Runner Queue Depth - CI/CD Glossary Definition
Runner queue depth is how many jobs are waiting for a runner right now. It is the main signal an autoscaler uses and the clearest sign of a capacity shortfall.
Runner queue depth is the number of jobs waiting for a free runner at a given moment; a persistently high queue depth indicates the fleet is undersized for demand.
Queue depth pairs with queue time (how long jobs wait) to describe CI responsiveness under load.
Reading it
A queue depth that spikes and drains quickly is normal bursty load; one that stays high means jobs are consistently waiting and the fleet or concurrency limit needs raising.
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