Visual Studio Scrum 1.0

  • Article

Yesterday we announced the release of Microsoft Visual Studio Scrum 1.0, a new process template for Team Foundation Server 2010. The template can be downloaded from the Visual Studio Gallery or through the Visual Studio Extension Manager. This new template is the first new process template introduced by Microsoft since the MSF Agile and MSF CMMI templates first shipped with Team Foundation Server 2005.

So, why a new template? Scrum has become one of the dominant project management methodologies in recent years and is quickly becoming a default choice for new teams as well as teams looking to improve their existing processes. While the MSF Agile template can be used effectively by Scrum teams, we found that there was strong demand for a prescriptive Scrum template - a template that follows the Scrum methodology from top to bottom that uses Scrum terminology throughout.

What is a Process Template?

A process template is a collection of files that together define the various process elements of a team project on a Team Foundation Server. Included in a process template are definitions for your teams work items, work item queries, builds, reports, and SharePoint portal. Each of these artifacts help you manage the work for your software project, track and report on important trends, and ultimately drive toward releasing high quality software on time. Microsoft Visual Studio Scrum 1.0 defines the following artifacts for new team projects created from it:

Work Items

  • Sprint
  • Product Backlog Item
  • Bug
  • Task
  • Impediment
  • Test Case
  • Shared Steps

Reports

  • Release Burndown
  • Sprint Burndown (pictured below)
  • Velocity
  • Build Success Over Time
  • Build Summary
  • Test Case Readiness
  • Test Plan Progress

Who is the template for?

This template was built specifically for Scrum teams. We recognize that it won't meet every team's needs, but we didn't want to fall into the trap of "one size fits all" and miss the mark. The team worked closely with thought leaders in the Agile community to ensure that the template meets the needs of Scrum teams. And the template is completely customizable. If your team wants to start with a basic Scrum template and fine tune it to your needs, this template is a great choice.

For more information on what's included in the template please visit Aaron Bjork's blog post where he outlines what's included as well as changes since the beta.

Namaste!