Purge data from source control

To maintain an efficient and optimized source control system, it is essential to periodically purge unnecessary data. By removing unnecessary data from your source control, you can improve system performance, reduce storage requirements, and enhance overall productivity. In the context of designing and implementing Microsoft DevOps solutions, purging data from source control forms a crucial part of managing your development environment. In this article, we will explore various techniques and tools provided by Microsoft to purge data from source control.

1. Prerequisite Checks

Before purging data, it is crucial to perform prerequisite checks to ensure that the purge operation doesn’t affect your ongoing development processes. These checks involve communicating with the development team, implementing an appropriate data backup strategy, and verifying that all essential data has been replicated to other repositories or backups.

2. Use the Azure DevOps REST API

Azure DevOps provides a REST API that allows you to automate various operations, including purging data from source control. The REST API endpoints related to source control allow you to delete specific files, folders, or branches. Here’s an example using the Azure DevOps REST API to delete a file:

DELETE https://dev.azure.com/{organization}/{project}/_apis/git/repositories/{repositoryId}/items?api-version=6.0


This API call deletes a specific file from the repository. You can modify the endpoint to delete folders or branches as well.

3. Git Garbage Collection

Git, the distributed version control system used by Azure DevOps, periodically performs garbage collection to remove unreferenced objects from the repository. Garbage collection helps optimize storage and improve performance. However, you can also manually trigger a garbage collection using the following command:

git gc


Executing this command in the Git repository directory within your local development environment initiates the garbage collection process. It is recommended to perform this operation during non-production hours to minimize disruption.

4. Git History Compression

Azure DevOps provides a feature to compress Git history, thereby reducing storage requirements. Compressing Git history limits the size of commit metadata and increases efficiency. To enable Git history compression in Azure DevOps, you can follow these steps:

• Navigate to your Azure DevOps repository settings.
• Under the “General” section, locate the “Git Repository Configuration” option.
• In the “Git Repository Configuration,” enable the checkbox for “Compress Git History.”

Enabling this feature compresses the Git history, optimizing storage and improving performance.

5. Delete Unnecessary Branches

Over time, development branches may become obsolete and accumulate in your source control system. Removing these unnecessary branches can free up storage and reduce clutter. You can delete branches using both Git commands and Azure DevOps web interfaces.

To delete branches locally using Git, execute the following command:

git branch -d branch-name


To delete branches in Azure DevOps, follow these steps:

• Navigate to your Azure DevOps repository.
• Select the “Branches” option.
• Locate the branch you want to delete and click on the ellipsis (three-dot) button.
• Choose the “Delete” option.

By regularly purging unnecessary branches, you can keep your source control system well-organized and optimized.

6. Implement Data Retention Policies

To maintain control over the amount of data stored in your repositories, it is essential to define and implement data retention policies. Azure DevOps allows you to configure policies both at the organization and project levels. These policies determine how long specific types of data (e.g., work items, test results, build artifacts) are preserved. By applying data retention policies, you can automatically remove aged data, reducing storage requirements.

To configure data retention policies in Azure DevOps, follow these steps:

• Navigate to your Azure DevOps organization settings.
• Under the “General” section, locate the “Data” option.
• In the “Data” option, configure the desired retention policies for each data type.

Implementing data retention policies ensures that unnecessary data is automatically purged according to your defined rules.

In conclusion, purging data from source control is a vital aspect of managing your development environment efficiently. By employing the techniques and tools provided by Microsoft, such as the Azure DevOps REST API, Git garbage collection, history compression, branch deletion, and data retention policies, you can optimize storage, enhance performance, and keep your source control system organized. Regular purging ensures that only essential data is retained, reducing clutter and improving the overall productivity of your DevOps solutions.