Run Free 3 empowers teams to move faster with clearer guardrails and smarter automation. This release focuses on security, auditability, and day-to-day usability for growing organizations.
Product leaders and platform engineers rely on Run Free 3 to standardize workflows while preserving developer freedom. The following sections outline its architecture, policy controls, and practical guidance.
| Version | Release Date | Key Capabilities | Security Posture | Deployment Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Run Free 1 | 2021-03 | Basic CI/CD orchestration | Standard RBAC | On-prem only |
| Run Free 2 | 2022-08 | Pipeline as code, improved UI | Extended RBAC, SSO | On-prem, early cloud |
| Run Free 3 | 2024-11 | Auto scaling, policy as code, artifact registry | SCIM, fine-grained permissions, audit logs | Cloud, hybrid, on-prem |
Getting Started with Run Free 3
Run Free 3 introduces streamlined onboarding and guided workflows that reduce setup time for new teams. Admins can define policies once and apply them across multiple projects consistently.
The platform connects to existing source control and container registries, enabling incremental adoption without full migration. Teams can start with a subset of pipelines and expand usage as confidence grows.
Policy as Code and Governance
Defining Guardrails as Code
Security and compliance rules are expressed as version-controlled YAML, making enforcement transparent and reviewable. Policy as code integrates directly into pull requests to provide early feedback.
Risk Scoring and Exceptions
Run Free 3 calculates risk scores for pipeline changes and offers configurable exception paths with mandatory approvals. Audit trails link every exception to the responsible engineer and approver.
Performance, Scale, and Reliability
Auto Scaling Executor Pools
Dynamic executor pools spin up workers in response to queue depth and shut them down during idle periods to optimize cost. You can set upper bounds to control budget impact while maintaining throughput.
Observability and Runbooks
Built-in dashboards surface latency, failure rates, and queue times at job and step granularity. Runbooks are attached to job templates to guide operators during incidents, reducing mean time to resolution.
Integration and Extensibility
Native Connectors and Webhooks
Prebuilt connectors cover common source control, notification, and artifact services. Webhooks enable custom integrations while platform-managed tokens limit secret exposure.
Extending with Plugins and Templates
Organizations can author plugins and reusable templates to standardize approved patterns across teams. The registry enforces signing for plugins loaded into production pipelines.
Operational Recommendations for Run Free 3
- Start with a small set of standardized templates and expand gradually.
- Define policy as code in a dedicated repository with peer review.
- Set up observability alerts for queue growth and executor saturation.
- Periodically review risk exceptions and automate fixes where possible.
- Use cost caps and scheduled scaling to align spend with business cycles.
FAQ
Reader questions
How do I migrate existing pipelines from Run Free 2 to Run Free 3?
Use the automated migration assistant to convert pipeline syntax and map legacy permissions to policy as code. Run a staging validation pass before promoting changes to production.
Can I enforce policy as code without blocking developer velocity?
Yes, policy checks run early with clear error paths and auto-fix suggestions. You can configure permissive modes for experimental branches and stricter controls for mainline releases.
What audit information is retained for compliance requirements?
Platform-level audit logs capture who changed what and when, including policy revisions and execution metadata. Retention periods and export destinations are configurable to meet regulatory needs.
How does auto scaling affect build costs and predictability?
Cost controls let you set per-project budgets and caps on concurrent workers. The dashboard provides cost forecasts based on current queue patterns to help plan capacity.