Integration Branch or not?

Question

In an environment (SQL Server, TFS, SSDT, VS) with around a dozen TFS SQL Server Data Tools Database Projects per solution (with database projects only) with four to five simultaneous branches, would you recommend using an integration branch or not? And why (not)? Is it worth the overhead? If not, how do we best perform merges between branches?

Answer 1

It totally depends on your teams workflow on how your branches relate to your workflow and release strategy. Let me give 2 different examples of where you would want an integration branch, and where you might not.

Example #1

You have 5 Feature Branches, some or all of them will be integrated together to create the next release. In this case you clearly want an integration branch.

Example #2

You have 3 branches representing v1 - v3 of the software that are all under development simultaneously. In this case you might not need an integration branch. All v1 code should be merged into v2/v3 branches, but not the other way around.