Bugzilla

Bugzilla is an open‑source, web‑based defect tracking system that has been a staple of software projects for over two decades. From a developer’s standpoint, it functions as a highly configurable data store and workflow engine for bugs, feature requests, and change management. The core of the system is a set of PHP scripts that expose a REST‑style API and a traditional HTML interface, while the business logic lives in Perl modules that orchestrate state transitions, notification queues, and reporting. The application is designed to run on a LAMP stack (Linux, Apache/Nginx, MySQL/MariaDB, PHP) but can also be deployed on other Unix‑like hosts with minimal adjustments.

Architecture & Technical Stack

• Language Layer – PHP 7.x+ serves the web interface; Perl 5.10+ powers background jobs and the API layer.
• Database – MySQL or MariaDB (default) with optional PostgreSQL support via the DBD::Pg driver. The schema is normalized, featuring tables for bugs, comments, products, components, users, and custom fields.
• Web Server – Apache (mod_php) or Nginx with PHP‑FPM; the codebase is agnostic to the front‑end server, enabling deployment behind reverse proxies or load balancers.
• Background Workers – bugzilla-queue and bugzilla-email processes handle email parsing, notification dispatch, and scheduled tasks. These are implemented as Perl scripts that can be daemonized or run via systemd timers.
• API – A JSON‑based REST API (/rest.cgi) provides CRUD operations on bugs, users, and custom data. SOAP support is legacy but still available for older clients.
• Search – Full‑text search uses MySQL’s native FULLTEXT indexes; optional integration with Solr or ElasticSearch can be configured for larger installations.

Core Capabilities & Extensibility

Bugzilla exposes a rich set of developer‑friendly features:

• Custom Fields & Workflows – Define arbitrary fields and state machines per product, enabling domain‑specific tracking.
• Plugin System – The plugins directory hosts Perl modules that hook into lifecycle events (Bugzilla::Hook). Popular plugins include LDAP Authentication, GitHub Integration, and SAML SSO.
• Webhooks & CI/CD – Native webhook support allows external services to trigger on bug creation, status changes, or comment additions. This is essential for integrating with CI pipelines or chatops.
• REST & SOAP APIs – Programmatic access to bugs, comments, and metadata. Authentication can be token‑based or via session cookies.
• Reporting & Dashboards – Built‑in report templates (XML/HTML) and customizable dashboards. Advanced queries can be constructed with a query language that supports logical operators, regex, and date ranges.

Deployment & Infrastructure

Bugzilla is intentionally lightweight; a single LAMP stack can host dozens of products and thousands of bugs. For high‑availability:

• Database Replication – MySQL master/slave or Galera cluster for read scalability.
• Load Balancing – Multiple web nodes behind HAProxy or Nginx; the session state is stored in a database, so sticky sessions are not required.
• Containerization – Official Docker images are available (bugzilla/bugzilla). Containers expose standard ports (80/443) and can be orchestrated with Kubernetes, Helm charts, or Docker‑Compose. Persistent volumes map to the database and /var/lib/bugzilla for attachments.
• Backup & Recovery – The bzbackup script dumps database and attachment directories; incremental backups can be scheduled via cron or Kubernetes Jobs.

Integration & Extensibility

Beyond plugins, Bugzilla offers:

• LDAP/AD Authentication – Seamless SSO for enterprise environments.
• OAuth & JWT Support – Modern token‑based authentication for third‑party apps.
• Email Parsing – Incoming emails are parsed into bugs or comments, configurable via config.inc.php.
• Custom Scripts – Perl scripts can be added to the custom directory and invoked via cron or webhooks.

Developer Experience & Community

Bugzilla’s documentation is comprehensive, with a dedicated wiki and API reference. The project maintains an active mailing list (bugzilla@mozilla.org) where developers discuss enhancements, security patches, and deployment strategies. The codebase follows strict coding standards (Perl::Critic, PHP_CodeSniffer), and unit tests cover >90% of the core logic. Licensing under MPL 2.0 allows free use, modification, and redistribution—an attractive option for organizations that require full control over their bug‑tracking infrastructure.

Use Cases

• Enterprise Release Management – Teams that need a self‑hosted, compliant bug tracker with fine‑grained access control.
• Open‑Source Projects – Large projects that require custom workflows and integration with CI/CD pipelines.
• Regulated Industries – Healthcare, finance, or aerospace firms where data residency and audit trails are mandatory.

Advantages Over Alternatives

• Performance & Scalability – Proven to handle millions of bugs in production (e.g., Mozilla’s internal use).
• Extensibility – Rich plugin ecosystem and a well‑documented API allow deep integration.
• Mature Security – Regular security audits, robust authentication mechanisms, and role‑based access control.
• Cost & Licensing – Completely free under MPL