TFS Integration platform – Proof of concept for custom adapter writers

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Working with a few early adopters and fellow VSTS Rangers (see picture on the right for a perfect VSTS Rangers and family life balance, as well as Springbok support from Robert and his son) it has become apparent that we need both a “Getting Started” guide for the user of the TFS Integration Platform (TIP) in a TFS-TFS environment, as well as a “Getting Started” guide for the custom adapter developer.

image image The TFS Integration Platform – Getting Started (image on the left) is the guide for the user and has been circulating the TIP early adopter ecosystem for some time. Additional supportive videos have been created and are awaiting final editing by the master Brian Keller. The TFS Integration Platform – Custom Adapter POC (image on the right) is the guide for the custom adapter developer, guiding you through the implementation of a typical development environment, setting up the TIP code base and exploring the TIP Pipeline with the proof-of-concept (POC) adapter. 04-07-09_1033

If you are interested in getting involved in developing custom adapters for the TFS Integration Platform (TIP) then this guide is for you. We would appreciate your feedback, so that we can improve the guide and ensure that your custom adapter development experience is as painless and as much fun as possible.

The proof-of-concept (POC) comes with a step-by-setup walk-through guide and a ‘simple’ POC Adapter code base.

As mentioned in a number of blogs and forums, the TFS Integration Platform ALPHA release is imminent, whereby we are planning to release early alpha bits to CodePlex. Remember the definition of ALPHA and BETA and realise that the Alpha release is for the early adopters of the development environment, in other words the custom adapter developers, not the user of the platform for migration and synchronization scenarios.

  • ALPHA – alpha testing is conducted at the product provider’s site by the user, or at the user’s site with the product provider delivering intense support. The intent is to reveal errors that only the user will find in a controlled environment, which is NOT a production environment.
  • BETA – beta testing is conducted by the user and the product providers are generally not present or available. The intent is again for the user to reveal errors, but in an environment that cannot be controlled by the product providers. Again it is NOT a production environment, unless explicitly agreed with the product provider and the VSTS Rangers typically act as the intermediaries.

Give us a shout, if you would like to know more. Watch this space for the announcement when the Alpha release has gone live.

Acronyms Used

| POC – Proof of Concept | TFS – team Foundation Server | TIP – TFS integration Platform |