Remove large files from history

I need the big offending file removed from the repository history and the cleaned repo pushed to origin so our mirror and CI stop blowing past storage quotas. Rewrite history to remove path assets/video.mp4 referenced in commit ab4f9c, preserve all other commits, and coordinate with the CI admin so they can expect a force‑push today at 15:00 UTC. Confirm which remotes and branches will need force updates.

I rewrote history locally to remove a large file and attempted to push, but origin rejected it. I’m the repo admin and I’m not sure which branches remain protected or whether the remote needs a force push setting change. What likely blocked the push and what exact checks should I run on the server and on remote branch protection before trying again?

Every quarter we break developer workflows to purge large files from history. Where are we wasting the most time — reactive purges, unclear ownership, or lack of precommit controls — and what three procedural changes will keep history clean without emergency all‑hands and repeated force pushes?