What Is Version Control

Version control is a system that records changes to files over time so that specific versions can be recalled later or multiple developers can work on the same codebase and eventually merge their work streams together with minimum effort.

It is important in DevOps because it allows multiple team members to collaborate on code, tracks and manages changes efficiently, enables rollback to previous versions if issues arise, and supports automation in CI/CD pipelines, ensuring consistent and reliable software delivery (which is one of the key principles of DevOps).

In terms of tooling, one of the best and most popular version control systems is Git. It provides what is known as a distributed version control system, giving every team member a piece of the code so they can branch it, work on it however they feel like it, and push it back to the rest of the team once they’re done.

That said, there are other legacy teams using alternatives like CVS or SVN.