DevTrack-Team Foundation integration through VersionLink enables development organizations to maintain their source code in a Team Foundation team project and manage and track those work items as development issues in DevTrack.

•Microsoft Team Foundationis a set of tools and technologies that provides development organizations a tool for storing and managing source code for collaborative development projects. Microsoft Team Foundation Server is the the data storage backend for the Visual Studio Team System suite of software development tools.

•TechExcel DevTrackis the industry-leading tool for bug tracking and the management of the application development life cycle. DevTrack is the project tracking system for TechExcel DevSuite.

An integrated DevTrack-Team Foundation solution enables development organizations to link Team Foundation work items with DevTrack development issues and synchronize data between work items and issues so that they may maintain and manage source code in the Team Foundation Server and manage and track the associated work items as development issues in DevTrack workflow.

DevTrack-Team Foundation integration provides development organizations with the following capabilities:

•Work items are linked to DevTrack development issues

•Data is automatically synced between work items and DevTrack issues at administrator-defined time intervals.

•Work items may be automatically created in Team Foundation team projects based on the changes made to development issues in DevTrack projects.

•Development issues may be automatically created in DevTrack projects based on the changes made to work items in Team Foundation team projects.

Benefits of DevTrack-Team Foundation Server Integration

However, Team Foundation tracking, workflow, and project management features are relatively limited. Integration with DevTrack enables development organizations to capitalize on the power and flexibility of the industry-leading tool for bug tracking and project management.

DevTrack is a key component in TechExcel DevSuite—the TechExcel application life cycle management solution. DevSuite is comprised of five applications: DevSpec for specification management, DevPlan for project management, DevTrack for bug tracking, and DevTest for regression testing and quality assurance.

Integration with DevTrack through VersionLink not only provides developers with the industry-leading bug tracking tool, but enables them to utilize the other tools in the TechExcel DevSuite line of application life cycle management solutions.

Microsoft Team Foundation Server (TFS) provides developers a source control repository and development environment through which they may manage work items and source code.

Using Team Foundation Server, developers may manage and track many different types of “work items”.

A Team Foundation work item represents a distinct area of work and is roughly comparable to a DevTrack development issue. However, Team Foundation Server supports many different work item types that are managed differently in the Team Foundation project. Team Foundation work item types include bugs, tasks, service requirements, and scenarios.

Process templates

A Team Foundation team project is defined by a process template. In Team Foundation Server, a process template is aMicrosoft Solutions Framework(MSF) that defines the model that is used to manage work items in a team project. Features defined by the process template include the available work item types, the attributes tracked by each work item type, work item queries, reports, and security groups.

Process templates are an important aspect of DevTrack-TFS integration. DevTrack project configurations—issue properties, workflow, GUI layout—may be saved and exported to an integrated Team Foundation team project enabling development organizations to create and track DevTrack development issues as a customized work item type in Team Foundation team project.

Source Control

Team Foundation source control system stores code and records all changes and all current checkouts in a SQL Server database. Team Foundation supports multiple simultaneous check-outs, conflict resolution, branching and merging, and the ability to set security levels on any level of a source tree.

DevTrack VersionLink enables development organizations to integrate DevTrack projects with third-party version control and software configuration management (SCM) systems.

Using VersionLink, development teams may associate the file changes that are managed in their version control solution with DevTrack development issues so that they may manage and track those files in DevTrack workflow.

DevTrack VersionLink module automatically syncs changes between DevTrack and the integrated version control system, records all historical data, and maintains the relationship between DevTrack issues and source files.

DevTrack VersionLink supports integration with leading commercial and open source version control solutions including AccuRev, ClearCase, CVS, PCVS, Perforce, Subversion, and Microsoft Team Foundation Server.

Understanding VersionLink Components

In the DevTrack-Team Foundation Server integration, DevTrack VersionLink consists of three components: the TechExcel VersionLink Web Service, the VersionLink Team Foundation Server Web Service, and the VersionLInk NT Sync Service:

•The TechExcel VersionLink Web Service enables development organizations to leverage the power of their chosen SCM system with ease and flexibility of DevTrack.

•The VersionLink TFS Web Service calls the Team Foundation Server and the VersionLink Sync Service to to read and write to the Team Foundation Server.

•The VersionLink NT Sync Service synchronizes issue-work item data based on administrator-defined sync rules.

Understanding DevTrack-TFS Synchronization

DevTrack VersionLink allows for real-time, automatic data synchronization between TechExcel DevTrack and Team Foundation Server. DevTrack-TFS integration is based on a sync service that uses administrator-defined rules to synchronize DevTrack issue data and TFS work item data.

The TFS sync service synchronizes data between DevTrack issues and work items automatically at administrator-defined time intervals.

Synchronization between mapped fields is based on changes made to the status of DevTrack issues or TFS work items in the respective DevTrack project and Team Foundation team project. A DevTrack project may be linked to one-and-only-one Team Foundation team project.

DevTrack VersionLink administrative tasks include the installation and configuration of DevTrack VersionLink, the VersionLink Sync Service, and VersionLink Team Foundation Server Web Service, and the definition and the configuration of DevTrack- Team Foundation Server integration in the DevTrack Admin client.

DevTrack-Team Foundation Server integration and synchronization is made possible by three VersionLink components:

•DevTrack VersionLink

•VersionLink Sync Service

•Team Foundation Server Web Service

Once these three components are installed and configured, project administrators may define integration and synchronization settings in the DevTrack project.

DevTrack-Team Foundation Server integration and data synchronization is made possible through TechExcel VersionLink, the VersionLink TFS Web Service, and the VersionLink NT Sync Service.

                                               Figure 2-1: DevTrack-Team Foundation Server Integration

The DevTrack Database Server, DevTrack Admin client, and DevTrack Admin Web Service are required for all DevTrack implementations. These components should already be installed and configured.

The new components that must be installed are TechExcel VersionLink, the VersionLink Web Service. and the VersionLink NT Sync Service:

• TechExcel VersionLink enables development organizations to leverage the power of their chosen SCM system with ease and flexibility of DevTrack.

• The VersionLink TFS Web Service calls the Team Foundation Server and the VersionLink Sync Service to to read and write to the Team Foundation Server.

• The VersionLink NT Sync Service synchronizes issue-work item data based on administrator-defined sync rules.

ServiceVersionLink installation tasks include:

•Installing DevTrack VersionLink

•Installing the VersionLink TFS Web Service

•Installing the VersionLink NT Sync

Input DevSuite Application server name and port

Load TFS field. Select DevTrack project identifier field in TFS and select linked field in TFS for DevTrack BugID. (You can customize one field in TFS side to server this purpose)

Map DevTrack field to TFS field (One to one only) and enable ‘Support Sync DevTrack bug note with TFS attachment’

Map choices of DevTrack fields to choices of TFS fields

Map choices of TFS fields to choices of DevTrack fields

Define creation rules. You can choose to create issues for all status or only for selected status.

If selected statuses option is chosen, customize new TFS bug condition and new DevTrack issue condition.

Define user mapping between DevTrack and TFS

Define user mapping between DevTrack and TFS

DevTrack-Team Foundation integration enables development organizations to track and manage Team Foundation work items from within the DevTrack Windows and web clients.

Because Team Foundation work items are frequently associated with changes to source code and committed to the Team Foundation Server in the same changeset, DevTrack project members may view file revisions and comments and access links to related work items that were included in the same changeset.

                                                             Figure 3-1: Team Foundation Page Detail

The Team Foundation Server page in the DevTrack clients shows the history of every change to a work item and all of the changes that were committed to the Team Foundation Server in the same changeset.

In Team Foundation, every change to source code is checked into the Team Foundation Server as part of achangeset. A changeset is a logical grouping of file and work item updates that are committed to the Team Foundation Server in a single check-in operation.

Every change that is submitted to the Team Foundation Server, all files associated to that change, and any DevTrack development issues that are linked to that work item are displayed in the Team Foundation Server page of the DevTrack client.

The Team Foundation Server page displays high-level information about the history of a linked work item in a tabular list of rows and columns.

                                                           Figure 3-2: Team Foundation Server Page

The Team Foundation Server shows every changeset and every file and work item associated with each changeset. Detailed information about each changeset including the title, status, creation date, and change creator is displayed in the changeset detail area.

By clicking a change, file, or issue in the change list, the project member may view detailed information about the selected change, file, or issue.

If a changeset is selected, the change detail area shows detailed changeset data including:

•Title

•ID

•Status

•Created Date

•Created By

•Last Modified

•Date Last Modified By

•Change Comments

To view changeset details:

1Select a development issue in the issue list panel.

The issue detail page appears.

2Select the Team Foundation Server command from the Action dropdown list.

The Team Foundation Server page appears.

3Select the change in the change list.

The Team Foundation Server page displays high-level information about the history of a single development issue in a tabular list of rows and columns.

                                                        Figure 3-3: Team Foundation Server Page

The Team Foundation Server page displays a list report high-level information every change that is linked to the current issue including the title, status, creation date, and change creator properties as well as all associated files and issues.

By clicking a change, file, or issue in the change list, the project member may view detailed information about the selected change, file, or issue.

If a change is selected, the file detail area shows detailed change data including:

•File Name

•File Path

•File Version

To view TFS file details:

1Select a development issue in the issue list panel.

The issue detail page appears.

2Select the Team Foundation Server command from the Action dropdown list.

The Team Foundation Server page appears.

3Select the file in the change list.

The Team Foundation Server page displays high-level information about the history of a single development issue in a tabular list of rows and columns.

                                                                Figure 3-4: Team Foundation Server Page

The Team Foundation Server page displays a list report high-level information every change that is linked to the current issue including the title, status, creation date, and change creator properties as well as all associated files and issues.

By clicking a change, file, or issue in the change list, the project member may view detailed information about the selected change, file, or issue.

If a change is selected, the file detail area shows detailed information about issues associated with a particular change. Project team members may view all development issue property definitions, a read-only audit trail of all development work, and information about associated events, and linked issues.

•Owner and State Change History

•Description

•Current Status

•Tracking History report

•Links report

•Change Log report

•Notes report

•Events report

•Time Track report

•Custom page reports

To view TFS issue details:

1Select a development issue in the issue list panel.

The issue detail page appears.

2Select the Team Foundation Server command from the Action dropdown list.

The Team Foundation Server page appears.

3Select the issue in the change list.

In Team Foundation, every change to source code is checked into the Team Foundation Server as part of achangeset. A changeset is a logical grouping of file and work item updates that are committed to the Team Foundation Server in a single check-in operation.

Every change that is submitted to the Team Foundation Server, all files associated to that change, and any DevTrack development issues that are linked to that work item are displayed in the Team Foundation Server page of the DevTrack client.

The Team Foundation Server page displays high-level information about the history of a linked work item in a tabular list of rows and columns.

                                                           Figure 3-2: Team Foundation Server Page

The Team Foundation Server shows every changeset and every file and work item associated with each changeset. Detailed information about each changeset including the title, status, creation date, and change creator is displayed in the changeset detail area.

By clicking a change, file, or issue in the change list, the project member may view detailed information about the selected change, file, or issue.

If a changeset is selected, the change detail area shows detailed changeset data including:

•Title

•ID

•Status

•Created Date

•Created By

•Last Modified

•Date Last Modified By

•Change Comments

To view changeset details:

1Select a development issue in the issue list panel.

The issue detail page appears.

2Select the Team Foundation Server command from the Action dropdown list.

The Team Foundation Server page appears.

3Select the change in the change list.

Report authors may display any system-defined or custom-defined development issue data fields in a Team Foundation Server list report. System-defined data fields include:

Report authors may also add seven different system variables in list reports.

{Change Log}                                                 The {Change Log} variable

{Customer Info}                                              The {Customer Info} variable

{Elapsed Time By Account Type}                  The {Elapsed Time By Account Type} variable

{Elapsed Time By Groups}                             The {Elapsed Time By Groups} variable

{Elapsed Time By Owner}                              The {Elapsed Time By Owner} variable

{Elapsed Time By Progress Status}                 The {Elapsed Time By Progress Status} variable

{History}                                                           The {History} variable

Report authors may add 16 distinct work item data fields to Team Foundation Server list reports that they create in the DevTrack client.

Change Description                            File Server Path

Change Name                                     File Server Version

Change Status                                     Last Change Time

Created By                                          Last Changed By

Created By (Client)                             Last Changed By (Client)

File Local Path                                    Number of Changes

File Local Version                               Number of Files

File Name                                            Operation

Issue list reports display DevTrack development issue data and Team Foundation Server work item data in a tabular report of rows and columns.

Report authors may define two kinds of Team Foundation Server list reports: concise reports and brief reports.

•Brief list reports display summary data for in the report period.

•Concise list reports display detailed (issue-level) data in the report period.

•Detailed list reports display both summary and detailed (issue-level) data in the report period.

Report authors may choose which data fields are displayed in the list report. Both issue data fields and work item data fields may be displayed in the report.

File list reports display DevTrack development issue data and Team Foundation Server work item data in a tabular report of rows and columns.

                                                   Figure 3-5: TFS File List Report (Brief)

Report authors may define three kinds of Team Foundation Server file list reports: concise reports, brief reports, and detailed reports.

•Brief list reports display summary data for in the report period.

•Concise list reports display detailed (issue-level) data in the report period.

•Detailed list reports display both summary and detailed (issue-level) data in the report period.

Report authors may choose which data fields are displayed in the list report. Both issue data fields and work item data fields may be displayed in the report.

File list reports display DevTrack development issue data and Team Foundation Server work item data in a tabular report of rows and columns.

                                                   Figure 3-5: TFS File List Report (Brief)

Report authors may define three kinds of Team Foundation Server file list reports: concise reports, brief reports, and detailed reports.

•Brief list reports display summary data for in the report period.

•Concise list reports display detailed (issue-level) data in the report period.

•Detailed list reports display both summary and detailed (issue-level) data in the report period.

Report authors may choose which data fields are displayed in the list report. Both issue data fields and work item data fields may be displayed in the report.