DEVOPS BRANCHING STRATEGY
The ever-evolving DevOps has changed the game when it comes to development, release, and deployment. With version control playing an increasingly significant role in DevOps, the workflow heavily relies on applications such as Git and Subversion. As a Salesforce partner looking to leverage DevOps for Salesforce release management, data backup and recovery, and security solutions, it’s important to understand best practices for branching strategies in DevOps. Let’s start by exploring what we mean when we refer to “branching” in DevOps. In software version control (SCV) systems, a branch typically refers to a source code component or a set of files being worked on or developed as part of a project. All branches should contain the most up-to-date version of the code. The idea is to separate the code base into different branches such that each branch can be maintained, tracked, and merged in its own unique way. The reason branching is so essential to the DevOps workflow is because it allows developers to work independently on separate versions of code, while allowing them to maintain a copy of the main branch. This enables developers to develop, update, or rollback features without risking the main code line. By leveraging branching, developers also have more control over code quality, by making sure new features don't cause any bugs in existing functionality. When it comes to enterprise Salesforce development, there are several main types of branching strategies that are worth investigating. Let’s explore these strategies and their pros and cons. The first Git branching strategy is the “Fork & Pull” model. In this model, developers create a fork (a duplicate copy) of the main branch and make their changes in that fork. Once the developers are done with developing the branch, they merge thechanges back into the main branch. This model is ideal for collaboration, as developers can quickly create and merge branches without disrupting their teammates. One downside to the Fork & Pull model is that the development rhythm can get inconsistent, so code reviews are essential. The second Git branching strategy is the “Branch-Per-Feature” model. As the name suggests, this model encourages developers to create a branch for each new feature they want to work on. This approach makes tracking and updating features a breeze, as it allows developers to separate development changes from maintenance changes. It also allows developers to quickly roll back features that don't work or don't mesh with the design of the application. The downside to thisgit branching strategy is that the code can get cluttered, with many parallel branches floating around. Finally, the “Release Branch” strategy is the best way to manage large-scale Salesforce applications with multiple teams working on them. A dedicated branch is created and managed for each significant release. This strategy gives developers time to work on long-term changes without disrupting each other or jeopardizing the stability of the codebase. This strategy also allows developers to merge changes from multiple branches to the main release branch, thereby making it easier to track changes without worrying about conflicts. The primary downside tothis approach is that it can be time-consuming to manage branches and resolve conflicts. When considering a branching strategy for Salesforce release management, data backup and recovery, and security solutions, the best approach depends on the scope, size and complexity of a given application. That said, each of the three strategies described in this article can be used to help you streamline development and keep your codebase up-to-date, secure, and free from conflicts. Whether you’re working on a small team or managing large-scale projects on Salesforce, understanding and implementing the right branching strategy is essential to ensuring a successful workflow. Taking the time to do your research and figure out which branching model works best for you and your team will pay off in the long run with features and updates released in timely and efficient manner.
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