Design a strategy for managing large files, including Git LFS and git-fat

One of the challenges developers often face is managing large files within a Git repository. Storing large files directly in Git can slow down repository operations and consume excessive amounts of storage space. To address this issue, Microsoft offers two solutions: Git LFS (Large File Storage) and git-fat. In this article, we will explore how to design a strategy for managing large files using these tools.

Git LFS

Git LFS is an open-source extension for Git that replaces large files with text pointers in the Git repository, while storing the actual file content in a separate location. This allows you to work with large files without bloating the repository size or impacting performance.

To get started with Git LFS, follow these steps:

Step 1: Install Git LFS

1. Download and install Git LFS from the official Git LFS website.
2. Configure Git LFS on your local machine by running the following command: git lfs install.

Step 2: Initialize Git LFS in your repository

1. In the root directory of your Git repository, run git lfs init. This initializes Git LFS for the repository.
2. Identify the file types you want to treat as large files. For example, if you want to track all files with the .mp4 extension, run: git lfs track "*.mp4".
3. Add the .gitattributes file generated by Git LFS to your repository: git add .gitattributes.
4. Commit and push the changes to the remote repository.

Step 3: Working with large files

1. Add large files to your repository as you would any other file: git add .
2. Commit and push the changes: git commit -m "Add large file" followed by git push.

Git LFS will automatically replace large files with pointers in the Git repository, while uploading the actual content to the Git LFS server. When cloning the repository on another machine, Git LFS will download the large file content automatically.

git-fat

git-fat is another solution for managing large files in Git repositories. It is a Python script that stores large files outside the Git repository, while maintaining references to those files within the repository.

To employ git-fat, follow these steps:

Step 1: Install git-fat

1. Install Python on your machine if it is not already installed.
2. Install git-fat via pip: pip install git-fat.

Step 2: Initialize git-fat in your repository

1. In the root directory of your Git repository, run git-fat init. This creates the necessary configuration files.
2. Define the large files to be managed by git-fat. For example, if you want to track all files with the .mov extension, create a .gitfat file and add the following line: *.mov.
3. Commit and push the changes to the remote repository.

Step 3: Working with large files

1. Add large files to your repository: git fat add .
2. Commit and push the changes: git commit -m "Add large file" followed by git push.

When cloning the repository on another machine, you need to run git-fat pull to download the actual large files associated with the references.

Both Git LFS and git-fat greatly assist in managing large files within Git repositories. However, keep in mind that the choice between these tools depends on your specific requirements and preferences. Experiment with both solutions to decide which one best suits your needs.

In conclusion, managing large files in Git repositories can be a challenging task. Git LFS and git-fat provide efficient alternatives to handle large files effectively. By following the steps outlined in this article and referring to the official Microsoft documentation, you can design a robust strategy for managing large files in your Microsoft DevOps Solutions.