Scrum Process Template for Visual Studio ALM
You can develop complex products by using the Scrum framework, which is based on Agile principles and values.
Your team can practice Scrum by using the artifacts and tools provided with the process template for Microsoft Visual Studio Scrum 2.0 which is available with Visual Studio Team Foundation Server 2012. The latest version (2.0 or later) of this process template is automatically uploaded to TFS when you install or upgrade to the latest version of TFS.
Tip
To access to the latest versions of the process templates that TFS provides, install the latest quarterly update for Team Foundation Server. You can obtain the update from the Microsoft download site: Quarterly Update for Microsoft Visual Studio Team Foundation Server 2012.
Each artifact serves a specific function and provides opportunities to refine your processes over time. These artifacts include work items, reports, and team queries, and your team can use them to track information, analyze progress, and make decisions.
Define and track work
Use work items to track, monitor, and report the development progress of a product and its features. A work item is a database record that you create in Visual Studio Team Foundation Server to record the definition, assignment, priority, and state of work. The process template for Visual Studio Scrum 2.0 defines the following types of work items:
Specify and update information for each work item on the form for that item. You can access artifacts either from a Team Foundation client, such as Team Web Access or Team Explorer, or from the team project portal.
Manage the application lifecycle
Manage the application lifecycle of your projects with the following tools that enable you to define product backlogs, plan and run sprints, engage stakeholders, and conduct code reviews.
Agile Planning and Iterations: Describes how to use the product backlog, iteration backlog, team capacity, and burndown charts, and task board available with Team Web Access to create and groom the backlog and plan and run sprints.
Engage Stakeholders through Continuous Feedback: Describes how to request, provide, and review feedback. This experience uses the feedback request and feedback response types of work items.
Conduct a Code Review: Describes how to request and perform a code review. This experience uses the code review request and code review response types of work items.
Note
The type definitions for feedback request, feedback response, code review request, and code review response must be added to your team project. If your team project was upgraded from a previous version to the current version of Visual Studio Application Lifecycle Management (ALM), you may have to add these type definitions to your team project. For more information, see Update an Upgraded Team Project to Access New Features.
Monitor and report team progress
Use the following reports to track team progress and velocity.
Note
These reports require that the team project collection that contains your team project was provisioned with SQL Server Reporting Services. These reports are not available if .png "Report"){kind=icon}
Reports does not appear when you open Team Explorer and expand your team project node. Also, to view these reports, you must be assigned or belong to a group that has been assigned the Browser or Team Foundation Content Manager role in Reporting Services. See Add Users to Team Projects or Managing Permissions.
Track team burndown for backlog items and tasks: Release Burndown (Scrum) and Sprint Burndown (Scrum).
Track team velocity: Velocity (Scrum).
Track build activity, success, and trends: Build Success Over Time Report and Build Summary Report.
Track testing activity: Test Case Readiness Report and Test Plan Progress Report.
Additional resources
Get Started as a Team | Working with Team Foundation Clients | Track Work and Manage Workflow
Choose Link Types to Effectively Track Your Project | Link Work Items and Objects to Support Traceability
Microsoft How-To: Scrum for Everyone on the Visual Studio Magazine website
The latest version of process guidance content is available online. You can download online content and update your offline Help files by using the Help Library Manager.
See Also
Concepts
Customize Team Projects and Processes
Planning and Tracking Projects
Other Resources
Process Guidance and Process Templates for Team Foundation Server