If you will be writing code or queries to manage your data analytics solution running on Azure Synapse Analytics, you should consider storing them in a repository. Source repositories like Azure DevOps and GitHub provide features like protection of losing the code, storage of change history and branching. After spending hours, days, and sometimes precious weekends creating the code to find insights in your data, the last thing you want is to misplace the code, accidentally delete it, or have your workstation crash and lose the code or queries. If the code is not stored safely, you must create it again. Avoid that by using a source code repository. Having some version history of your code helps debugging issues that might occur after a new version is released. Looking back to see how the code execution path was before the change can help you determine the problem and possible solutions.
Branching enables you to work on different requirements that may have different complexities and delivery dates in parallel. Once the code on these branches is ready for testing, they can be merged back into the main/master branch and flow through the deployment process toward production. Teamwork and security are two additional benefits that can come from having your code stored in a source code repository. If the code is located on a single workstation, then the person who owns that workstation is the only person who can make changes to the code. If it is stored on a central location, then others can get a copy, make changes, make commits, and, after testing, merge those changes into the main production branch. Source code repositories also provide authentication and authorization mechanisms to control who has access to the code and what kind of access they have—for example, read vs. write and whether or not the person can approve the merging of two or more branches. Azure Synapse Analytics provides an interface to connect your workspace with a source control. This is accessible by clicking on the Git configuration link via the Manage hub within the Source Control section. As shown in Figure 3.44, it is also accessible from the Data, Develop, Integrate, and Manage hubs.
FIGUER 3.44 Setting up a code repository in Azure Synapse Analytics
In Chapter 9, “Monitoring Azure Data Storage and Processing,” you will get the opportunity to configure source and version control for your pipeline artifacts. Until then, continue to the next section, where you will configure the connection between your Azure Synapse Analytics and GitHub.
GIT CONFIGURATION
Git is a software application used to track changes to files. It is used most commonly by developers who want to collaborate on the creation of code with others. A common location where developers share their source and let others contribute to it is GitHub. Exercise 3.6 walks you through the steps of connecting your Azure Synapse Analytics workspace with GitHub. You must have a GitHub account in order to complete this exercise.