How to become Microsoft Gold / Silver Partner in ALM

Is your Company looking for doing business in ALM ?

Become a Microsoft Gold / Sliver Partner in Application Lifecycle Management here is a link for Benefits / Requirements (Link Here)

Free E-Books for VS & TFS 2012

If you are looking for a free E-books about Visual Studio 2012 & Team Foundation Server 2012

• Professional Team Foundation Server 2012 (Link Here)
• Testing for Continuous Delivery with Visual Studio 2012 From MSDN Library (Link Here)

How to be MS Certified in Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) ?

Do you want to be Certified as Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer

MCSD: Application Lifecycle Management

Here you go only 3 exams to be an ALM Hero :)  ( Link Here )

here are some other Visual Studio Certifications Here

Microsoft Visual Studio Training Videos & VM on MS Virtual Labs

Try Microsoft Visual Studio in a virtual lab and learn more about coded UI testing, Team Foundation Server, SharePoint development, and other new features. Virtual labs are simple, with no complex setup or installation required. Here

free eBook for Visual Studio 2012 and ASP.NET 4.5.

• Free eBook for Visual Studio 2012 and ASP.NET 4.5 Here. 

Free Training Course for Visual Studio 2010

Free Downloads From Microsoft Site:

• Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4 Training Course Download Here
• Free ebook: Moving to Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Here
• If you Have Visual Studio 2010 don't forget to Install the latest Service Pack 1 Download Here

Top 10 Downloads for Visual Studio 2010 from MS Site

Visual Studio 2010 trial editions downloads on the Microsoft Download Center.

Visual Studio 2010 Express Editions

• Visual Studio Express, which includes:
• Visual Basic 2010 Express
• Visual C++ 2010 Express
• Visual C# 2010 Express
• Visual Web Developer 2010 Express
• Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone CTP

Visual Studio 2010 Trial Editions

• Microsoft® Visual Studio® 2010 Professional Trial - Web Install
• Microsoft® Visual Studio® 2010 Professional Trial - ISO (DVD-9)
• Microsoft® Visual Studio® 2010 Premium Trial - Web Install
• Microsoft® Visual Studio® 2010 Premium Trial - ISO (DVD-9)
• Microsoft® Visual Studio® 2010 Ultimate Trial - Web Install
• Microsoft® Visual Studio® 2010 Ultimate Trial - ISO (DVD-9)
• Microsoft® Visual Studio® Test Professional Trial - Web Install
• Microsoft® Visual Studio® Test Professional Trial - ISO (DVD-9)
• Microsoft® Visual Studio® Team Foundation Server Trial - ISO (DVD-9)

Top 5 Downloads for VSTS & TFS 2008 Updates from MS Site

1. Visual Studio 2008 Team Foundation Server Service Pack 1 TFS 2008 SP1: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=9E40A5B6-DA41-43A2-A06D-3CEE196BFE3D&displaylang=en
2. Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1 (Installer) VS 2008 SP1: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=FBEE1648-7106-44A7-9649-6D9F6D58056E&displaylang=en
3. Visual Studio Team System (VSTS 2008) Team Foundation Server TFS Power Tools - October 2008 Release http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=FBD14EEA-781F-45A1-8C46-9F6BA2F68BF0&displaylang=en
4. Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=AB99342F-5D1A-413D-8319-81DA479AB0D7&displaylang=en
5. Team Foundation Installation Guide for Visual Studio Team System (TFS 2008): http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=FF12844F-398C-4FE9-8B0D-9E84181D9923&displaylang=en

If you want to check the Top 10 Download links for VSTS 2008 from MS Site

Are you still using Visual SourceSafe !!! ?

According to the Visual SourceSafe Road Map and between-the-lines reading of a VSS transcript, Visual Source Safe is targeted towards individual developers or small teams (1-5) with lightweight SCM needs. Microsoft is encouraging everyone else to migrate to the more sophisticated Visual Studio Team System. And Its Team Foundation Server (TFS) Version Control

Features of TFS Version Control

1. Atomic Checkin
2. Work Item Integration
3. Checkin Policies
4. Shelving
5. Delta File Storage & Delta Binary File Storage
6. Large File Support (>4GB)
7. Distributed Team Support
8. E-mail Check-in Notification
9. Non-Windows Support
10. Diff Tool Extensibility
11. Shared Checkout
12. VS 2003 Integration

VSS does not have:

• Workspaces
• Changesets
• Shelvesets
• XML Diff/Merge Tool
• Content Merge, Namespace Merge (branch)
• Auditing
• Locking
  

These are Some Numbers to show you the Big Difference:
In a project the repository was made up of just under 6,000 files making up around 250Mb and using a good WAN Connection to the server:
To make a Full get on source tree:
VSS - 1 hour 26 mins 53 seconds
VSTS - 7 mins 32 Seconds
To make a Get Latest when nothing changed (on full source tree):
VSS - 14 mins 23 seconds
VSTS - 3 seconds
To make a Right click on a folder:
VSS - 3.5 seconds
VSTS - Instant
To make a Navigate down a folder with no files in it:
VSS - 4.5 seconds.
VSTS - Instant
Show files checked out to me:
VSS - 3 mins
VSTS - Instant

At the End if you still insist to use Visual SourceSafe please Read this Choosing Between Microsoft Visual Studio Team System and Microsoft Visual SourceSafe

10 Download links for VSTS 2008 from MS Site

If you want to try to use VSTS 2008 , you need these download links

1. Visual Studio Team System 2008 Team Explorer ( but You must have a Team Foundation Server Client Access License (CAL) to use Team Explorer to access a Team Foundation Server).
2. Newly published (3/28/2008 ) VPC Image Visual Studio® Team System 2008 Team Foundation Server and Team Suite VPC Image (Trial) This image will expire December 31, 2008.
3. VPC Image Visual Studio® Team System 2008 Team Foundation Server only VPC Image (Trial) This image will expire April 1, 2008.
4. Free Tool Visual Studio Team System 2008 Team Foundation Server Power Tools - December 2007 Release it is a set of enhancements, tools and command line utilities that improve the Team Foundation Server user experience.
5. Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5
6. Visual Studio Team System 2008 Team Foundation Server (90-day Trial)
7. Visual Studio Team System 2008 Team Suite (90-day Trial) Team Suite provides multi-disciplined team members with an integrated set of tools for architecture, design, development, database development and testing of applications.
8. Visual Studio Team System 2008 Test Load Agent (90-day Trial) This Trial Edition has full retail functionality but will expire after 90 days or 25 runs, whichever comes first.
9. MSDN Library for Visual Studio 2008
10. Visual Studio 2008 and .NET Framework 3.5 Training Kit it is a Training Kit containing Labs, Demos and PPTs.

Free VSTS Videos

Free training Videos:

1. Getting Started with Team System from ASP.NET site.
2. How Do I?" Videos for Team System from MSDN of Visual Studio Team System 2005 Developer Center.
3. VSTS Tutorial Videos From Team System Rocks Community.
4. list of some Visual Studio Team System videos and webcasts a List From Digerati Technologies.

TFS Check-in Policies

Check-in policies are a mechanism for enforcing development practices across your development team. Check-in notes are a communication mechanism for collecting data from team members during the check-in process.

Out of the Box Check-in policies in VSTS 2005 :

1. Code Analysis : Requires that code analysis is run before check-in.
2. Testing Policy : Requires that check-in tests are completed before check-in.
3. Work Items : Requires that one or more work items be associated with the check-in.

For More Help in Working with Check-In Policies and Notes
Recommeded Free Custom Check-in Policies :

1. Code Comment Check-in Policy: This Team Foundation Server (TFS) Checkin policy ensures that the source code contains code comments (/// for C#, ''' for VB.NET) for classes, methods, properties, fields and events before checking it into Team Foundation version control (TFVC).
2. Code Review Workflow Check-in Policy: This project is a combination of a Code Review Work Item and a Code Review Check-in Policy. The check-in policy doesn’t allow a check-in unless it has an associated Code Review work item, and that work item is set to approved. Only people in a TFS group named {Project}\Code Reviewers can set an item to approved: Code Review Work Item, Code Review Custom Check-In Policy and Code Reviewers Security Group.
3. Banned files Check-In Policy: this policy allows you to specify a file extension or a regular expression in order to keep files that you don’t want out of version control. This is usually used for dll’s, build artifacts, or some website files that are automatically generated.
4. Time That Task VSTS Check-In Policy: Custom VSTS check-in policy that gathers hours worked on a task during each check-in. This policy requires check-in to be associated with only one task that is in an "Active" status. It also gathers the number of hours worked on the associated task incrementing the completed hours and decrementing the remaining hours. If the number of hours worked on code in check-in is greater than remaining work hours on the associated task, user will be asked to re-estimate the number or hours remaining for the task.
5. TFS Custom Path Check-In Policy: The Custom Path Check-In Policy works in concert with existing Team Foundation Server (TFS) check-in policies, providing a mechanism that allows you to specify the source control path(s) that a particular policy is allowed to act on. This will allow for example a single Team Project to have one set of Code Analysis rules for a particular folder and completely different set of rules for another folder. It would also allow for filtering what specific items the rules work on for instance enforcing a Work Item for any check-in of files ending in ".cs, .sln, .csproj" but ignore the rule for all other check-ins.

Don't Forget to Send Notification E-mail on the Checkin Policy Override

VSTS links Inside MS Site

Very Important Links Inside MS Sites & MSDN : both versions (2005 , 2008)

1. Visual Studio Team System (VSTS) 2005 ( MSDN URL : http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/fda2bad5(VS.80).aspx).
2. Visual Studio Team System (VSTS) 2008 ( MSDN URL : http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/fda2bad5.aspx).
3. Introduction to Visual Studio 2005 Team System Guide (MS URL : http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=B3C4B808-F9EB-4CA0-A036-4AB5B587F029&displaylang=en).
4. Visual Studio 2005 Team Foundation Installation Guide (MS URL : http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=e54bf6ff-026b-43a4-ade4-a690388f310e&DisplayLang=en).
5. Team Foundation Administrator's Guide 2005 (MS URL: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=2AED0ECC-1552-49F1-ABE7-4905155E210A&displaylang=en).
6. Team Foundation Installation Guide for Visual Studio Team System 2008 (MS URL: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=FF12844F-398C-4FE9-8B0D-9E84181D9923&displaylang=en).
7. Microsoft® Visual Studio® 2005 Team Suite Service Pack 1 (MS URL : http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=BB4A75AB-E2D4-4C96-B39D-37BAF6B5B1DC&displaylang=en ).
8. For More Help and Alot of FAQs Offcourse use MSDN Forums » Visual Studio Team System (MSDN URL : http://forums.microsoft.com/msdn/default.aspx?siteid=1&ForumGroupID=5)
9. Visual Studio Team System 2005 Developer Center (MS URL : http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/teamsystem/default.aspx).
10. Team Foundation Server 2008 Developer Center (MS URL : http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/tfs2008/default.aspx ).
11. Visual Studio Team System 2008 Team Suite Developer Center (MS URl: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/vsts2008/default.aspx).
12. Visual Studio Team System Blogs (MS URL : http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/teamsystem/aa718761.aspx).
13. "How Do I?" short time Videos for Team System URL : http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/teamsystem/bb507749.aspx ).
14. Visual Studio Team System: Webcasts and Virtual Labs URL : http://www.microsoft.com/events/series/Msdnvsts.aspx

VSTS & TFS Books

I am Interested in Visual Studio Team System (VSTS) and Team Foundation Server (TFS) as it is the main tool doing my work with , Actually i am still using version 1 of that product which was published in 2005 , but there is a new vesion 2 whish is VSTS 2008

Here it is some VSTS 2005 and TFS 2005 recommended books

1. "Microsoft Press" Working with Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Team System. Book URL : http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/books/8477.aspx
2. "Wrox" Professional Team Foundation Server . Book URL : http://www.wrox.com/WileyCDA/WroxTitle/productCd-0471919306.html
3. "Wrox" Professional Visual Studio 2005 Team System . Book URL : http://www.wrox.com/WileyCDA/WroxTitle/productCd-0764584367.html

Other books

1. Software Engineering with Microsoft Visual Studio Team System
2. Managing Projects with Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Team System
3. Pro Visual Studio 2005 Team System
4. Pro Visual Studio 2005 Team System Application Development
5. Global Outsourcing with Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Team System