Will using an existing repository in a new Data Factory be safe for testing?

Question

Hi all,

Currently my client set-up for ADF releases are DEV-->ST, DEV-->PQ, DEV-->PROD. We want to test a new release pipeline based on DEV-->ST-->PQ-->PRD only deploying from a branch rather than the master, but currently we have a release in ST testing and don't want to cause any issues with the DEV master.

We have set up two new test data factories to simulate DEV and ST, but if we use the existing data factory for the DEV set-up is this going to cause any issues? Is there a chance that during testing and creating a new template could overwrite anything? Do we need to create a new repository too?

I haven't worked with Azure for long and don't want any possibility of messing up the current release. There doesn't seem to be a lot of information around on how to set up a release pipeline from a branch unless within visual studio which we don't use.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Hi@Johnston, Kim
Welcome to Microsoft Q&A platform and thanks for posting your question here.

We have set up two new test data factories to simulate DEV and ST, but if we use the existing data factory for the DEV set-up is this going to cause any issues?

• Using an existing data factory for the DEV set-up should not cause any issues as long as you are not modifying any existing pipelines or datasets that are currently being used in the ST or PROD environments. If you are creating new pipelines or datasets for testing purposes, it is recommended to create a new branch in the repository to avoid any conflicts with the existing DEV master branch.
• Once you have created a new branch, you can make changes to your pipelines and datasets without affecting the existing DEV master branch. When you are ready to merge your changes into the master branch, you can create a pull request and have your changes reviewed by peers before merging.
  Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-factory/source-control#create-and-manage-branches

Is there a chance that during testing and creating a new template could overwrite anything?

• Yes, there is a chance that during testing and creating a new template, it could overwrite anything if you are making changes to the existing pipelines, datasets, or triggers. 
• To avoid overwriting anything, it is recommended to create a new data factory for the DEV set-up and use it for testing purposes. This will ensure that any changes made during testing will not affect the existing release pipeline.
• Alternatively, It is important to take backups and test any changes in a separate environment before deploying to production.

Do we need to create a new repository too?

• No, there is a no need to create a new repository to create a new branch in Azure Data Factory. You can create a new branch within the existing repository and make changes to the new branch instead of the master branch. This will allow you to make changes to the new release pipeline without affecting the existing release pipeline.
• If you want to create a new data factory for the DEV set-up, you can create a new repository for the new data factory. This will allow you to keep the code for the new data factory separate from the code for the existing data factory.

how to set up a release pipeline from a branch unless within visual studio which we don't use.

• To set up a release pipeline from a branch in Azure DevOps without using Visual Studio, you can follow these steps:
  navigate to your project, select Pipelines, then Releases, and create a new pipeline. Choose a template or start with an empty job, select the source of your code, add stages and tasks, configure settings, save the pipeline, and create a new release. Trigger a new release whenever you make changes to the branch to automatically deploy your code to the appropriate environment.

Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/release/?view=azure-devops

I hope this information helps you. Let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.