This document discusses optimizing migration to Git LFS (Large File Storage) by analyzing repository data. It recommends setting a Git LFS file size cutoff between 100KB and 1000KB based on metrics like clone size increase over time, number of files tracked, and workspace size without large files. The analysis found that a cutoff below 800KB produced the best results for these metrics when migrating a large 75GB repository to Git LFS.

1. Optimizing Git LFS Migration
Through Repository Data-mining
Michael Monsen | Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence

2. Our environment
HEXAGON MANUFACTURING INTELLIGENCE

3. Our role
DEVOPS

4. What is it?
GIT LFS

5. Why is it important to track
large files separately?
TRACKING LARGE FILES

6. You have to know the past
to understand the present.
CARL SAGAN

7. The Beginning
TRACKING LARGE FILES

8. GitMercurial

9. Why is it important to track
large files separately?
TRACKING LARGE FILES

10. Repository Growth
225 MB
May 2009

11. Repository Growth
75 GB225 MB
July 2017May 2009

12. Repository Growth
75 GB 9.3 GB per year225 MB
July 2017May 2009

13. 10 GB
30 minutes
30 GB
1 hour 30 minutes
Clone
Time

14. Assuming 50 Mbps
connection, how long
does it take to clone a
75 GB repository?
CLONE TIME

15. 3.5 Hours75 GB repository

16. Tracking Huge Files
with Git LFS
Lars Schneider
Technical Lead Git Solutions, Autodesk Inc.
SUMMIT 2016
Steve Smith
Developer Advocate, Atlassian

17. Rules of
Thumb

18. Rules of
Thumb
Compression
Over 500 KB
Changes Often
Number of files

19. Compression
Rules of
Thumb

20. Rules of
Thumb
Changes Often

21. Rules of
Thumb
Over 500 KB

22. Rules of
Thumb
Number of files

23. Simple enough, right?
RULES OF THUMB

24. The Git LFS Table
File Status Result
Strong candidate in 2 or more categories track with git-lfs
strong in 1 category, likely in 2 track with git-lfs
strong in 1 strong, likely in 1 grey area: probably track
likely in 3 grey area: probably track
likely in 2 grey area: could go either way
likely in 1 grea area: probably shouldn't track

25. The code is more what
you’d call ‘guidelines’ than
actual rules.
CAPTAIN HECTOR BARBOSSA

26. What does our actual
repository tell us?
SEEKING ANSWERS

27. Full Clone Size Increase After One Year
Git LFS cutoff size Estimated Repository
Size Increase Per Year
10 MB 3.5 GB
1 MB 2.6 GB
100 kB 312 MB
10 kB 44.3 MB

28. Repo Size Over Time

29. Working Directory Size without large files

30. Reset time

31. Git LFS file size cutoff

32. Summary
Metric Best results
Clone Size Increase In One Year cutoff < 800 kB
Number of files tracked. cutoff > 500 kB OR cutoff > 1000 kB
Workspace Without Large Files cutoff < 1000 kB OR cutoff < 100 kB

33. 500 KBGit LFS cutoff size

35. Prologue
GIT LFS

36. Thank You
Michael Monsen | Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence