Theory

Updated

October 30, 2026

Theory: A Forge is Git Plus Metadata, Identity, and Jobs

git init --bare is hosting. A platform adds a database, authn/z, HTTP/SSH frontends, object storage, and workers. Operational complexity is the hidden product tax.

Invariants

  1. Smart HTTP and SSH both speak the Git protocol; they differ in auth.
  2. Repo bytes may live on local disk, NFS, or S3-style object stores.
  3. Webhooks are the universal outbound glue.
  4. Monolith vs microservices is a scaling and failure-domain choice.
clients --SSH/HTTP--> frontend --→ git storage
                         \--→ metadata DB
                         \--→ jobs / CI / hooks

What can break

  • Treating GitLab Omnibus RAM as “just Git.”

How to read this chapter

Git vs hosting, components, protocols, storage, identity box, extensibility, styles, cost.