Git is a version control system written by Linus Torvalds, which is used to collaborate development on the Linux kernel source code. Its support for rapid branching and merging makes it the perfect choice for a Puppet implementation. In Git, each source code commit has references to its parent commit; to reconstruct a branch, you only need to follow the commit trail back. We will be exploiting the rapid branch support to have environments defined from Git branches.
Note
It is possible to use Git without a server and to make copies of repositories using only local Git commands.
In your organization, you are likely to have some version control software. The software in question isn't too important, but the methodology used is important.
Tip
Remember that passwords and sensitive information stored in version control will be available to anyone with access to your repository. Also, once stored in version control, it will always be available.
Long running branches or a stable trunk are the terms...