Multi-Repository Workflows in GitHub Actions

1. Introduction

Multi-Repository Workflows in GitHub Actions allow you to coordinate CI/CD processes across multiple repositories. This is particularly useful for microservices architectures or monorepos where components are distributed across several repositories.

2. Key Concepts

3. Setup

To set up a multi-repository workflow, follow these steps:

1. Identify the repositories that will be part of the workflow.
2. Create a GitHub Actions workflow YAML file in each repository.
3. Define the necessary permissions and secrets in the GitHub settings.
4. Set up triggers for the workflows (e.g., on push, pull request, etc.).

4. Example Workflow

Here’s an example of a multi-repository workflow that triggers a build in one repository based on an event in another:

name: CI

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main
    paths:
      - 'services/service-a/**'

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout
        uses: actions/checkout@v2
        with:
          repository: user/service-b
          path: service-b

      - name: Build Service B
        run: cd service-b && npm install && npm run build
            

5. Best Practices

Here are some best practices for multi-repository workflows:

• **Version Control**: Keep your workflows version-controlled to track changes over time.
• **Modular Workflows**: Break down workflows into smaller, reusable components.
• **Consistent Naming**: Use consistent naming conventions for workflows and jobs across repositories for clarity.
• **Error Handling**: Implement error handling to ensure that failures are logged and reported properly.

6. FAQ