Azure Repos on Microsoft Azure
What is Azure Repos?
Azure Repos is the version control service within Azure DevOps. It provides unlimited private Git repositories with enterprise features like branch policies, code reviews, and integration into CI/CD pipelines.
The service supports both Git and the older Team Foundation Version Control (TFVC). Git repos offer full Git compatibility with standard clients (Git CLI, VS Code, Visual Studio, IntelliJ).
Azure Repos integrates seamlessly with Azure Pipelines for Continuous Integration and Deployment, Azure Boards for work item tracking, and Azure Test Plans for test management.
Typical Use Cases
Team development: Developer teams collaborate via Git branches, create pull requests for code reviews, and use branch policies for quality control.
CI/CD integration: Commits trigger automatic builds in Azure Pipelines. Branch-specific pipelines for development, staging, and production.
Enterprise code reviews: Mandatory reviewers, build validation, and status checks as branch policies prevent direct commits to protected branches.
Monorepo support: Large repositories with many projects. Path-based policies and triggers for efficient work.
Frequently Asked Questions about Azure Repos
How does Azure Repos differ from GitHub?
Both belong to Microsoft. GitHub is the larger open-source community with GitHub Actions. Azure Repos is more deeply integrated into Azure DevOps (Boards, Test Plans, Artifacts). For open source usually GitHub, for enterprise with Azure DevOps suite usually Repos.
How many repositories can I create?
Unlimited. There are no limits on number or size of repositories. Large repos (several GB) are supported; Git LFS is recommended for binary files.
What do Azure Repos cost?
The first 5 Basic users per organization are free (including unlimited private repos). Additional users cost approximately 6 EUR/user/month for the Basic plan.
Can I migrate from GitHub?
Yes, standard Git migration with git clone --mirror and git push. Azure DevOps also offers import wizards for GitHub repos including commits, branches, and tags.
Which branch policies are available?
Minimum approvers, build validation, work item linking, comment resolution, merge strategy restrictions (squash, rebase). Policies are configurable per branch.
Integration with innFactory
As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, innFactory supports you in setting up Azure Repos and DevOps workflows. We help with migration, branching strategies, and CI/CD pipeline design.
Contact us for a non-binding consultation on Azure Repos and Azure DevOps.
