A new build (74) of Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF) for Agile Software Development, Beta has been made available through the Microsoft Download Center.
This download contains the process guidance that will be shipping with Visual Studio Team System. MSF for Agile Software Development is a scenario-driven, context-based, agile software development process that utilizes many of the ideas embodied in Team System. This process incorporates proven practices developed at Microsoft around requirements, design, security, performance, and testing.
This build of MSF Agile has three main tabs:
Concepts: the content on this page dives into some of the Visual Studio Team System 2005 concepts like Process Guidance and Team System.
Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF) Agile is process guidance for the current Team Project. Key concepts for MSF Agile include roles, activities, workstreams, and work products.
Team System provides tools to enact the MSF guidance. It explains users and groups, the work item database and metric warehouse, source control and project portal.
Cycles and Iterations: the smooth integration of MSF in Team System supports rapid iterative development with continuous learning and refinement. It shows how product definition, development, and testing occur in overlapping, iterations, resulting in incremental completion of the project.
Principles: Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF) Agile is a scenario-driven, context-based, agile software development process for building .NET and other object-oriented applications. MSF Agile directly incorporates practices for handling quality of service requirements such as performance and security. It is also context-based and uses a context-driven approach to determine how to operate the project. This approach helps create an adaptive process that overcomes the boundary conditions of most agile software development processes while achieving the objectives set out in the vision of the project.
Core ideas of MSF agile are:
Partner with Customers
Foster open communications
Work toward a shared vision
Empower team members
Establish clear accountability and shared responsibility
Focus on delivering business value
Stay Agile, Adapt to Change
Invest in quality
Learn from all experiences
Always Create Shippable Products
Besides the nice interface and graphs in the download, it also contains an in-depth overview and description of the roles involved in MSF agile (Architect, Business Analyst, Project Manager, Tester, Developer, Release Manager).
This MSF Agile kit also provides a number of examples and templates for each role.
Example: the solution architect is guided through the different steps of creating a solution architecturea and he has also some examples of an application diagram, system diagram, prototype and a logical datacenter diagram available for reference.
MSF Agile provides guidance to all team members on work items. A work item is a database record which Visual Studio Team Foundation uses to track the assignment and state of work. The MSF Agile process defines five work items to assign and track work. These five work items are the scenario, quality of service requirement, task, bug, and risk.
If you want to get a grip on MSF agile, make sure to check the index tab which covers the work streams. Work streams are groups of activities that flow logically together and are often associated with a particular role. This page is a great place to start diving into MSF Agile.