Merge branch 'doc-refactor-storage-path' into 'master'

Refactor repository storages documentation

Use detailed information on using the multiple repository storage feature

See merge request !5428

3 files changed, 73 insertions, 10 deletions

diff --git a/doc/README.md b/doc/README.md
index ad5267352b0..b5b377822e6 100644
--- a/doc/README.md
+++ b/doc/README.md
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
 - [Sidekiq Troubleshooting](administration/troubleshooting/sidekiq.md) Debug when Sidekiq appears hung and is not processing jobs.
 - [High Availability](administration/high_availability/README.md) Configure multiple servers for scaling or high availability.
 - [Container Registry](administration/container_registry.md) Configure Docker Registry with GitLab.
+- [Multiple mountpoints for the repositories storage](administration/repository_storages.md) Define multiple repository storage paths to distribute the storage load.
 
 ## Contributor documentation
 
diff --git a/doc/administration/img/repository_storages_admin_ui.png b/doc/administration/img/repository_storages_admin_ui.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..599350bc098
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/administration/img/repository_storages_admin_ui.png
diff --git a/doc/administration/repository_storages.md b/doc/administration/repository_storages.md
index fd2b4f00960..a9e22e2bdaa 100644
--- a/doc/administration/repository_storages.md
+++ b/doc/administration/repository_storages.md
@@ -1,19 +1,81 @@
 # Repository storages
 
-GitLab allows you to define repository storage paths to enable distribution of
-storage load between several mount points. You can choose where new projects are
-stored via the `Application Settings` in the Admin interface.
+> [Introduced][ce-4578] in GitLab 8.10.
 
-## For installations from source
-
-Add your repository storage paths in your `gitlab.yml` under repositories -> storages, using key -> value pairs.
+GitLab allows you to define multiple repository storage paths to distribute the
+storage load between several mount points.
 
 >**Notes:**
+>
 - You must have at least one storage path called `default`.
+- The paths are defined in key-value pairs. The key is an arbitrary name you
+  can pick to name the file path.
+- The target directories and any of its subpaths must not be a symlink.
+
+## Configure GitLab
+
+>**Warning:**
 - In order for backups to work correctly the storage path must **not** be a
-mount point and the GitLab user should have correct permissions for the parent
-directory of the path.
+  mount point and the GitLab user should have correct permissions for the parent
+  directory of the path.
+
+Edit the configuration files and add the full paths of the alternative repository
+storage paths. In the example below we added two more mountpoints that we named
+`nfs` and `cephfs` respectively.
+
+**For installations from source**
+
+1. Edit `gitlab.yml` and add the storage paths:
+
+    ```yaml
+    repositories:
+      # Paths where repositories can be stored. Give the canonicalized absolute pathname.
+      # NOTE: REPOS PATHS MUST NOT CONTAIN ANY SYMLINK!!!
+      storages: # You must have at least a 'default' storage path.
+        default: /home/git/repositories
+        nfs: /mnt/nfs/repositories
+        cephfs: /mnt/cephfs/repositories
+    ```
+
+1. [Restart GitLab] for the changes to take effect.
+
+The `gitlab_shell: repos_path` entry in `gitlab.yml` will be deprecated and
+replaced by `repositories: storages` in the future, so if you are upgrading
+from a version prior to 8.10, make sure to add the configuration as described
+in the step above. After you make the changes and confirm they are working,
+you can remove:
+
+```yaml
+repos_path: /home/git/repositories
+```
+
+which is located under the `gitlab_shell` section.
+
+---
+
+**For Omnibus installations**
+
+1. Edit `/etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb` by appending the rest of the paths to the
+   default one:
+
+    ```ruby
+    git_data_dirs({
+      "default" => "/var/opt/gitlab/git-data",
+      "nfs" => "/mnt/nfs/git-data",
+      "cephfs" => "/mnt/cephfs/git-data"
+    })
+    ```
+
+    Note that Omnibus stores the repositories in a `repositories` subdirectory
+    of the `git-data` directory.
+
+## Choose where new project repositories will be stored
+
+Once you set the multiple storage paths, you can choose where new projects will
+be stored via the **Application Settings** in the Admin area.
 
-## For omnibus installations
+![Choose repository storage path in Admin area](img/repository_storages_admin_ui.png)
 
-Follow the instructions at https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/omnibus-gitlab/blob/master/doc/settings/configuration.md#storing-git-data-in-an-alternative-directory
+[ce-4578]: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/merge_requests/4578
+[restart gitlab]: restart_gitlab.md#installations-from-source
+[reconfigure gitlab]: restart_gitlab.md#omnibus-gitlab-reconfigure