In TFS 2013 or Visual Studio Online, How to change the order of Features?
For TFS 2013 the portfolio management is part of the "Full" Access level. and thus requires an MSDN subscription for your users. For lower level SKU's the portfolio backlogs are unavailable.
For Visual Studio Online, the portfolio management is part of the "Visual Studio Online Advanced" user plan and available to MSDN users. For lower level SKU's the portfolio backlogs are read-only. Changing the order is not available in read-only mode.
(4) Agile Planning Tools include Agile Kanban and task boards and backlog and sprint planning.
(5) Read-Only
You can compare the different features per access levels here:
Visual Studio Online User Plans
TFS Access levels explained
A user can still manually influence the order by manipulating the field that's configured in the Process Template to represent the order:
for Scrum: Microsoft.VSTS.Common.BacklogPriority
for MSF: Microsoft.VSTS.Common.StackRank
Since these fields are hidden in the UI by default, you'll probably need to create a custom work item query and manager the priorities from Excel using the Team Exploere add-in.
Related
I'm fairly new to the different work items available in Azure Devops Server 2020 (TFS) and wonder if I could get some advice on what to select.
I am the only developer in a project and have direct contact with the stakeholder. When the stakeholder report an issue should I then create an Issue/impediment that describes whats is wrong or needs to be changed. And then create a task or bug that I link to that issue/impediment?
You can use Agile Glossary to get some information.
Issues/Impediments:
A type of work item that helps track unplanned activities. Resolving
an issue or impediment requires more work beyond what was scheduled
based on actual requirements.
Bugs:
A type of work item that records a potential source of dissatisfaction
with the product.
You can use Bugs to report issues from your stakeholders and here you also use two ways:
Use bugs on the requirements level and create tasks under it.
Use bugs on tasks level and link them to affected user story or product backlog item.
Show bugs on backlogs and boards
Or you can use user stories/product backlog items as a record to enhance your product.
Could someone throw some light on the difference between basic and Visual Studio professional subscription access levels in Azure DevOps?
Microsoft document here provides abstract information regarding the different access levels.
We have few users who are tagged with basic access level (who also have Visual Studio Professional Subscription) while few other users with Visual Studio professional subscription.
It is understood from this link that basic access level subscription billed $6 per month, the question that arises now is if azure devops is available for usage without cost if the user has visual studio professional subscription, and do we need to buy basic access level for users who do not have Visual studio professional subscription.
The difference between basic and Visual Studio professional
subscription access levels in Azure DevOps?
First, assume this professional subscription is available, not expired.
For active and valid subscription, it has all features of Basic. And also, as a VS Subscriber, you will have a basic license which included in VS subscription. Meanwhile, you can also use a range of features in Azure DevOps that are included with your subscription as a benefit.
For example, the subscribers have Basic + Test Plans included with their subscription. But for basic user, their Test Plan need be purchased additionally.
But, if the user don't have valid subscription or expired, at this time, this user will work as Stackholder.
Do we need to buy basic access level for users who do not have Visual
studio professional subscription.
As I mentioned previously, the Basic feature is included in the Visual Studio Professional Subscription. So, about these users, you don't need worry about their permission, just pay attention for not expired.
But, for the users who do not have the Visual Studio Professional Subscription, you only have 5 free Basic feature. If these free quotas are used up. You must buy the Basic for them.
Update:
You can see that in the Users tab, and also can get clearly know that who has subscriber level, who just has Basic level and who own Basic + Test Plan:
Microsoft Planner or Azure DevOps
We need to keep a track of tasks assigned to DevOps teammates.
I checked Azure Devops.
Azure DevOps gives you tasks and issue so that you can assign it to the members.
Not sure what MS Planner offers and should we chose that over Azure DevOps
Microsoft Planner is a task planning tool integrated in Office 365.
The level of capability from low to higher is corresponding task management to project portfolio management.
For a detail tutorial you could take a look at this link: Microsoft Planner - Step-by-step guide for users
Azure DevOps is a cloud-side source code management system also offering project management features as part of Microsoft's application life cycle management solutions. More project management features are accessible.
In Azure DevOps, you could also track work with Kanban boards, backlogs, team dashboards, and custom reporting.
Combine drag-and-drop sprint planning and flexible work item tracking with comprehensive traceability to have the perfect home for all your ideas–big and small.
You could also use the visualization options provided by Delivery Plans to review the schedule of stories or features your teams plan to deliver. Delivery Plans show the scheduled work items by sprint (iteration path) of selected teams against a calendar view.
Delivery plans is also interactive. You can change the assigned sprint of a work item by dragging it to a new sprint as shown in the above image.
I couldn't directly give you an accurate answer which one is better, it's all based on you and your team's requirement. They are totally two different products. Please kindly select the one suitable for your sides.
Can a user that has a Visual Studio subscription be given only "stakeholder" access? That way they can still use Visual Studio for their purposes, but as for VSTS and a team project, they can only do things such as enter bugs, get to the kanban boards (and update it if needed), define sprints etc. Basically "management stuff".
VSTS automatically assigns them Basic features, if your account has
seats available, or Stakeholder features, if not. -Microsoft Docs
What this effectively means is that VSTS will upgrade your user to the highest available license when the user logs in.
Any unassigned Basic License registered to your account automatically get assigned to stakeholders as they log in. (based on Microsoft Docs)
The same auto upgrade happens when the user have some sort of MSDN license. (based on personal experience)
So due to the auto upgrade process, trying to keep a user in the Stakeholder License as a means to restrict access might be a losing battle. You might want to modify permissions around this user instead or create a custom security group between Readers and Contributors.
With the ability to configure how the bugs should manage, I'm confuse what to select as a process when I create a team project in VSTS 2017.
In the Microsoft guidance they say Agile
works great if you want to track user stories and (optionally) bugs on the Kanban board, or track bugs and tasks on the task board.
But even I select Scrum as the process, the bugs can be configure not to manage on the Kanban board.
and further
Choose Agile when your team uses Agile planning methods, including Scrum, and tracks development and test activities separately.
Isn't this same even I select Scrum as the process? I couldn't see any differences from the interfaces.
Of cause by choosing, Agile I can track original estimation and the completed work alone with the reaming work.
So what are the other differences, which I go for a one over the other? May be some reports like Stories Overview Report
Regarding Bug tracking, the workflows are different: Workflow states, transitions, and reasons.
For Agile process, the forecasting is based on Story Points and for Scrum process, it is based on Effort.
Regarding report, the link you provide is used for on-premises TFS. You can show report that you want in the custom widget or hub extension, so no difference.
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