Methods for adding new features to the software's master branch

A.

The BEST method for adding a new feature to the software's master branch is to merge the changes from the feature branch to the master branch.

Explanation:

Git is a popular version control system that enables multiple developers to collaborate on a single codebase efficiently. Git uses branches to isolate changes and enable multiple developers to work on different features without interfering with each other's work.

In this scenario, the systems administrator has finished building a new feature for the monitoring software in a separate Git branch. The feature branch is a copy of the master branch that contains the latest version of the software. The feature branch enables the systems administrator to develop, test and refine the new feature without disturbing the production version of the software.

Once the systems administrator is satisfied with the new feature, the next step is to integrate the changes into the master branch. There are several methods to add changes from one Git branch to another, such as merging, rebasing, cherry-picking, etc.

The BEST method for adding the new feature to the software's master branch is to merge the changes from the feature branch to the master branch. Merging combines the changes from two branches and creates a new commit that includes all the changes. Merging is a safe and straightforward method to add changes because it preserves the commit history, enables easy rollbacks, and ensures that the changes are tested and validated.

Saving the changes to the master branch automatically with each Git commit (Option B) is not recommended because it can overwrite the changes made by other developers, lead to conflicts and merge issues, and result in unstable software.

Cloning the feature branch into the master branch (Option C) is not recommended because it creates a new branch that duplicates the feature branch, which can confuse other developers and make the Git history messy.

Pulling the changes from the feature branch into the master branch (Option D) is also a valid method, but it requires the systems administrator to switch to the master branch and then pull the changes from the feature branch. Merging the changes from the feature branch to the master branch is a more efficient and straightforward method.