[INFRA] Automate standards sync from canonical docs repo to downstream repositories

[kristopherjturner]

Summary

Create automation that syncs canonical standards from azurelocal.github.io/standards/ into subscribed AzureLocal repositories.

Background

Phase 1 standardized repository structure by:

• moving standards out of docs/standards/ into root-level standards/
• renaming project-management / project_management to repo-management

The next phase is to automate downstream standards synchronization so the docs repo remains the canonical source and other repos stay aligned.

Goals

• Treat azurelocal.github.io/standards/ as the canonical standards source
• Sync standards into downstream repos using pull requests or equivalent non-destructive updates
• Preserve a clear boundary between org-wide standards and repo-local exceptions
• Detect drift in downstream repos

Requirements

• Source of truth is azurelocal.github.io/standards/
• Target path in downstream repos is root-level standards/
• Automation must support at least these repos:
  • azurelocal-avd
  • azurelocal-sofs-fslogix
  • azurelocal-loadtools
  • azurelocal-vm-conversion-toolkit
  • azurelocal-toolkit
  • azurelocal-copilot
  • azurelocal-training
  • azurelocal-nutanix-migration
  • demo-repository as needed
• Prefer PR-based updates over direct pushes
• Include drift detection/reporting
• Define how repo-local standards extensions are handled
• Define which standards are mandatory versus optional

Acceptance Criteria

• A documented sync design exists
• Automation can detect changes under azurelocal.github.io/standards/
• Automation can open update PRs against subscribed repos
• Automation does not overwrite approved repo-local extensions without explicit rules
• A validation/reporting mechanism identifies downstream drift
• Repo onboarding documentation explains how a new repo opts into standards sync

Suggested Implementation Areas

• GitHub Actions workflow in azurelocal.github.io
• Repo subscription manifest for downstream targets
• File allowlist/denylist or policy-based sync rules
• Dry-run mode for previewing proposed changes
• PR template or issue comment summarizing synced files

Notes

This should treat published docs as presentation and root-level standards as the canonical operational source.

[kristopherjturner]

Tracked in Azure DevOps as Feature #37 — https://dev.azure.com/hybridcloudsolutions/AzureLocal%20Community%20Site/_workitems/edit/37