CI/CD GitHub Deployment from Dev to UAT Synapse Workspace not Picking Up UAT Resources

hi varsha-ahirwal_calbar​ Great questions — CI/CD for Synapse via GitHub Actions can be tricky when it comes to parameter overrides and linked service references.

From your description, it sounds like the override parameters aren’t being applied during the deployment phase. A few things to double-check:

Parameter name alignment:

Ensure the keys in your uat.json match exactly with the parameter names defined in TemplateParametersForWorkspace.json. Even minor casing differences will cause Synapse to fall back to default (Dev) values.

Override file usage in the deployment command:

When calling the az deployment group create command, make sure your --parameters argument includes both the template parameters and the override file, for example:

az deployment group create \

  --resource-group your-uat-rg \

  --template-file TemplateForWorkspace.json \

  --parameters @TemplateParametersForWorkspace.json @uat.json

The second file (uat.json) should override values in the first.

Publish artifact validation:

Sometimes the Synapse publish artifacts still carry Dev defaults even after exporting. Try regenerating them from the UAT branch or using the “Manage Hub → Publish” option directly from UAT after applying parameter tokens.

Linked Services behavior:

Linked services are parameterized, so if they aren’t picking up UAT values, ensure they reference workspace-level parameters (not hardcoded strings). You can verify this in the JSON under properties.typeProperties.url or connectionString.

As for branching strategy — both options are valid. Many teams prefer a single main branch with environment-specific parameter overrides, while others maintain separate environment branches for clearer isolation. If your pipelines are already parameter-driven, one branch is perfectly fine.

If helpful, Microsoft’s official reference on Synapse CI/CD provides examples of parameter substitution:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/synapse-analytics/cicd/continuous-integration-delivery