Optimize Status Data With Orphaned Branches

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Optimize Status Data with Orphaned Branches

Hey guys! Let's talk about how we can supercharge our status monitoring data and make things cleaner, faster, and more efficient. The key? Using an orphaned branch. Trust me, it's a game-changer! We'll dive into why this approach is awesome, how to set it up, and how it'll benefit us in the long run.

Why Orphaned Branches Are a Smart Move for Status Data

Keeping Your Repository Lean and Mean

One of the biggest problems we face is repository size management. When we dump all that status data into the main branch, things can get messy fast. Every status update becomes a new commit, and before you know it, your main branch history is bloated with hundreds or even thousands of commits just for monitoring. This can slow down clones and checkouts, making development a drag.

# The problem with storing in the main branch:
# Monitoring data over time bloats the main branch history
git log --all --pretty=format:'%h %s' | grep "Update status data"
# Hundreds/thousands of commits polluting git history

But here's the solution: an orphaned branch! We create a separate branch specifically for our status data. This branch has no shared history with the main branch, giving us a clean slate.

# Solution with an orphaned branch:
git checkout --orphan status-data
git rm -rf .
# Clean slate - no shared history with the main branch
  • Impact:
    • Your main branch stays lean and mean, leading to faster clones and checkouts.
    • The status data history is nicely isolated from your code history.
    • You can easily prune old monitoring data without worrying about messing up your precious code.

Separating Concerns Logically

Think about it this way: your main branch is all about your source code, documentation, and configurations. An orphaned branch is where your runtime monitoring data, metrics, and incident information live. It's a clear separation of concerns, like having a separate filing cabinet for your important reports.

main branch:          Source code, documentation, config
status-data branch:   Runtime monitoring data, metrics, incidents
gh-pages branch:      Built static site (if using GitHub Pages)
  • Benefits:
    • Clear separation: “Code vs. Data” - Makes it easy to understand where things belong.
    • Easier Management: Easier to manage data retention policies.
    • CI/CD Optimization: Status data changes won't trigger unnecessary CI/CD pipelines.

Boost Performance Like a Boss

Let's face it: constant status updates can create a lot of noise. Every status update creates a commit which can impact performance. This can lead to a ton of commits every year, just for status updates!

# Every status update creates a commit
  on:
    schedule:
      - cron: '*/5 * * * *'  # Every 5 minutes

  # Result: 288 commits/day × 365 = 105,120 commits/year just for status updates

By using an orphaned branch, the main branch remains clean, and you can focus on the meaningful code commits. The orphaned branch will absorb all the monitoring noise!

# Main branch remains clean
git log main --oneline | wc -l  # Only meaningful code commits

# Status branch absorbs monitoring noise
git log status-data --oneline | wc -l  # All monitoring commits isolated

Real-World Example: Upptime's Genius Approach

If you're looking for inspiration, check out Upptime. It's the go-to example, showing us how to do this right.

# .github/workflows/uptime.yml (Upptime pattern)
jobs:
  update:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
        with:
          ref: status-data  # ← Checkout orphaned branch
          fetch-depth: 0

      - name: Update status
        run: |
          # Write monitoring data
          echo "$STATUS_JSON" > status-data/current.json

      - name: Commit to orphaned branch
        run: |
          git config user.name "github-actions[bot]"
          git config user.email "github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
          git add .
          git commit -m "📊 Update status data"
          git push origin status-data

Implementing the Orphaned Branch in Your Plugin

Alright, let's get down to business and implement this in your plugin. Here's a step-by-step guide.

Step 1: Create Your Orphaned Branch

This is a one-time setup, so let's get it done.

# One-time setup
git checkout --orphan status-data
git rm -rf .  # Remove all files from staging

Now, let's initialize it with a README.md file:

cat > README.md <<EOF
# Status Data Branch

This orphaned branch stores runtime monitoring data generated by 
@amiable-dev/docusaurus-plugin-stentorosaur.

**Do not merge this branch into main.**

## Structure
\
status-data/
├── current.json           # Latest readings
├── incidents.json         # Incident history
├── maintenance.json       # Maintenance windows
└── archives/
  └── YYYY/MM/
    └── system-name/   # Historical data by month
\
EOF

git add README.md
git commit -m "Initialize status-data orphaned branch"
git push origin status-data

Step 2: Update Your Workflows

Next, we need to update our workflows to work with the orphaned branch. Here's how to modify your monitor-systems.yml workflow:

name: Monitor Systems

on:
  schedule:
    - cron: '*/5 * * * *'
  workflow_dispatch:

jobs:
  monitor:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout main (for scripts)
        uses: actions/checkout@v4
        with:
          ref: main
          path: main

      - name: Checkout status data branch
        uses: actions/checkout@v4
        with:
          ref: status-data  # ← Orphaned branch
          path: status-data
          fetch-depth: 1    # Shallow clone for speed

      - name: Run monitoring
        run: |
          cd main
          npm ci --production
          node scripts/monitor.js
        env:
          STATUS_DATA_DIR: ../status-data
          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

      - name: Commit status data
        working-directory: status-data
        run: |
          git config user.name "github-actions[bot]"
          git config user.email "github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"

          git add current.json incidents.json maintenance.json archives/

          if git diff --staged --quiet;
then
            echo "No changes to commit"
          else
            git commit -m "📊 Status update: $(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)"
            git push origin status-data
          fi

Now, let's update your scripts/monitor.js file:

const dataDir = process.env.STATUS_DATA_DIR || './status-data';

async function writeStatusData(data) {
  // Write to status-data directory (separate branch)
  await fs.ensureDir(dataDir);
  await fs.writeJson(path.join(dataDir, 'current.json'), data, { spaces: 2 });

  // Archive monthly data
  const now = new Date();
  const archivePath = path.join(
    dataDir,
    'archives',
    `${now.getUTCFullYear()}`,
    `${String(now.getUTCMonth() + 1).padStart(2, '0')}`
  );
  await fs.ensureDir(archivePath);
  // ... archive logic
}

Step 3: Update Plugin for the Orphaned Branch

This is where the magic happens. We'll explore two options:

Option A: Fetch at Build Time (Current Approach)

If your plugin currently reads data from the status-data/ directory at build time, you're in luck! No changes needed here. Just ensure your Docusaurus build has access to the status-data branch.

// src/index.ts - No changes needed!
// Plugin already reads from status-data/ directory at build time
// Just ensure Docusaurus build has access to status-data branch

Option B: Fetch via API (for Client-Side Updates)

If you need client-side updates, use this:

// src/theme/StatusPage/index.tsx
useEffect(() => {
  async function loadStatusData() {
    const response = await fetch(
      'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/your-org/your-repo/status-data/current.json'
    );
    const data = await response.json();
    setStatusData(data);
  }
  loadStatusData();
}, []);

Step 4: Update Documentation

It is super important that we update our documentation to include the orphaned branch, so the next guys can understand it.

# IMPORTANT: This workflow writes to the 'status-data' orphaned branch
# 
# Setup (one-time):
#   git checkout --orphan status-data
#   git rm -rf .
#   echo "# Status Data" > README.md
#   git add README.md
#   git commit -m "Initialize status-data branch"
#   git push origin status-data
#
# The 'status-data' branch is isolated from 'main' to keep repository lean.

on:
  schedule:
    - cron: '*/5 * * * *'
# ... rest of workflow

Alternative: Git Submodule (If Shared Across Repos)

If multiple projects use the same status data, a Git Submodule might be a great option.

# Create separate status-data repository
gh repo create your-org/status-data --public

# Add as submodule in main repo
git submodule add https://github.com/your-org/status-data status-data

# In workflows, update submodule
- name: Update status submodule
run: |
  cd status-data
  git pull origin main
  git add .
  git commit -m "Update status"
  git push

Orphaned Branch vs. Main Branch: A Quick Comparison

Let's break down the advantages of the orphaned branch approach:

Aspect Main Branch Orphaned Branch Winner
Repo size Grows indefinitely with status commits Isolated growth, doesn't affect main ✅ Orphaned
Clone speed Slows down over time Main stays fast ✅ Orphaned
History clarity Polluted with automated commits Clean code history ✅ Orphaned
Setup complexity Simple (one branch) Requires initial setup ⚖️ Main
CI/CD isolation Status updates may trigger unnecessary builds Can configure separate triggers ✅ Orphaned
Data retention Hard to prune old data Easy to truncate history ✅ Orphaned
Industry standard Not common for monitoring data Used by Upptime, GitHub Pages ✅ Orphaned

Migrating from the Main Branch to an Orphaned Branch

If you're already storing status data in your main branch, don't worry! We can easily migrate it.

#!/bin/bash
# migrate-to-orphaned-branch.sh

# 1. Create orphaned branch with existing data
git checkout --orphan status-data-temp
git rm -rf .

# 2. Copy status data from main
git checkout main -- status-data/
mv status-data/* .
rmdir status-data

# 3. Commit and push
git add .
git commit -m "Migrate status data to orphaned branch"
git branch -M status-data-temp status-data
git push origin status-data

# 4. Clean up main branch
git checkout main
git rm -rf status-data/
git commit -m "Remove status-data (moved to orphaned branch)"
git push origin main

echo "✅ Migration complete!"
echo "Update workflows to use 'ref: status-data'"

Next Steps: Getting Started with Orphaned Branches

Here's a quick plan to get you started:

  1. Do it now: Create the status-data orphaned branch.
  2. Update Workflows: Modify your workflows to push to the status-data branch.
  3. Update Plugin Docs: Document the new orphaned branch pattern in your README.
  4. Add a Template: Create a setup script in your templates directory.
  5. Version Bump: Release as v0.7.0 (a new architecture recommendation).

Final Thoughts: Why Choose an Orphaned Branch?

In summary, the orphaned branch is the perfect choice for your monitoring data because it's:

  • ✅ Industry Standard: It follows the Upptime pattern.
  • ✅ Scalable: No repo bloat.
  • ✅ Clean: Separation of concerns.
  • ✅ Performant: Faster clones and checkouts.

Sure, there's a bit of initial setup, but the long-term benefits are totally worth it, guys! This method will make our work smoother and keep our repositories in tip-top shape. Let's do it! 🚀