgrade journey. Starting at version 14, we brought the instance up to the latest GitLab release — restoring security patch coverage and unlocking AI features without any increase in licensing costs. We then established a rolling 12-month upgrade programme: secure, repeatable, zero-touch upgrades delivered via a dedicated runner connected to the customer's infrastructure. The customer retains full control over when upgrades run. OTTRA provides hypercare support throughout and can roll back instantly if anything unexpected occurs.

During the process we identified and resolved the HTTP vulnerability in their network — a security hole that had gone unnoticed — and recommended migrating from a High Availability configuration to a Geo instance on AWS reference architecture, significantly reducing monthly infrastructure costs while improving reliability.

— Financial Services Organisation

The result

v14 → latest Full upgrade journey completed

Security patches restored, AI features unlocked, and a rolling 12-month programme established — all without increasing licensing costs.

Zero-touch Ongoing upgrades

Consume GitLab, don't run it. No maintenance burden. No version debt. No surprise outages.

A safe upgrade path to the latest release

No skipped steps, no shortcuts. Every intermediate version handled correctly, with rollback capability at every stage.

Security patch coverage restored from day one

Vulnerabilities closed, patches applied, and access to the latest GitLab features — including AI functionality — without increasing licensing costs.

A rolling 12-month upgrade programme

Zero-touch, repeatable, and fully under your control. OTTRA keeps your instance current so your team never falls behind again.

Hypercare support throughout

OTTRA is available for the full duration, not just the upgrade window. If something unexpected occurs, we reverse it immediately.

Assess

We review your current instance — version, configuration, infrastructure, and upgrade history. We identify the correct upgrade path and any risks specific to your environment before planning begins.

Plan

A detailed upgrade plan with a validated rollback strategy, agreed with your team before anything moves. No surprises.

Upgrade

The upgrade is executed against the agreed plan. Pre and post-upgrade validation at every step. OTTRA provides hypercare support throughout the window.

Programme

For organisations that want to stay current without repeat one-off engagements, OTTRA establishes a rolling 12-month upgrade programme — secure, zero-touch, and delivered on your schedule.

Still running an old version of GitLab?

Every month on an outdated instance is another month without security patches, without the latest features, and without GitLab Duo. It's also another month of version debt to clear later.

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