2017-08-30 11:57:45 -04:00
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# Migrating from TFS
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[TFS](https://www.visualstudio.com/tfs/) is a set of tools developed by Microsoft
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which also includes a centralized version control system (TFVC) similar to Git.
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In this document, we emphasize on the TFVC to Git migration.
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## TFVC vs Git
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The following list illustrates the main differences between TFVC and Git:
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- **Git is distributed** whereas TFVC is centralized using a client-server
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architecture. This translates to Git having a more flexible workflow since
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your working area is a copy of the entire repository. This decreases the
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overhead when switching branches or merging for example, since you don't have
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to communicate with a remote server.
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2017-09-06 09:50:15 -04:00
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- **Storage method.** Changes in CVS are per file (changeset), while in Git
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a committed file(s) is stored in its entirety (snapshot). That means that's
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very easy in Git to revert or undo a whole change.
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2017-08-30 11:57:45 -04:00
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_Check also Microsoft's documentation on the
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[comparison of Git and TFVC](https://www.visualstudio.com/en-us/docs/tfvc/comparison-git-tfvc)
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and the Wikipedia article on
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[comparing the different version control software](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_version_control_software)._
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## Why migrate
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Migrating to Git/GitLab there is:
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- **No licensing costs**, Git is GPL while TFVC is proprietary.
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- **Shorter learning curve**, Git has a big community and a vast number of
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2017-09-06 09:50:15 -04:00
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tutorials to get you started (see our [Git topic](../../../topics/git/index.md)).
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2017-08-30 11:57:45 -04:00
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- **Integration with modern tools**, migrating to Git and GitLab you can have
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an open source end-to-end software development platform with built-in version
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control, issue tracking, code review, CI/CD, and more.
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## How to migrate
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The best option to migrate from TFVC to Git is to use the
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[`git-tfs`](https://github.com/git-tfs/git-tfs) tool. A specific guide for the
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migration exists:
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[Migrate TFS to Git](https://github.com/git-tfs/git-tfs/blob/master/doc/usecases/migrate_tfs_to_git.md).
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