# Alternatives for version control of source code in AFT
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AFT uses AWS CodeCommit for a source code version control system (VCS), and it allows other [CodeConnections](https://docs.aws.amazon.com//dtconsole/latest/userguide/supported-versions-connections.html) that meet your business requirements or existing architecture.

If you're deploying AFT for the first time and you don't have an existing CodeCommit repository, you must specify an external VCS provider, as part of the AFT deployment prerequisites.

**AFT supports the following source code control alternatives:**
+ GitHub
+ GitHub Enterprise Server
+ BitBucket
+ GitLab
+ GitLab Self-managed
+ Azure DevOps

**Note**  
If you specify AWS CodeCommit as your VCS, no additional steps are required. AFT creates the necessary `git` repositories in your environment, with default names. However, you can override the default repository names for CodeCommit, as needed, to comply with your organizational standards.

## Set up an alternative source code version control system (custom VCS) with AFT
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To set up an alternative source code version control system for your AFT deployment, follow these steps.

**Step 1: Create `git` repositories in a supported third-party version control system (VCS).**

If you are not using AWS CodeCommit, you must create `git` repositories in your AFT-supported, third-party VCS provider environment for the following items.
+ **AFT account requests.** [Sample code available](https://github.com/aws-ia/terraform-aws-control_tower_account_factory/tree/main/sources/aft-customizations-repos/aft-account-request) . For more information about AFT account requests, see [Provision a new account with AFT](aft-provision-account.md).
+ **AFT account provisioning customizations.** [Sample code available](https://github.com/aws-ia/terraform-aws-control_tower_account_factory/tree/main/sources/aft-customizations-repos/aft-account-provisioning-customizations) . For more information on AFT account provisioning customizations, see [Create your AFT account provisioning customizations state machine](aft-provisioning-framework.md#aft-create-customizations).
+ **AFT global customizations.** [Sample code available](https://github.com/aws-ia/terraform-aws-control_tower_account_factory/tree/main/sources/aft-customizations-repos/aft-global-customizations) . For more information on AFT global customizations, see [Account customizations](aft-account-customization-options.md).
+ **AFT account customizations.** [Sample code available](https://github.com/aws-ia/terraform-aws-control_tower_account_factory/tree/main/sources/aft-customizations-repos/aft-account-customizations) . For more information on AFT account customizations, see [Account customizations](aft-account-customization-options.md).

**Step 2: Specify the VCS configuration parameters required for AFT deployment**

The following input parameters are needed to configure your VCS provider as part of the AFT deployment.
+ **vcs\_provider**: If you are not using AWS CodeCommit, specify the VCS provider as `"bitbucket"`, `"github"`, `"githubenterprise"`, `"gitlab"`, `"gitlabselfmanaged"`, or `"azuredevops"`, based on your use case.
+ **github\_enterprise\_url**: For GitHub Enterprise customers only, specify the GitHub URL.
+ **account\_request\_repo\_name**: For AWS CodeCommit users, this value is set to `aft-account-request`. In an AFT-supported, third-party VCS provider environment, update this input value with your actual repository name. For BitBucket, Github, GitHub Enterprise, GitLab, GitLab Self-managed, and Azure DevOps, the repository name must have the format `[Org]/[Repo]`.
+ **account\_customizations\_repo\_name**: For AWS CodeCommit users, this value is set to `aft-account-customizations`. In an AFT-supported, third-party VCS provider environment, update this input value with your repository name. For BitBucket, Github, GitHub Enterprise, GitLab, GitLab Self-managed, and Azure DevOps, the repository name must have the format `[Org]/[Repo]`.
+ **account\_provisioning\_customizations\_repo\_name**: For AWS CodeCommit users, this value is set to `aft-account-provisioning-customizations`. In an AFT-supported, third-party VCS provider environment, update this input value with your repository name. For BitBucket, Github, GitHub Enterprise, GitLab, GitLab Self-managed, and Azure DevOps, the repository name must have the format `[Org]/[Repo]`.
+ **global\_customizations\_repo\_name**: For AWS CodeCommit users, this value is set to `aft-global-customizations`. In an AFT-supported, third-party VCS provider environment, update this input value with your repository name. For BitBucket, Github, GitHub Enterprise, GitLab, GitLab Self-managed, and Azure DevOps, the repository name must have the format `[Org]/[Repo]`.
+ **account\_request\_repo\_branch**: The branch is `main` by default, but the value can be overridden.

By default, AFT sources from the `main` branch of each `git` repository. You can override the branch name value with an additional input parameter. For more information about input parameters, refer to the README file in the [AFT Terraform module](https://github.com/aws-ia/terraform-aws-control_tower_account_factory/blob/main/README.md#inputs).

**For existing AWS CodeCommit customers**  
 If you create a CodeCommit repository with a new name for AFT, you can update the repository name by updating the values for these input parameters.

**Step 3: Complete the AWS CodeCommit connection for third-party VCS providers**

When your deployment runs, AFT either creates the required AWS CodeCommit repositories, or it creates an AWS CodeCommit connection for your chosen third-party VCS provider. In case of the latter, you must manually sign in to the AFT management account’s console to complete the pending CodeCommit connection. See [the AWS CodeCommit documentation](https://docs.aws.amazon.com//dtconsole/latest/userguide/connections-update.html) for further instructions on completing the CodeCommit connection.