To place a block design under revision control, check in the BD file and the associated XCI files in /project_name.srcs/sources_1/bd/bd_name. Also check in the IP repositories that the block design uses. The BD file stores each IP configuration on the canvas and the connections between IP blocks.
The XCI files under the BD source directory store the IP customizations after parameter propagation runs during BD validation. When you rebuild the project from the revision control repository, make sure the BD file and the XCI files under the BD directory are writable. This requirement is a limitation of the current Vivado version.
You can preserve a BD using the write_bd_tcl
command. This command generates a Tcl script that recreates the BD. The script preserves
IP customizations, IP connections, and all BD properties affecting the design.
diffbd utility.