Google has demonstrated that the monolithic model of source code management can effectively scale to a repository with one billion files, 35 million commits, and tens of thousands of developers worldwide. This unified approach supports extensive code sharing and simplifies dependency management while allowing atomic changes and large-scale refactoring. The system, powered by a homegrown version-control system named Piper, enables seamless collaboration across teams and promotes a healthy codebase through tools for static analysis and code review. Despite the challenges of managing a repository of this magnitude, including the need for custom development tools and the potential for increased codebase complexity, Google’s strategy emphasizes the benefits of a single, shared repository over distributed models. The monolithic repository model underlines Google’s commitment to innovation and efficiency in handling an ultra-large-scale system, serving as a testament to the viability of centralized source control in facilitating large-scale software development.
