Wikimedia Cloud Services team/EnhancementProposals/Toolforge UI

== Help us shape Toolforge UI! ==
The Cloud Services team is looking to improve the experience of Toolforge users by providing a web platform that complements existing command-line tools. The initiative is motivated by community feedback pointing out the complexity of current Toolforge’s deployment workflows, and it also seeks to update our hosting service to meet industry standards. 
Our hope is that providing users with a UI platform that centralizes tool creation and management will streamline our community’s day-to-day tasks and interaction with Toolforge. We’d like to understand your expectations and requirements for such a solution, so we can tailor it to your needs.
=== Background ===
For the past few months, our team has been focusing on exploring the challenges faced by different user groups during the setup and maintenance of their tools in order to identify opportunities. Internal exchanges and existing user feedback helped us define two main hypotheses: 
* Providing a web-based platform will streamline tool deployment and management tasks for current Toolforge users, helping them optimize day-to-day maintenance.
* A more guided, UI-based workflow will simplify the setup and deployment processes, lowering the barrier of entry for new users.
We are currently planning and conducting feedback collection activities (such as this announcement) to gather relevant insights from Toolforge maintainers that can help us inform both hypotheses and validate the opportunities we detected.
=== Design requirements ===
Our team is in the process of defining the scope of a pilot version of the solution, and designing low-fidelity mockups to reflect its fundamental user flows and features. We expect that the initial proof of concept of Toolforge UI would allow users to:
* Sign in and manage their account details (Initially for registered users only)
* Create and register tools using a simple form
* Access an overview of all user-managed tools
* Create and configure tool components (web services, background services, jobs)
* Connect to their GitLab account and link repositories
* Easily deploy changes (for build service components only)
* View deployment logs
* Define environment variables
Features to be included in follow-up iterations:
* Sign up of new users (No Toolforge membership request required)
* Create GitLab repositories
* Deploy individual components
* Set up and manage add-ons, like databases or storage
* Access a centralized logging dashboard
* Search, filter and download logs
* Access basic health monitoring (e.g., CPU load, Memory usage)
* Set up health monitoring alerts
* Managing contributors
User preferences and technical requirements will continue to influence the initial scope outlined above.
=== We need your feedback ===
We would like to understand your perspective, and discover the potential opportunities that you recognize in this solution in order to cater to your expectations and needs. 
To help us prioritize features that matter most to you, please share your thoughts on:
# How do you think a graphic interface could improve your experience with Toolforge? What tasks in your current workflow would be the most streamlined if performed in a centralized UI?
# Of the features mentioned (e.g., tool management, simplified deployment, observability), which are most critical to your workflow?
# Are there additional features not listed that you believe would significantly enhance the usefulness of Toolforge's web platform?
(Please note that your email address needs to be validated in Wikitech before you can share your message.)
Your observations will be instrumental in shaping a solution that best serves both new and experienced Toolforge users. Thank you for your contributions and support!