multi-repository-standards.md

Multi-Repository Management Standards

This document outlines standards and best practices for managing multiple repositories across Bayat projects. It provides guidelines for ensuring consistency, facilitating collaboration, and maintaining efficiency when working with a distributed codebase.

Purpose

As projects grow in complexity, they often span multiple repositories. This document addresses the challenges of working across repositories:

1. Consistency: Ensure uniform structure and practices across all repositories
2. Discoverability: Make repositories and their relationships easily discoverable
3. Integration: Facilitate smooth integration between related repositories
4. Governance: Manage permissions and access across multiple repositories
5. Automation: Standardize CI/CD across repositories

Repository Relationships

Repository Classification

Repositories should be classified based on their relationships:

1. Independent: Standalone repositories with no direct dependencies
2. Service Group: Repositories that collectively form a service or product
3. Library-Consumer: Repositories that consume shared libraries
4. Platform-Extension: Repositories that extend a platform

Relationship Documentation

Document repository relationships:

# Related Repositories

## Dependencies
- [shared-lib](https://github.com/bayat/shared-lib) - Core utilities used by this service
- [design-system](https://github.com/bayat/design-system) - UI components

## Related Services
- [auth-service](https://github.com/bayat/auth-service) - Authentication service used by this application
- [data-service](https://github.com/bayat/data-service) - Data processing service

## Extensions
- [plugin-analytics](https://github.com/bayat/plugin-analytics) - Analytics plugin for this platform

Cross-Repository Consistency

Naming Conventions

Enforce consistent naming across repositories:

1. Repository Names: Follow the naming conventions in \1\2)
2. Branch Names: Use the same branch naming strategy across repositories
3. Tag Names: Standardize version tags to maintain consistency

Structure Standardization

Maintain consistent structure across related repositories:

1. Directory Organization: Use similar directory structures
2. Configuration Files: Standardize configuration file locations and formats
3. Entry Points: Consistent application entry points and patterns

Documentation Standards

Apply consistent documentation patterns:

1. README Structure: Use a standard README template across repositories
2. API Documentation: Document interfaces consistently
3. Cross-Repository References: Use absolute links to reference other repositories

Cross-Repository Workflows

Synchronized Versioning

Implement synchronized version management:

1. Version Alignment: Align version numbers for related components
2. Changelogs: Cross-reference changes that affect multiple repositories
3. Release Coordination: Coordinate releases of interdependent repositories

Change Management

Manage changes across repositories:

1. Change Impact Analysis: Document cross-repository impact
2. Atomic Changes: Group related changes across repositories
3. Rollback Strategy: Ensure changes can be rolled back consistently

Development Workflow

Streamline cross-repository development:

1. Feature Branches: Coordinate feature branches across repositories
2. Pull Request Strategy: Link related pull requests
3. Review Process: Include context about cross-repository changes

Tools and Automation

Repository Discovery

Implement repository discovery mechanisms:

1. Repository Registry: Maintain a central registry of repositories
2. Metadata Standards: Define consistent metadata for repositories
3. Tagging System: Tag repositories by domain, team, and purpose

Cross-Repository CI/CD

Standardize CI/CD across repositories:

1. Shared Workflows: Use shared workflow templates
2. Coordinated Builds: Trigger related builds
3. Integration Testing: Test across repository boundaries

Dependency Management

Manage cross-repository dependencies:

1. Dependency Visualization: Map dependencies between repositories
2. Version Constraints: Document version compatibility
3. Update Automation: Automate dependency updates

Governance and Access Control

Permission Management

Standardize permission management:

1. Role Definitions: Define standard roles across repositories
2. Team-Based Access: Organize access by team rather than individuals
3. Service Accounts: Use service accounts for automation

Policy Enforcement

Enforce consistent policies:

1. Branch Protection: Apply consistent branch protection rules
2. Code Owners: Define ownership across repositories
3. Security Policies: Implement uniform security practices

Implementation Examples

Repository Registry Example

{
  "repositories": [
    {
      "name": "user-service",
      "url": "https://github.com/bayat/user-service",
      "description": "User management microservice",
      "owner": "identity-team",
      "domain": "identity",
      "type": "service",
      "related": ["auth-service", "profile-service"],
      "dependencies": ["common-lib", "event-bus"],
      "consumers": ["web-app", "mobile-app"]
    }
  ]
}

Cross-Repository Workflow Example

# .github/workflows/cross-repo-pr.yml
name: Cross-Repository Pull Request

on:
  pull_request:
    types: [opened, synchronize]

jobs:
  check-related-repos:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      
      - name: Check for changes requiring updates in related repos
        id: check-dependencies
        run: ./scripts/check-cross-repo-impact.sh
        
      - name: Notify about cross-repository impact
        if: steps.check-dependencies.outputs.has_impact == 'true'
        uses: actions/github-script@v6
        with:
          script: |
            github.rest.issues.createComment({
              issue_number: context.issue.number,
              owner: context.repo.owner,
              repo: context.repo.repo,
              body: 'This PR may require changes in related repositories: ' + 
                    '${{ steps.check-dependencies.outputs.affected_repos }}'
            })

Best Practices

1. Repository Map: Maintain a visual map of repository relationships
2. Onboarding Guide: Create cross-repository onboarding documentation
3. Change Templates: Provide templates for cross-repository changes
4. Impact Analysis: Require impact analysis for significant changes
5. Dependency Checks: Automate checks for cross-repository compatibility

Migration Strategy

For organizations transitioning to improved multi-repository management:

1. Inventory: Catalog all existing repositories
2. Classification: Classify repositories by relationship
3. Standardization: Apply consistent standards incrementally
4. Automation: Implement cross-repository automation
5. Documentation: Update documentation to reflect relationships

Reference Implementation

A reference implementation of these standards is available in the cross-repo-tools repository, including:

1. Repository discovery and visualization tools
2. Cross-repository CI/CD templates
3. Impact analysis scripts
4. Dependency management utilities

Related Documents

• \1\2)
• \1\2)
• \1\2)
• \1\2#monorepo-dependency-management)