Your Team Already Knows 80% of Azure DevOps

The core Git workflow remains identical. ADO simply adds powerful project management and enterprise features on top.

Skill Transfer Rate
80% of GitHub knowledge applies directly!

Repository Management

GitHub

Git repositories with familiar interface. Standard branching and merging workflows.

✓ git clone ✓ git push/pull ✓ Branch protection
Azure DevOps

Identical Git functionality with enhanced enterprise features and security policies.

✓ Same Git commands ✓ Branch policies ✓ Path-based security

Issue Tracking

GitHub

Issues with labels, milestones, and basic project boards for organization.

✓ Issues ✓ Labels ✓ Milestones
Azure DevOps

Work Items with rich fields, hierarchies (Epic→Feature→Task), and Agile boards.

✓ Work Items ✓ Agile boards ✓ Sprint planning

Code Review

GitHub

Pull Requests with reviews, approvals, and merge strategies.

✓ Pull Requests ✓ Reviews ✓ Status checks
Azure DevOps

Pull Requests plus advanced policies, required reviewers, and work item linking.

✓ Same PR flow ✓ Advanced policies ✓ Work item links

CI/CD

GitHub

GitHub Actions with YAML workflows in .github/workflows/ directory.

✓ Actions ✓ YAML workflows ✓ Marketplace
Azure DevOps

Azure Pipelines with YAML or visual designer plus enterprise deployment features.

✓ Pipelines ✓ Visual designer ✓ Release gates

Key Takeaway

Your team's Git knowledge transfers completely. ADO enhances what they already know with better project management and enterprise features.

Development Workflow Comparison

Watch how the same Git workflow applies to both platforms

GitHub Workflow

Clone Repository

git clone github.com/user/repo

Create Feature Branch

git checkout -b feature/new-feature

Make Changes & Commit

git add . && git commit -m "Fix #123"

Push to Remote

git push origin feature/new-feature

Create Pull Request

Use GitHub web interface

Code Review

Team reviews and approves

Merge to Main

Complete the PR

Azure DevOps Workflow

Clone Repository

git clone dev.azure.com/org/project/_git/repo

Create Feature Branch

git checkout -b feature/new-feature

Make Changes & Commit

git add . && git commit -m "Fix AB#123"

Push to Remote

git push origin feature/new-feature

Create Pull Request

Use ADO web interface + link work items

Code Review

Team reviews with branch policies

Merge to Main

Complete PR + update work items

What's Different?

Repository URLs

GitHub: github.com/user/repo
ADO: dev.azure.com/org/project/_git/repo

Work Item References

GitHub: "Fix #123"
ADO: "Fix AB#123" (Azure Boards)

Branch Policies

ADO has more granular branch protection rules and required reviewers

Issues vs Work Items

Understanding the evolution from GitHub Issues to ADO Work Items

GitHub Issues

#247

Add user authentication

enhancement high priority
📅 Milestone: v2.0 👤 Assigned to: @developer

ADO Work Items

📋

Epic: User Management System

Epic #100
🎯

Feature: Authentication

Feature #247
✅

Login UI

Task #248
✅

Auth API

Task #249

Why Work Items Are Better

Hierarchical Structure

Organize work in Epic → Feature → Task hierarchy for better planning

Sprint Planning

Built-in Agile boards with sprint planning and burndown charts

Team Collaboration

Rich fields, discussions, and team capacity planning

Code Integration

Direct linking to branches, commits, and pull requests

CI/CD Pipeline Comparison

From GitHub Actions to Azure Pipelines

GitHub Actions

# .github/workflows/ci.yml
name: CI Pipeline
on: [push, pull_request]

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - uses: actions/setup-node@v3
      - run: npm install
      - run: npm test
      - run: npm run build

Azure Pipelines

# azure-pipelines.yml
trigger: [main, develop]

pool:
  vmImage: ubuntu-latest

steps:
  - task: NodeTool@0
  - script: npm install
  - script: npm test
  - script: npm run build
  - task: PublishTestResults@2

Code Push

Developer pushes changes to repository

Pipeline Trigger

CI/CD pipeline automatically starts

Run Tests

Automated tests validate code quality

Build Application

Compile and package the application

Deploy

Deploy to target environment

Azure Pipelines Advantages

Visual Designer

GUI-based pipeline creation alongside YAML support

Enterprise Security

Advanced security, compliance, and approval workflows

Multi-Cloud

Deploy to Azure, AWS, GCP, and on-premises

Release Gates

Automated quality gates and approval processes