2024_12: SIM_UI FEATURE Investigate and Improve GitHub Branch Strategy to Increase Team Agility

[matthewtomo]

Overview

This is a background task that @matthewtomo has been working on for one of the user stories on our current roadmap

AC:

• Investigate alternative GitHub branch management strategies and look for areas of improvement from our current strategy
• If improvements can be made, draft proposal on new strategy
• Acquire approval and feedback on proposal from:
  • @jamesmrollins
  • @lzim
• Implement new strategy with DEV and update SOP

[matthewtomo]

I have put together a proposal on a new way for us to handle GitHub branches. It will be attached in this comment, but here is an overview summary of the proposal:

The current system involves making changes directly to the DEV branch, with updates batched together through our pipeline. This can cause the following issues:

• Changes in a batch must all be ready before promotion to PROD.
• Tracking changes across stages is manual and inefficient due to batching.
• Reverting any unwanted changes is time-consuming and difficult.

The new system uses feature/bug branches sourced from PROD, allowing changes to be deployed independently through our pipeline. This brings us the following benefits:

• Changes can be promoted independently without dependency on others.
• Tracking progress is streamlined for GitHub issue cards.
• Reverting changes is quick and automated with GitHub Actions.

Git Branch Management Proposal.pptx

@lzim, I already went over the presentation with James late last week to get his thoughts, and I want to run it by you to get your thoughts as well. If you would like, I am free to answer any questions or go through the presentation at sim_ui_workflow on Monday.

[matthewtomo]

Discussed sim_ui_workflow wk2 2025_01

• Video Discussion of the presentation is available at this link: https://dvagov.sharepoint.com/sites/teampsd_vha/Shared%20Documents/sim_ui_workflow_9am_leads/Recordings/sim_ui_workflow_9am_leads-20241216_123306-Meeting%20Recording.mp4?web=1&referrer=Teams.TEAMS-ELECTRON&referrerScenario=MeetingChicletGetLink.view
  • from: teams channel sim_ui_workflow_9am_leads on 12/16

fyi: @dkngenda @lzim @lijenn @kmacia @hnorthcraft @ljmoody @claradismuke

[lzim]

wk1 2025_01 update from #sim_ui_workflow
@matthewtomo
@lzim
@ljmoody

DECISION: Migrate any GitHub locations not covered in the reported locations tracked on the README.md for each grant.

• lzim/teampsd
• lzim/research
• lzim/mtl are the reported locations tracked on the README.md for each grant

@matthewtomo - Examine the scope of creating the repositories below for these sites:

• lzim/sim_ui
• lzim/team_website
• lzim/mtl_demo

@lzim - Examine the scope of updating reporting new URL locations

[lzim]

wk2 2025_01 - #9am_workflow leads

• DECISION 1: #sim_ui_workflow Wed 12noon
• Standing meeting CI/CD
• @hnorthcraft & @lijenn -> support to migration of the repos from jamesmrollins -> lzim

#3329

• DECISION 2: @dkngenda Add DEV instance research repo for R Notebooks to align with Forio Epicenter and Power BI
  

• DECISION 3: @matthewtomo #sim_ui_workflow move forward with implementing the feature by feature CI/CD workflow
  

• DECISION 4: All Team PSD Link Issue Cards to Feature Branches using the Development Menu on the righthand side menu of GitHub.

• @ljmoody & @hnorthcraft - Review Team PSD Manual to update any references to GitHub that may be out of alignment with this now aligned
  - Research and Development Value Stream and
  - #sim_ui__workflow_ and #quant__workflow_ across our
  - research and teampsd repos and
  - hosting platform/environments for code and files (e.g., .Rmd Notebook containing SQL And R code; or Vensim .mdl and .csv files)
  - GitHub
  - Forio Epicenter
  - Power BI

[lzim]

@lzim created the private repos above using GPL 3.0

[lzim]

wk3 2025_01 - #sim_ui_workflow
@lzim
@matthewtomo
@hnorthcraft

DECISION:

lzim/research - Continue pull requests using 1 issue task card to 1 pull request off the issue card.

• Name the branch using the specific aim e.g., #aim_2
  Grant e.g., #nimhd_2025
  Manuscript e.g., #r01_protocol

For gh-pages MTL and Team PSD manuals lzim/mtl & lzim/teampsd
1 issue task card to 1 pull request off the issue card.

• Name the branch using the chapter of the manual e.g., 13.0_lucidcharts.md

2025 2nd Roadmap
https://dvagov.sharepoint.com/:p:/r/sites/teampsd_vha/Shared%20Documents/roadmap_workflow/fy2025_roadmap/first_draft_slides/%23template.pptx?d=w6caf81d94f9946cea2b2dbf0cf2888e5&csf=1&web=1&e=GFqxnq

Find a easily digestible across workflows example of how Forio Epicenter environments are being managed from GitHub.

⁠5-slide deck

1. Background/Problem
2. Methods including Pivots
3. Update to walk through an example (1-2 slides)
4. Next steps