Microsoft releases Visual Studio Scrum Templates 1.0 for TFS

Microsoft has released a new Scrum process template for TFS 2010, their first process template since Agile and CMMI in TFS 2005.  It’s completely new, and is supposed to follow the Scrum methodology from top to bottom:
 
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. 
 

IIS Express, SQL CE 4 and Razor MVC view

Dear scottgu,

Didn’t we just have a VS and Silverlight launch in April, and a Tech-Ed in June?  Is there the need to drop more good stuff on us even though we’re still digesting the events of the last couple of months?  Really?  Anyhow, thanks for the cool stuff, and I hope my wife doesn’t mind my laptop on the beach in a couple weeks.  Since you like feedback, here are my thoughts.  Do you mind taking a couple weeks off, now?

IIS Express

Very nice!  It’s been a little difficult to use a local IIS or Cassini to truly test ASP.NET apps, since they’re so different than what’s on Server 2008.  We won’t be able to replicate the setup and configuration, but I hope the features are as complete in the Express as in the server version, and I hope we can tap into the HTTP Request pipeline to test plug-in components.  Maybe soon this will be the default VS web server, and Cassini can be retired.  This seems to be a follow-up to SSRS 2008 no longer requiring IIS to be installed, and using http.sys instead.

(ref. http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2010/06/28/introducing-iis-express.aspx)

SQL CE 4

This is the database I wish SQL Server Express was.  As a matter of fact, I think SQL Express can die off now.  If I wanted to install database services, I would install a database.  If I don’t want to have to install a database, I need something embeddable.  Since SQL Express was released, I have come to really like SQLite.  I think SQL CE is going to change the way a lot of blogs/websites/photo galleries are developed and hosted.  And as much as I like Vista DB, I think you just ruined their holiday weekend.  The fact that we can start with a small embeddable DB and hop up to SQL Server or SQL Azure should make a lot of ISVs very happy with new lower price points for starter versions and the ability to upsize when their clients need to.

(ref. http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2010/06/30/new-embedded-database-support-with-asp-net.aspx)

Razor, the new ‘V’ in ‘MVC’

It’s obvious MVC has a passionate following, and the MS is committed to the technology.  I haven’t had a chance to work with MVC very much, but the syntax of Razor looks great—a little SQL-ish, a little JQuery-ish, but not a mess at all.  A lot of people don’t like the <%=   %> syntax because it harkens back to the classic ASP days, so the declarative syntax might make them happier.

(ref. http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2010/07/02/introducing-razor.aspx)

Team Foundation Server 2010 is now for Everyone

Microsoft listened!

TFS 2010 now allows you to start small–single laptop installation on Win 7, using SQL Server Express, no requirement for SharePoint or SSRS.  Apparently we can upgrade as we grow, building to the mac daddy TFS installation.  The basic installation/config is crazy easy–the speaker did it start to finish as a demo on a Win 7 client in a couple of minutes, and it actually worked.  The only demo today that worked the first time.

32% of all Beta 2/RC installs of TFS 2010 are on Win 7 machines.  Server 2008 and Server 2008 R2 are 25% each.  Server 2003, Vista and Unknown are the rest.

Each MSDN subscription includes 1 production TFS installation and one CAL.  Each VS 2010 (except Express) includes a CAL.  If you don't have MSDN, TFS can be purchased for $500, and includes 5 users.  Additional individual CALs cane be purchased from a reseller.

There is a conversion tool to migrate from VSS to TFS.  Subversion can either do a check-out/check-in, or watch for 3rd party products.

Totally new is Eclipse and Java support, so Java developers can make use of all the tools in TFS.  We work with a Java team at the day job, and ironicaly the Java guys use VSS, and the Visual Sudio guys use Subversion.

What’s BIG in VS2010

There's a lot of "what's new in VS 2010" going on, but what's really BIG–what is MS pushing, where is the excitement, where are the partners going?  Two immediate things stick out.

1. Scrum.  Scrum is all over the place.  Scrum is baked in to TFS 2010, it has great support (including SharePoint dashboards and Excel planning workbooks), and a bunch of partners have add-ins for managing and reporting on Scrum from TFS.  Pluralsight is offering all kinds of Scrum training

2. MVC 2.0.  This is part of VS 2010,  but also runs in VS 2008 (download from http://asp.net/mvc).  Partners are developing components (not controls, more like scaffolds and HTML helpers).

At the VS 2010 Launch!

Right now, they’re playing a video with a bunch of MS principals (like Gu) and developers discussing the history of Visual Studio (Microsoft 101: Visual Studio).  It’s online at channel9.msdn.com.  There are like 20 cameras for broadcasting the keynote globally.

The best swag so far—a deck of VS 2010 Poker Planning cards.   Coolest VS 2010 feature might be the built-in multiple monitor support.

Bob Muglia takes the stage, and says it’s all about developers.  Bellagio has HD projectors for the six screens, we can see way to much detail on his face.  HDTV = TMI.  The official slide just popped up—VS2010 is officially launched.  Now production ready, available for purchase and via MSDN.  50 partners have components and add-ons ready right now.  “A connected ecosystem”, “it takes a village”, ugh.

What can we do with VS2010?

“Stay in the zone” – Sam Gazitt

Multiple monitor support—we can snap a document out of the IDE and put it on another monitor, so no switching back and forth or having multiple instances open.

Box selection—can update multiple lines of code at the same time (a lot like Notepad++ if you’ve used that)

Built in support for JQuery, with Intellisense.  HTML code is standards compliant.  First time MS has shipped an open source tool with any of its products,  Also works with other JavaScript libraries.  Lightbox photo gallery in three lines of HTML code, only typing like 15 characters thanks to Intellisense.

“Get current” —

x86 servers are the most popular servers in use, and Windows is the most popular platform on the x86 servers.  Over 1 billion Windows clients in the world today.  Windows 7 is the most popular release ever in both consumer and business markets.  PC Sales “skyrockted” after Win 7 was released (no duh, Vista wasn’t good).

SQL Server 2008 R2 uses DAX, sounds like copy and paste for DB schemas.

New animation API for Win 7.  New native Ribbon designer.  MFC Class Wizard is back.  Huh?  Nice—the demo threw an error!  Both machine!  Library support for Win 7’s multi-touch and gestures.

SharePoint is the “central dashboard” for many businesses.  Opportunity to build SP applications is “off the charts”.  Env not set up well in the past.  SP 2010 + VS 2010 changes all that.

SP2010 “first class tooling set” in VS 2010.  Deployment was a pain point, VS2010 automates much of that.

SP Visual Web Parts are new in 2010.  Silverlight is also a part of Visual Web Parts.  VWPs intended to be very similar to web forms.  SP can run locally on a Win7 dev box!  VS 2010 automates deployment, so much nicer!  With debugging right in VS!

Cloud Apps—Windows Azure

“The cloud will have a very significant impact on all of us”.  “The cloud enables a next-generation application model that allows us to build scale-out applications”.  The PC and the Internet were major transition points–points of inflection "(“tipping points” per Malcom Gladwell).

About 5 years ago, MSN stopped buying servers and started buying pre-configured racks, and now they buy containers with 2000 servers and petabytes of storage.  Working with OEMs to drive the cost of hardware down.  If parts aren’t compute, storage or memory, it’s superfluous. 

The highest cost of running data centers is people. The usual ratio is 1 operator: 30 servers, world class is 1 operator to 300 servers.  Now can have 1:3000.  Learning a lot from Bing, with 100s of thousands of servers.

The cloud is a new, 5th generation application model:

  1. mainframe
  2. client-server
  3. Internet
  4. SOA
  5. cloud

Designed for Model driven, elastically scaled applications.  Many apps will run in the cloud without taking advantage of any of the new features.  “Our job is to allow every company, every developer on the planet to easily build cloud applications.”

Orville McDonald – WinPhone 7

WinPhone 7 apps designed to be connected to Azure or Server.  VS2010 includes templates for Azure services and roles.  Data hosted in SQL Azure can be modeled locally.

Win Phone 7 SDK has side-by-side designer and XAML view.  Blend can be used to style WinPhone 7 apps, with the back-end built in VS 2010.  The WinPhone 7 emulator runs an instance of the WinPhone 7 OS locally, so it’s real development against the real device without having the device yet.

Bob Muglia just pulled a WinPhone 7 out of his pocket, and they’re showing the demo app on it via overhead.  Phone gone before I got a photo.  Later this year, the Windows Phone Marketplace will be updated to accept Win Phone 7 apps.

Sharing Code

Phenomenal opportunity for the development system to provide an environment for developers to work together and share code.  Many environments are heterogeneous, including Java/Eclipse, Linux/Unix and Mac.

Visual Studio Team Explorer Everywhere is announced.  Fully connected to VS 2010, a TFS environment, works with Eclipse, Java, Linux, etc.  Based on Teamprise product.

TFS can be used by devs to prepare status updates so they can spend time on development.  TFS can also be used for bug tracking.

ALM Features – Doug Seven

Dependency Graphs, UML right in VS 2010.  Microsoft Test Manager is a part of VS 2010.  Recordings can be automatically made during testing and attached to the bug report in TFS.  “Intellitrace” captures the actual code that was executed on the test machine, like a DVR or flight recorder (code built via reflection?).  Not looking at the code in front of us, but what was actually executed.  The test manager actually plays back the actual mouse clicks.

TFS includes burndown information, tracks project progress, and dashboards are integrated with SP.  Test plan reports, trend reports, bugs by priority reports, and more.

VS2010 hosts virtualized test environment, can deploy server instances in the test lab.

SKU Details:

VS2010 Professional, MSDN Essentials Subscription

MSDN Essentials Subscription: 1 year subscription to SQL Server 2008 R2 Datacenter, Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise, Windows 7 Ultimate

The Ultimate Offer is extended to the end of the month–VS2008 Pro w/ MSDN Premium steps up to VS2010 Premium.  VS 2008 Premium steps up to VS 2010 Ultimate.

That’s all folks!