Exploring Source control types supported by Azure Pipelines

Exploring Source control types supported by Azure Pipelines

Azure Pipelines supports multiple types of source control systems to integrate with your CI/CD workflows.

Here's an overview of the source control types supported by Azure Pipelines.

1. Azure Repos (Git and TFVC)

Azure DevOps offers two primary source control types within its own ecosystem:

• Git: A distributed version control system.

• Team Foundation Version Control (TFVC): A centralized version control system.

Key Features

• Seamless integration with Azure Pipelines.

• Built-in branch policies and pull request validation.

• Azure Repos Git supports Git repositories hosted within Azure DevOps.

• TFVC offers support for legacy projects that rely on centralized version control.

Typical Use Cases

• Projects hosted directly in Azure DevOps.

• Teams already using Azure Repos for source control.

2. GitHub

Azure Pipelines integrates directly with GitHub and GitHub Enterprise.

Key Features

• Direct integration for CI/CD workflows.

• Support for GitHub Actions as part of multi-platform pipelines.

• Pull request triggers and checks for continuous integration.

• OAuth or GitHub App-based authentication.

Typical Use Cases

• Open source projects or teams using GitHub for collaboration.

• Scenarios where Azure Pipelines is used for CI/CD while the code is hosted in GitHub.

3. Git (External Git Repositories)

Azure Pipelines can connect to any external Git repository.

Key Features

• Webhook support for triggering builds.

• Works with Git hosting platforms like Bitbucket, GitLab, or self-hosted Git servers.

Typical Use Cases

Teams using external Git servers but want to leverage Azure Pipelines for builds and deployments.

4. Bitbucket Cloud

Azure Pipelines offers integration with Bitbucket Cloud, a popular Git-based source control system.

Key Features

• Supports both public and private Bitbucket repositories.

• Pull request build validation for Bitbucket workflows.

• OAuth authentication.

Typical Use Cases

Teams hosting their repositories on Bitbucket but requiring robust CI/CD pipelines in Azure.

5. Subversion (SVN)

Subversion is a centralized version control system that Azure Pipelines supports via service connections.

Key Features

• Checkout and monitor code changes from Subversion repositories.

• Use pipelines to build and deploy projects stored in SVN.

Typical Use Cases

Legacy projects using Subversion for version control.

6. Mercurial (Hg)

Azure Pipelines also supports Mercurial, though its usage has declined in recent years.

Key Features

Provides support for projects hosted in Mercurial repositories.

Typical Use Cases

Legacy projects still relying on Mercurial.

7. Integration via External Services

In addition to directly supported systems, Azure Pipelines can connect to any source control provider that supports:

• SSH or HTTPS for authentication.

• Webhooks for triggering CI/CD processes.

Comparison of Source Control Types

Best Practices

1. Branch Policies: Implement branch policies like required reviews or build validations to enforce quality.

2. Authentication:

   • Use OAuth or GitHub App for GitHub and Bitbucket integrations.

   • Use Service Connections for external Git, Subversion, and Mercurial.

3. Triggers:

   • Set up webhooks for repositories that do not natively integrate with Azure Pipelines.

   • Use branch filters to control when builds are triggered.

4. Monitoring: Enable build and release traceability between source control changes and pipeline executions.