@@ -10,215 +10,197 @@ info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated w
> - [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/12077) in GitLab Premium 12.3 at the group level.
> - [Renamed](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/23427) from cycle analytics to value stream analytics in GitLab 12.8.
Value stream analytics measures the time spent to go from an
[idea to production](https://about.gitlab.com/blog/2016/08/05/continuous-integration-delivery-and-deployment-with-gitlab/#from-idea-to-production-with-gitlab)
(also known as cycle time) for each of your projects or groups. Value stream analytics displays the median time
spent in each stage defined in the process.
Value stream analytics provides metrics about each stage of your software development process.
You can use value stream analytics to determine the velocity of a given
project. It points to bottlenecks in the development process, enabling management
to uncover, triage, and identify the root cause of slowdowns in the software development life cycle.
Use value stream analytics to identify:
For information about how to contribute to the development of value stream analytics, see our [contributor documentation](../../development/value_stream_analytics.md).
- The amount of time it takes to go from an idea to production.
- The velocity of a given project.
- Bottlenecks in the development process.
- Factors that cause your software development lifecycle to slow down.
To access value stream analytics for a project:
Value stream analytics is also available for [groups](../group/value_stream_analytics).
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Projects** and find your project.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Analytics > Value stream**.
NOTE:
[Value stream analytics for groups](../group/value_stream_analytics) is also available.
## Default stages
The stages tracked by value stream analytics by default represent the [GitLab flow](../../topics/gitlab_flow.md). You can customize these stages in value stream analytics for groups.
-**Issue** (Tracker)
- Time to schedule an issue (by milestone or by adding it to an issue board)
-**Plan** (Board)
- Time to first commit
-**Code** (IDE)
- Time to create a merge request
-**Test** (CI)
- Time it takes GitLab CI/CD to test your code
-**Review** (Merge request)
- Time spent on code review
-**Staging** (Continuous Deployment)
- Time between merging and deploying to production
## Filter value stream analytics data
> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/326701) in GitLab 14.3
You can filter analytics based on the following parameters:
## View value stream analytics
- Milestones (Group level)
- Labels (Group level)
- Author
- Assignees
> - Filtering [introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/326701) in GitLab 14.3
> - Sorting [introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/335974) in GitLab 14.4.
To filter results:
To view value stream analytics for your project:
1. Select the **Filter results** text box.
1. Select a parameter.
1. Select a value. To find a value in the list, enter the value name.
![Value stream analytics filter bar](img/project_vsa_filter_v14_3.png"Active filter bar for a project's value stream analytics")
### Date ranges
To filter analytics results based on a date range,
select different **From** and **To** days
from the date picker (default: last 30 days).
### Stage table
> Sorting the stage table [introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/335974) in GitLab 14.4.
![Value stream analytics stage table](img/project_vsa_stage_table_v14_4.png"Project VSA stage table")
The stage table shows a list of related workflow items for the selected stage. This can include:
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Projects** and find your project.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Analytics > Value stream**.
1. To view metrics for each stage, above the **Filter results** text box, select a stage.
1. Optional. Filter the results:
1. Select the **Filter results** text box.
1. Select a parameter.
1. Select a value or enter text to refine the results.
1. To adjust the date range:
- In the **From** field, select a start date.
- In the **To** field, select an end date.
1. Optional. Sort results by ascending or descending:
- To sort by most recent or oldest workflow item, select the **Merge requests** or **Issues**
header. The header name differs based on the stage you select.
- To sort by most or least amount of time spent in each stage, select the **Time** header.
The table shows a list of related workflow items for the selected stage. Based on the stage you choose, this can be:
- CI/CD jobs
- Issues
- Merge requests
- Pipelines
A little badge next to the workflow items table header shows the number of workflow items that
completed the selected stage.
A badge next to the workflow items table header shows the number of workflow items that completed the selected stage.
The stage table also includes the **Time** column, which shows how long it takes each item to pass
through the selected value stream stage.
## View time spent in each development stage
To sort the stage table by a table column, select the table header.
You can sort in ascending or descending order. To find items that spent the most time in a stage,
potentially causing bottlenecks in your value stream, sort the table by the **Time** column.
From there, select individual items to drill in and investigate how delays are happening.
To see which items most recently exited the stage, sort by the work item column on the left.
Value stream analytics shows the median time spent by issues or merge requests in each development stage.
The table displays 20 items per page. If there are more than 20 items, you can use the
**Prev** and **Next** buttons to navigate through the pages.
To view the median time spent in each stage:
## How Time metrics are measured
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Projects** and find your project.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Analytics > Value stream**.
1. Optional. Filter the results:
1. Select the **Filter results** text box.
1. Select a parameter.
1. Select a value or enter text to refine the results.
1. To adjust the date range:
- In the **From** field, select a start date.
- In the **To** field, select an end date.
1. To view the median time for each stage, above the **Filter results** text box, point to a stage.
## View the lead time and cycle time for issues
The **Time** metrics near the top of the page are measured as follows:
Value stream analytics shows the lead time and cycle time for issues in your project:
-**Lead time**: Median time from issue created to issue closed.
-**Cycle time**: Median time from first commit to issue closed. (You can associate a commit with an issue by [crosslinking in the commit message](../project/issues/crosslinking_issues.md#from-commit-messages).)
-**Lead Time for Changes**: median duration between merge request merge and deployment to a production environment for all MRs deployed in the given time period. [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/340150) in GitLab 14.5 (Ultimate only).
- Lead time: Median time from when the issue was created to when it was closed.
- Cycle time: Median time from first commit to issue closed. Commits are associated with issues when users [cross-link them in the commit message](../project/issues/crosslinking_issues.md#from-commit-messages).
## Deployment metrics (**PREMIUM**)
To view the lead time and cycle time for issues:
> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/337256) in GitLab 11.3.
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Projects** and find your project.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Analytics > Value stream**.
1. Optional. Filter the results:
1. Select the **Filter results** text box.
1. Select a parameter.
1. Select a value or enter text to refine the results.
1. To adjust the date range:
- In the **From** field, select a start date.
- In the **To** field, select an end date.
Value stream analytics exposes two deployment related metrics near the top of the page:
The **Lead Time** and **Cycle Time** metrics display below the **Filter results** text box.
-**Deploys:** The number of successful deployments in the date range.
-**Deployment Frequency:** The average number of successful deployments.
## View lead time for changes for merge requests **(ULTIMATE)**
The deployment metrics calculation uses the same method as the
[value stream analytics for groups](../group/value_stream_analytics/index.md#how-metrics-are-measured).
Both of them are based on the [DORA API](../../api/dora/metrics.md#devops-research-and-assessment-dora-key-metrics-api).
> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/340150) in GitLab 14.5.
## How the stages are measured
Lead time for changes is the median duration between when a merge request is merged and when it's deployed to production.
Value stream analytics uses start events and end events to measure the time that an issue or merge request spends in each stage.
For example, a stage might start when one label is added to an issue and end when another label is added.
Items aren't included in the stage time calculation if they have not reached the end event.
To view the lead time for changes for merge requests in your project:
| Stage | Description |
|---------|---------------|
| Issue | Measures the median time between creating an issue and taking action to solve it, by either labeling it or adding it to a milestone, whichever comes first. The label is tracked only if it already includes an [issue board list](../project/issue_board.md) created for it. |
| Plan | Measures the median time between the action you took for the previous stage, and pushing the first commit to the branch. That first branch commit triggers the separation between **Plan** and **Code**, and at least one of the commits in the branch must include the related issue number (such as `#42`). If the issue number is *not* included in a commit, that data is not included in the measurement time of the stage. |
| Code | Measures the median time between pushing a first commit (previous stage) and creating a merge request (MR). The process is tracked with the [issue closing pattern](../project/issues/managing_issues.md#closing-issues-automatically) in the description of the merge request. For example, if the issue is closed with `Closes #xxx`, it's assumed that `xxx` is issue number for the merge request). If there is no closing pattern, the start time is set to the create time of the first commit. |
| Test | Essentially the start to finish time for all pipelines. Measures the median time to run the entire pipeline for that project. Related to the time required by GitLab CI/CD to run every job for the commits pushed to that merge request, as defined in the previous stage. |
| Review | Measures the median time taken to review merge requests with a closing issue pattern, from creation to merge. |
| Staging | Measures the median time between merging the merge request (with a closing issue pattern) to the first deployment to a [production environment](#how-the-production-environment-is-identified). Data not collected without a production environment. |
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Projects** and find your project.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Analytics > Value stream**.
1. Optional. Filter the results:
1. Select the **Filter results** text box.
1. Select a parameter.
1. Select a value or enter text to refine the results.
1. To adjust the date range:
- In the **From** field, select a start date.
- In the **To** field, select an end date.
How this works:
The **Lead Time for Changes** metrics display below the **Filter results** text box.
1. Issues and merge requests are grouped in pairs, where the merge request has the
- Issues that do not include labels present in the issue board.
-Issues without a milestone.
-Staging stages, in projects without a [production environment](#how-the-production-environment-is-identified).
Value stream analytics shows the following deployment metrics for your project:
-Deploys: The number of successful deployments in the date range.
-Deployment Frequency: The average number of successful deployments per day in the date range.
## How the production environment is identified
To view deployment metrics for your project:
Value stream analytics identifies production environments based on the
[deployment tier of environments](../../ci/environments/index.md#deployment-tier-of-environments).
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Projects** and find your project.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Analytics > Value stream**.
1. Optional. Filter the results:
1. Select the **Filter results** text box.
1. Select a parameter.
1. Select a value or enter text to refine the results.
1. To adjust the date range:
- In the **From** field, select a start date.
- In the **To** field, select an end date.
## Example workflow
The **Deploys** and **Deployment Frequency** metrics display below the **Filter results** text box.
Here's a fictional workflow of a single cycle that happens in a
single day, passing through all seven stages. If a stage doesn't have
a start and a stop mark, it isn't measured and hence isn't calculated in the median
time. It's assumed that milestones are created, and CI for testing and setting
environments is configured.
1. Issue is created at 09:00 (start of **Issue** stage).
1. Issue is added to a milestone at 11:00 (stop of **Issue** stage and start of
**Plan** stage).
1. Start working on the issue, create a branch locally, and make one commit at
12:00.
1. Make a second commit to the branch that mentions the issue number at 12:30
(stop of **Plan** stage and start of **Code** stage).
1. Push branch, and create a merge request that contains the [issue closing pattern](../project/issues/managing_issues.md#closing-issues-automatically)
in its description at 14:00 (stop of **Code** stage and start of **Test** and
**Review** stages).
1. The CI starts running your scripts defined in [`.gitlab-ci.yml`](../../ci/yaml/index.md) and
takes 5 minutes (stop of **Test** stage).
1. Review merge request, ensure that everything is okay, and then merge the merge
request at 19:00 (stop of **Review** stage and start of **Staging** stage).
1. The merge request is merged, and a deployment to the `production`
environment starts and finishes at 19:30 (stop of **Staging** stage).
From the previous example we see the time used for each stage:
-**Issue**: 2 hrs (09:00 to 11:00)
-**Plan**: 1 hr (11:00 to 12:00)
-**Code**: 2 hrs (12:00 to 14:00)
-**Test**: 5 minutes
-**Review**: 5 hrs (14:00 to 19:00)
-**Staging**: 30 minutes (19:00 to 19:30)
Deployment metrics are calculated based on data from the
| Private | Any member Guest and above can access |
## How value stream analytics measures each stage
You can [read more about permissions](../../user/permissions.md) in general.
Value stream analytics uses start and end events to measure the time that an issue or merge request
spends in each stage.
## More resources
For example, a stage might start when a user adds a label to an issue, and ends when they add another label.
Items aren't included in the stage time calculation if they have not reached the end event.
Learn more about value stream analytics with the following resources:
| Stage | Measurement method |
|---------|----------------------|
| Issue | The median time between creating an issue and taking action to solve it, by either labeling it or adding it to a milestone. The label is tracked only if it already includes an [issue board list](../project/issue_board.md) that has been created for the label. |
| Plan | The median time between the action you took for the previous stage, and when you push the first commit to the branch. The first branch commit triggers the transition from **Plan** to **Code**, and at least one of the commits in the branch must include the related issue number (such as `#42`). If the issue number is not included in a commit, that data is not included in the measurement time of the stage. |
| Code | The median time between pushing a first commit (previous stage) and creating a merge request. The process is tracked with the [issue closing pattern](../project/issues/managing_issues.md#closing-issues-automatically) in the description of the merge request. For example, if the issue is closed with `Closes #xxx`, `xxx` is the issue number for the merge request. If there is no closing pattern, the start time is set to the create time of the first commit. |
| Test | The time from start to finish for all pipelines. Measures the median time to run the entire pipeline for that project. Related to the time required by GitLab CI/CD to run every job for the commits pushed to that merge request, as defined in the previous stage. |
| Review | The median time taken to review merge requests with a closing issue pattern, from creation to merge. |
| Staging | The median time between merging the merge request (with a closing issue pattern) to the first deployment to a [production environment](../../ci/environments/index.md#deployment-tier-of-environments). Data is not collected without a production environment. |
This example shows a workflow through all seven stages in one day. In this
example, milestones have been created and CI for testing and setting environments is configured.
- 09:00: Create issue. **Issue** stage starts.
- 11:00: Add issue to a milestone, start work on the issue, and create a branch locally.
**Issue** stage stops and **Plan** stage starts.
- 12:00: Make the first commit.
- 12:30: Make the second commit to the branch that mentions the issue number. **Plan** stage stops and **Code** stage starts.
- 14:00: Push branch and create a merge request that contains the [issue closing pattern](../project/issues/managing_issues.md#closing-issues-automatically). **Code** stage stops and **Test** and **Review** stages start.
- The CI takes 5 minutes to run scripts defined in [`.gitlab-ci.yml`](../../ci/yaml/index.md).
**Test** stage stops.
- Review merge request.
- 19:00: Merge the merge request. **Review** stage stops and **Staging** stage starts.
- 19:30: Deployment to the `production` environment starts and finishes. **Staging** stops.
Value stream analytics records the following times for each stage:
-**Issue**: 09:00 to 11:00: 2 hrs
-**Plan**: 11:00 to 12:00: 1 hr
-**Code**: 12:00 to 14:00: 2 hrs
-**Test**: 5 minutes
-**Review**: 14:00 to 19:00: 5 hrs
-**Staging**: 19:00 to 19:30: 30 minutes
There are some additional considerations for this example:
- Although this example specifies the issue number in a later commit, the process
still collects analytics data for the issue.
- The time required in the **Test** stage is included in the **Review** process,
as every merge request should be tested.
- This example illustrates only one cycle of multiple stages. The value
stream analytics dashboard shows the calculated median elapsed time for these issues.
- Value stream analytics identifies production environments based on the
[deployment tier of environments](../../ci/environments/index.md#deployment-tier-of-environments).
