Clark Sell : VSTS

The VSTS Resources Map

csell — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 16:29:28 GMT

The amount of VSTS resources can get very overwhelming. We have a very strong community with a ton of resources. Lately I re-found my love for mind maps and decided to create a map around VSTS resources. I intend to keep growing this map as I come across new items. If you would like a copy of the map feel free to reach out.

Click on the image below for a the larger clickable map.

Microsoft Acquires devBiz, Makers of TeamPlain Web Access

csell — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 19:19:13 GMT

Enough said.

http://blogs.msdn.com/bharry/

http://www.devbiz.com/

Announcing the Chicago VSTS Users Group

csell — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 15:11:55 GMT

Join us for the maiden voyage of the Chicago Visual Studio Team System User group!

Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Team System is the best integrated software development platform to build the mission-critical applications that businesses depend on. It extends Visual Studio's integrated and productive experience from the developer to the entire development team by delivering powerful new role-based tools for software architects, developers, testers and project managers. It also includes an integrated team server and customizable processes to help teams drive predictability, visibility, and control into their software development process. Join us each month for new topics including how the different role based editions can help your team to finish your projects on time, on scope and on budget, dive into the many features included in the powerful and robust Team Foundation Server product, or speak to one of the many partners who have extended the platform to enable continuous integration scenarios, integrate into Microsoft outlook, even an Eclipse plug-in!

Agenda for April 11th meeting:

6:00pm - 6:30pm Welcome, Introductions and Pizza
6:30pm - 8:30pm What is Visual Studio Team System?
8:30pm - 9:00pm Q&A, Raffle and Wrap Up

Click here to register

You may also access the registration site at: www.microsoft.com/events and reference Event ID 1032333482

Team Foundation Power Tools v1.2 Released

csell — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 18:08:00 GMT

Team Foundation Server is happy to announce the release of version 1.2 of Team Foundation Power Tools (formerly known as Power Toys). In this release we've added 2 new command line tools for the developer and 3 non-command line tools. This version includes some bug fixes to previous Power Tools, support for Vista, and adds the following new functionality:

Workspace Command (tfpt.exe) - Use the workspace command for additional workspace operations not supported in the currently shipping Team Foundation Server command line (tf.exe).
Treeclean Command (tfpt.exe) - Use the treeclean command to see and optionally delete files in the current directory and all subdirectories that are not under version control.
Process Template Editor - A tool to provide UI for authoring work item types and some of the associated Process Template components.
Check-in Policy Pack - A set of handy check-in policies to address needs customers have expressed.
Build Test Tools Task - A tool that allows running unit tests by simply specifying the DLLs or even specifying a file name pattern in TfsBuild.proj, instead of using .vsmdi files to specify tests to run.

Please note that the Process Template Editor has some additional pre-requisites, they are identified on the download page.

You can locate the Team Foundation Power Tools V1.2 release here and you can get help on the forums for these tools here.

VSTS Case Studies

csell — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 02:52:01 GMT

From time to time I am asked where one can get their hands on case studies around VSTS. You can find all VSTS case studies here: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/teamsystem/aa718812.aspx. Today we just released two new case studies focused around ROI.

VSTS Books

csell — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 20:13:00 GMT

Ever wonder what VSTS books are out there. Well wonder no more. The list is in no particular order:

TfsAlert and Security

csell — Sun, 05 Nov 2006 18:12:40 GMT

After releasing TfsAlert 0.3.0.0 I realized I'd failed to mention how security works. BIG OPPS, Sorry!!! TfsAlert will not get into the business of managing your user account. Windows already provides such a facility and I believe leveraging that is just a better more secure choice. However TfsAlert will maintain knowledge about your TfsUserName. It does so to properly create the Tfs event subscription. Having said that you still need to properly authenticate just to subscribe, no different than any of the other Tfs tools.

So how do we manage security? Simple, we just add the server\username \ password into Control Panel -> User Accounts -> Manage User Accounts -> Advanced -> Manage Passwords. I do realize this may be shut down by a companies GPO but if not we have found this to work very nicely. If your one of those people ( like I ) who use multiple Tfs servers at a variety of locations you would always be prompted for your credentials just to start up the IDE. This all goes away once your account is loaded into that Windows facility.

TfsAlert 0.3.0.0 Released

csell — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 17:44:23 GMT

Today we have released the initial TfsAlert release 0.3.0.0.

Prerequisites

.NET 3.0 is required since this is built on top of WCF. If you’re running this from Vista you will not need to install the .NET 3.0 framework.

Installation Notes

This version runs under Windows XP.

If you would like to run on Vista you have to install to another location outside of %programFiles% so you the proper security to configure it. We are currently addressing Vista UAC compatibility.
Once installed you HAVE TO properly configure it. This will be fixed in the next release.

One the following %programfiles%\TfsAlert\TfsAlert.exe.config and set the following items:

teamFoundationServer, your TFS server
userId, your user id
selected, select the events you would like to subscribe to.
filterExpression, filter placed on that event

Open port 9999 on your Windows Firewall. This is also configurable if you would like to listen on another port.

What's New

Base architecture with basic event notification.

What's Next

http://www.codeplex.com/WorkItem/List.aspx?ProjectName=TfsAlert

Contact Us

CodePlex: http://www.codeplex.com/Wiki/View.aspx?ProjectName=TfsAlert

Build Status TFS Policy, Part II

csell — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 20:56:00 GMT

Since my post yesterday I just decided to update the code and also include Buck's comments. I even added a simple installer as a bonus since that last post was just useless. Here is the new version and this time in a zip ;)

Stop, the build is broken!!

csell — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 17:24:09 GMT

It's late, your tired and yet somehow you got stuck fixing the build because junior engineer bob just fired off a check-in and took off. It looks like the build is now broken because junior hasn't done a get latest in a month. In the meantime 10 other people check-in and just end up compounding the problem.

Unfortunately things like this happen. One day I just got so frustrated, I just wrote a custom TFS check-in policy which gets the last build status and validates a particular build type was actually passing before you check-in. I started with Jeff Atwood and James Manning posts where they have done a great job explaining how to write a simple custom check-in policies.

UPDATE:: I have since updated the policy to include a few fixes and packaged it up into an MSI and Source. You can download that here:

http://blogs.msdn.com/csell/archive/2006/10/27/build-status-tfs-policy-part-ii.aspx

Visual Studio Team System Chat - Wed, Nov 8th

csell — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 02:38:47 GMT

Join members of the Visual Studio Team System product group to discuss features available in Visual Studio Team Foundation Server, Team Editions for Architects, Developers, Database Pros, and Testers. In addition, discuss what's new in the latest Community Technology Preview (CTP).

Join the chat on Wednesday, November 8^th, 2006 from 10:00am - 11:00am Pacific Time.

Add to Calendar

Additional Time Zones

The Build Master

csell — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 17:07:02 GMT

I don't think anyone will argue but the majority of technical books are used for reference. OK so every so often a new book comes out and you read it cover to cover. Well that time has come.

Vincent Maraia has just authored a book called The Build Master. If you have anything to do with software development then you MUST read this book. I don't care how good you are, how many products you shipped or if you are already a build master, you MUST read this book.

Every development shop must address most if not all of the topics found in this book. If you're not, then you really need to invest some time and money in yourself and clean shop. I guarantee things could be better. Just ask yourself a few questions:

Do you have a good concurrent development mailline strategy? Do you know what one is?
Do you know how to branch and merge?
Do you version?
Do you have any automation?
Do you have a build process?
Do you have a build team?

If you have answered No to any of these questions then just go buy it now and start reading. Again regardless no matter who you are, you still need to read this book.

Vincent Maraia, Great Read and Great Job!!! I can't wait for the next one.

Table of Contents

Defining a Build
Source Tree Configuration
Daily Not Nightly Builds
The Build Lab
Build Tools
SNAP Builds
The Build Environment
Visioning
Build Security
Managed Code Versus Unmanaged Code Builds
Building for International
Build Verification Tests
Building Setup and Deploying Every Day
Ship It
Product Support Services
Hotfixes or Patch Management
Suggested Steps to Change Your Religion or Philosophy (Corporate Culture)
Future Build Tools from Microsoft

What is a Team Project?

csell — Tue, 23 May 2006 17:05:46 GMT

I have now installed and used TFS at a number of clients. On every installation the very first question asked has alway been, what is a project? This question seems to provoke a solid hour of conversation about organization structure and development practices. No doubt every shop will always be different, regardless you will still derive from some base. Last night while browsing around on MSDN, I ran across the official "project" party line. Below is just a snippet from Team Foundation Team Projects.

The Logical Definition of a Team Project

Logically (or conceptually), a team project is a single infrastructure that encompasses all of the separate tools and elements used in the life cycle of the development of a software application. Each software application, or "team project," in development is virtually grouped in its own namespace intended solely for the team project. Therefore, a team project is simply a container isolating all of the tools and artifacts associated with a particular software application in development, such that all other team projects will not have access to those tools or artifacts (for example, source code, work items, and documents).

The team project is the central concept that holds together the team endeavor of creating a specific software technology or product. The team project is the virtual collection of artifacts relevant to a software application on which a team is working. For the team members, the team project concept eliminates the problem of having access to multiple artifacts not relevant to the team project; such an excess of artifacts causes confusion and delays the software development process. At a minimum, the team project consists of a set of tools and artifacts. The team project may also include source control policies, a team project reporting site, and a team project portal. The Team Foundation team project allows the process template, during the creation of a team project, to select which tools are relevant and will be added in the team project container.

The team project concept enhances reporting across all the tools used by the team. In the past, cross-tool reporting was challenging because the data from different tools was not related. For example, if a software developer wanted to obtain a cross-tool report on defects, he or she would have to distinguish the defects from multiple projects, since the defects were all stored in a common location. A team project is created in a namespace containing only tools and artifacts relevant to the software project; therefore a common filter is created which can relate different artifacts from different tools.

A single Team Foundation Server server may contain multiple team projects, each of which are created in a separate namespace, such that a document named X in namespace A is not the same as a document named X in namespace B. Creating a team project in a separate namespace allow artifacts or tools to be unique to the team project for which they belong, such that a tool or artifact contained in team project A is not accessible to a software developer working on team project B.

MSDN | Team Foundation Team Projects, http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms181234(VS.80).aspx

Teamprise 1.0 Released

csell — Wed, 12 Apr 2006 01:06:39 GMT

Let's face it if you are on a big enterprise development project you most likely will have both platforms, Java and .Net. I am a big fan when it comes to using the right tool for the job. I have been lucky enough to see Teamprise in action on some heterogeneous projects I have been on. It's great to see a product like it harness the power and vision of the TFS platform.

Nice job goes out to the staff at Teamprise!

Visual Studio Source Control Undelete Configuration Check-box

csell — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 21:22:24 GMT

It's been a while since my last post but I had an opportunity to take a month of vacation when my child was born. Let me just say, it sure didn't feel like a month.

Yesterday I stumbled across some IDE source control configuration gem. While poking around in I ran across "Show deleted items in the Source Control Explorer" in Tools -> Options -> Source Control -> Visual Studio Team Foundation Server. I can't tell you how many times I have been through those options but apparently I just ignored that whole section since it has the proxy server inputs above it. Once checked you will be able to use the undelete features from within the IDE rather than tf.exe.