Authors :
Labba Awwabi; Siti Rochimah
Volume/Issue :
Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 2 - February
Google Scholar :
https://tinyurl.com/5h2273tc
Scribd :
https://tinyurl.com/mvxkp7bk
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14965864
Abstract :
In the dynamic realm of software development, efficient management of source code is pivotal for maintaining
productivity and expediting release cycles. Version control systems, essential in this process, offer structured management
of code changes. Among the various strategies for organizing repositories, Monorepo and Polyrepo configurations are
particularly notable due to their distinct approaches to source code management. Despite their widespread adoption by
leading technology enterprises, a definitive academic consensus on which configuration yields superior efficiency remains
elusive. This research paper aims to address this gap by conducting a detailed comparative analysis of these configurations
within the software development lifecycle, emphasizing development speed and operational efficiency. The study engaged
10 developers, divided into two groups, each alternating between Monorepo and Polyrepo setups. The tasks involved
intricate updates to the logic determining maximum credit limits for students post-study leave, reflecting real-world software
development challenges. Our empirical findings reveal that Monorepo configurations significantly outperform Polyrepo in
terms of development speed, with Monorepo setups completing updates faster by an average of 14.3 minutes. This efficiency
is attributed to the integrated structure of Monorepo, which facilitates simultaneous updates across services and minimizes
the complexities associated with sequential deployments typical in Polyrepo setups. Moreover, the involvement of a
researcher with direct experience in the project from its inception to the writing of this paper provided deep insights into
the practical implications of each setup. This study not only underscores the operational efficiencies of Monorepo over
Polyrepo but also highlights how familiarity with the project can influence development speed. These findings provide
crucial insights for organizations looking to optimize their software development practices through strategic repository
management and suggest areas for future research, including the long-term impacts on team collaboration, code quality,
and maintenance overhead.
Keywords :
Monorepo, Polyrepo, Software Development Lifecycle, Development Speed , Repository Management.
References :
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- Alzayed, A., & Khalfan, A. (2022). Understanding Top Management Involvement in SDLC Phases. Journal of Software. https://doi.org/10.17706/jsw.17.3.87-120.
- Brito, G., Terra, R., & Valente, M. T. (2018). Monorepos: A Multivocal Literature Review. http://scholar.google.com/
- Brousse, N. (2019). The issue of monorepo and polyrepo in large enterprises. ACM International Conference Proceeding Series. https://doi.org/10.1145/3328433.3328435.
- Byrne, K., & Cevenini, A. (2023). Aligning DevOps Concepts with Agile Models of the Software Development Life Cycle (SLDC) in Pursuit of Continuous Regulatory Compliance. Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering, 1029 LNEE. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-29078-7_32.
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- Ghumatkar, R. S., & Date, A. (2023). Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology, 11(11). https://doi.org/10.22214/ijraset.2023.56554.
- Haque, S., Eberhart, Z., Bansal, A., & McMillan, C. (2022). Semantic Similarity Metrics for Evaluating Source Code Summarization. IEEE International Conference on Program Comprehension, 2022-March, 36–47. https://doi.org/10.1145/nnnnnnn.nnnnnnn.
- Jacob, A. (2019, January 3). Monorepo: please do!. Medium. https://medium.com/@adamhjk/monorepo-please-do-3657e08a4b70.
- Jain, P., Sharma, A., & Ahuja, L. (2018). The Impact of Agile Software Development Process on the Quality of Software Product. 2018 7th International Conference on Reliability, Infocom Technologies and Optimization: Trends and Future Directions, ICRITO 2018. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICRITO.2018.8748529
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- Klein, M. (2019, January 2). Monorepos: Please don’t!. Medium. https://medium.com/@mattklein123/monorepos-please-dont-e9a279be011b
- Kokrehel, G., & Bilicki, V. (2022). The impact of the software architecture on the developer productivity. Pollack Periodica, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1556/606.2021.00372.
- Kula, E., Greuter, E., van Deursen, A., & Gousios, G. (2022). Factors Affecting On-Time Delivery in Large-Scale Agile Software Development. IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, 48(9). https://doi.org/10.1109/TSE.2021.3101192.
- López, L., Burgués, X., Martínez-Fernández, S., Vollmer, A. M., Behutiye, W., Karhapää, P., Franch, X., Rodríguez, P., & Oivo, M. (2022). Quality measurement in agile and rapid software development: A systematic mapping. Journal of Systems and Software, 186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2021.111187.
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In the dynamic realm of software development, efficient management of source code is pivotal for maintaining
productivity and expediting release cycles. Version control systems, essential in this process, offer structured management
of code changes. Among the various strategies for organizing repositories, Monorepo and Polyrepo configurations are
particularly notable due to their distinct approaches to source code management. Despite their widespread adoption by
leading technology enterprises, a definitive academic consensus on which configuration yields superior efficiency remains
elusive. This research paper aims to address this gap by conducting a detailed comparative analysis of these configurations
within the software development lifecycle, emphasizing development speed and operational efficiency. The study engaged
10 developers, divided into two groups, each alternating between Monorepo and Polyrepo setups. The tasks involved
intricate updates to the logic determining maximum credit limits for students post-study leave, reflecting real-world software
development challenges. Our empirical findings reveal that Monorepo configurations significantly outperform Polyrepo in
terms of development speed, with Monorepo setups completing updates faster by an average of 14.3 minutes. This efficiency
is attributed to the integrated structure of Monorepo, which facilitates simultaneous updates across services and minimizes
the complexities associated with sequential deployments typical in Polyrepo setups. Moreover, the involvement of a
researcher with direct experience in the project from its inception to the writing of this paper provided deep insights into
the practical implications of each setup. This study not only underscores the operational efficiencies of Monorepo over
Polyrepo but also highlights how familiarity with the project can influence development speed. These findings provide
crucial insights for organizations looking to optimize their software development practices through strategic repository
management and suggest areas for future research, including the long-term impacts on team collaboration, code quality,
and maintenance overhead.
Keywords :
Monorepo, Polyrepo, Software Development Lifecycle, Development Speed , Repository Management.