chore: migrate from GitVersion to release-please

.azuredevops/README.md

@@ -29,8 +29,7 @@ The `.azuredevops/` directory houses all release automation infrastructure separ
 ├── README.md           # This file - overview and quick start
 ├── pipelines/          # Release automation pipeline YAML files
 │   ├── README.md       # Pipeline inventory and detailed documentation
-│   ├── main-to-dev-sync.yml
-│   └── release-branch-create.yml
+│   └── main-to-dev-sync.yml
 ├── templates/          # Reusable pipeline templates for GitHub integration
 │   ├── README.md       # Template documentation and integration patterns
 │   ├── github-auth.yml
@@ -40,18 +39,14 @@ The `.azuredevops/` directory houses all release automation infrastructure separ
 │   └── release-validation.yml
 └── docs/               # Pipeline operator documentation
     ├── README.md       # Documentation index
-    ├── main-to-dev-sync.md
-    ├── release-branch-create.md
-    ├── release-workflows.md
-    └── intelligent-sync-gaps.md
+    └── main-to-dev-sync.md
 ```
 
 ## Pipeline Inventory
 
-| Pipeline Name             | File                        | Purpose                                    | Templates Used                                     | Documentation                           | Triggers                      |
-|---------------------------|-----------------------------|--------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
-| **Main to Dev Sync**      | `main-to-dev-sync.yml`      | Intelligent synchronization of main to dev | None                                               | [Docs](./docs/main-to-dev-sync.md)      | Schedule (03:00 UTC), Chained |
-| **Release Branch Create** | `release-branch-create.yml` | Create release branches from main          | github-auth, github-branch-operations, pr-creation | [Docs](./docs/release-branch-create.md) | Manual                        |
+| Pipeline Name        | File                   | Purpose                                    | Templates Used | Documentation                      | Triggers                      |
+|----------------------|------------------------|--------------------------------------------|----------------|------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
+| **Main to Dev Sync** | `main-to-dev-sync.yml` | Intelligent synchronization of main to dev | None           | [Docs](./docs/main-to-dev-sync.md) | Schedule (03:00 UTC), Chained |
 
 ## Authentication and Configuration
 
@@ -104,7 +99,6 @@ Secrets are stored in Azure Key Vault and accessed via the `ai-on-edge-service-c
 2. Review job logs for detailed failure information
 3. Verify Key Vault secrets are current and accessible
 4. Check service connection permissions and validity
-5. See [Troubleshooting Guide](./docs/intelligent-sync-gaps.md#troubleshooting) for common issues
 
 ## Development Workflow
 
@@ -159,8 +153,6 @@ Release automation pipelines depend on PowerShell scripts in `scripts/github/`:
 
 ## Related Documentation
 
-* [Release Workflows Overview](./docs/release-workflows.md) - End-to-end release process
-* [Intelligent Sync Gaps Analysis](./docs/intelligent-sync-gaps.md) - Gap analysis and implementations
 * [Pipeline Inventory](./pipelines/README.md) - Detailed pipeline documentation
 * [Build CI/CD Documentation](../docs/build-cicd/README.md) - Developer build and test pipelines
 

.azuredevops/docs/README.md

@@ -38,14 +38,7 @@ Intelligent synchronization of main branch to dev after releases.
 * **Duration**: ~5-10 minutes per execution
 * **Key Features**: Conflict detection, intelligent merge strategy, automatic retry logic
 
-### [Release Branch Create](./release-branch-create.md)
-
-Creation of release branches from main with validation.
-
-* **Purpose**: Create versioned release branches for controlled release workflows
-* **Triggers**: Manual execution by release managers
-* **Duration**: ~3-5 minutes per execution
-* **Key Features**: Version tag creation, branch protection, validation checks
+> **Note**: Release branch creation and Release PR creation are handled by the [release-please GitHub Action](../../docs/build-cicd/release-workflow.md) on the GitHub side, not by Azure DevOps pipelines.
 
 ## Template Documentation
 
@@ -71,25 +64,10 @@ Advanced orchestration patterns for multi-template workflows.
 
 ## Process Documentation
 
-End-to-end workflow documentation for release processes:
-
-### [Release Workflows Overview](./release-workflows.md)
-
-Complete documentation of release workflow patterns and sequencing.
-
-* Release branch creation workflow
-* Pull request creation and review workflow
-* Main-to-dev synchronization workflow
-* Workflow dependencies and chaining
-
-### [Intelligent Sync Gaps Analysis](./intelligent-sync-gaps.md)
-
-Gap analysis and implementation details for intelligent sync capabilities.
+End-to-end release workflow documentation lives with the developer-facing build and CI/CD docs:
 
-* Identified gaps in release automation
-* Implementation specifications for each gap
-* Testing and validation procedures
-* Troubleshooting common issues
+* [Release Workflow](../../docs/build-cicd/release-workflow.md) - release-please-driven release workflow on GitHub
+* [Main-to-Dev Sync](./main-to-dev-sync.md) - Azure DevOps sync pipeline (this directory)
 
 ## Common Pipeline Operator Tasks
 
@@ -99,9 +77,8 @@ Gap analysis and implementation details for intelligent sync capabilities.
 2. Locate the release automation pipeline in the list
 3. Click **Run pipeline**
 4. Configure required parameters:
-   * **Release Branch Create**: Version number (e.g., `v1.2.3`)
    * **Main to Dev Sync**: Branch name (usually automatic)
-   * **GitHub Create Release PR**: Release branch name (usually automatic)
+   * **GitHub Push / GitHub Pull**: Source/target branch (usually automatic)
 5. Click **Run** to start execution
 
 ### Monitor Pipeline Execution
@@ -122,8 +99,6 @@ Common failure scenarios and resolutions:
 | **Branch Protection** | Cannot push to branch       | Check Azure DevOps branch policies, verify permissions |
 | **Network Timeout**   | Pipeline hangs or times out | Retry pipeline, check Azure DevOps service status      |
 
-For detailed troubleshooting steps, see [Intelligent Sync Gaps - Troubleshooting](./intelligent-sync-gaps.md#troubleshooting)
-
 ## Authentication and Configuration
 
 ### GitHub App Authentication
@@ -159,35 +134,21 @@ All release automation pipelines use GitHub App authentication for secure API ac
 * **Linked Key Vault**: `ai-on-edge-kv` (or environment-specific vault)
 * **Accessible By**: All pipelines in the Edge AI project
 
-## Output Variables and Chaining
-
-Release automation pipelines use output variables to chain workflows:
-
-### Release Branch Create → GitHub Create Release PR
-
-* **Output Variable**: `ReleaseBranchName`
-* **Usage**: Passed to GitHub PR creation pipeline to identify source branch
-* **Format**: `release/v1.2.3`
-
-### GitHub Create Release PR → Main to Dev Sync
-
-* **Output Variable**: `PullRequestMerged`
-* **Usage**: Triggers sync pipeline after PR is merged to main
-* **Format**: `true` or `false`
+## Output Variables
 
 ### Main to Dev Sync → Notification (Future)
 
 * **Output Variable**: `SyncStatus`
 * **Usage**: Could trigger notification pipelines on sync completion/failure
 * **Format**: `success`, `conflict`, `failure`
 
+> **Note**: Release branch creation and release PR creation are now handled by the [release-please GitHub Action](../../docs/build-cicd/release-workflow.md). Azure DevOps no longer chains release pipelines via output variables.
+
 ## Related Documentation
 
 ### Operator Documentation (This Directory)
 
 * [main-to-dev-sync.md](./main-to-dev-sync.md) - Intelligent sync pipeline
-* [release-branch-create.md](./release-branch-create.md) - Release branch creation pipeline
-* [release-workflows.md](./release-workflows.md) - End-to-end workflow documentation
 
 ### Developer Documentation