1 / 38

Microsoft Solutions Framework – MSF v4

Raf a l L ukawiecki Strategic Consultant rafal@projectbotticelli.co.uk Project Botticelli Ltd. Microsoft Solutions Framework – MSF v4.

sherri
Download Presentation

Microsoft Solutions Framework – MSF v4

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Rafal Lukawiecki Strategic Consultant rafal@projectbotticelli.co.uk Project Botticelli Ltd Microsoft Solutions Framework – MSF v4 This presentation is based on work by Microsoft TechNet, MSDN and various Microsoft authors including, with special thanks: Ramprabhu Rathnam, Tony Northrup, and Austin Wilson

  2. Objectives • Convince you that non-technical reasons impact project success a lot • Show you an approach to product management that has proven to be very successful • Explain the recent developments

  3. Agenda • Introduction to Frameworks • Components of MSF v3 and v4 • Future

  4. Introduction:Why Projects Fail?What are Frameworks?

  5. MSF • Microsoft Solutions Framework • Established in 1991, made public in 1993 (v1), fully revised in 1998 (v2), January 2003 (v3) and now in March 2006 (v4) • Product development framework for creating software and infrastructure deployment • Related to MOF, Microsoft Operational Framework • Which concentrates on the management of IT infrastructure

  6. IT Lifecycle Microsoft Solutions Framework Plan Operate Build Deploy Microsoft Operations Framework

  7. Does it Work? • Yes, as long as you chose the right bits of MSF for your project • High-profile projects that used MSF • www.nasdaq.com and www.marriott.com (Aris Corp, now Ciber, www.ciber.co.uk) • UK Government Gateway (eGov) • Visual Studio, Windows 2003, Windows XP

  8. What’s a Framework? • Unlike a methodology, a framework is a set of conceptual tools and best practices • However, in many ways MSF v4 is closer to a methodology than v3

  9. Root Causes of Failure • Separation of goal and function • Separation of business and technology • Lack of common language and process • Failure to communicate and act as a team • Processes that are inflexible to change • Solution? • A good and tested framework! “When projects fail, it’s rarely technical.” Jim Johnson, The Standish Group Average cost overrun: 45% Time overrun: 63% Functionality delivered on average: 67% Standish Group

  10. Evolution from MSF v3 to v4

  11. MSF Partner Council Who Advised v4

  12. Evolution to MSF v4

  13. Status • MSF v3 is fully released and available • Study course MOC #1846 • MSF v4 for Application Development (both Agile and CMMI) have just shipped on 29 March 2006 • Download guidance from www.microsoft.com/msf • MSF v4 for Infrastructure Deployment and other “flavours” (Solutions, Consulting, etc.) are under development at present • This is news! Good news.

  14. Agility • Agility of the development process is the key to being able to cope with inevitable changes (spec, environment, business) or planning errors • The price of it is a certain unpredictability of the process • Finish date, final cost, feature set… • Generally, agility is great for small and medium projects in existing and tested dev environments

  15. CMMI • Capability-Maturity Model Integration describes 5 (or 6) levels of process-based predictability of an organisation (or department) in terms of their ability to produce quality software • Level 5 is best. Most companies are 0 or 1. MSF v4 can help you work at level 3 or more. • Moving towards higher levels is done by adopting highly predictable (but not so agile) processes • Great for larger or more formal projects, especially in more critical environments • By the way, MSF and CMMI are not strangers: KPMG published a paper on how MSF v1 could help you with CMM already in 1995!

  16. Observation • MSF v3 seems more “formal” than MSF for Agile Software Development • We lose some of the structure and modelling from v3 and replace them with a more integrated agile process • MSF v3 seems less “formal” than MSF for CMMI Process Improvement • Structures from v3 are becoming more process-improvement oriented

  17. What About Extreme Programming? • Extreme Programming (XP), which was created after MSF, has similarities • Similarities regarding the Zero Defect Mindset and Daily Builds • XP is less predictable than necessary for more formal projects • But great for very agile projects • MSF for Agile Software Development seems more predictable, controllable and even more agile than XP • MSF CMMI Process Improvement, naturally, is less agile than XP, but seems the most predictable

  18. Key Components of MSF

  19. A Team of Peers (v4 Agile)

  20. Feature & Function Teams Technique Example: Scaling the Team Model

  21. Designing Software within MSF • UML (Unified Modelling Language) has a great tradition, though we may need to evolve towards a service-oriented approach • UML2? Perhaps, but it’s possible to be more direct in design. • Domain Specific Languages! • Great conceptual integration both with MSF and with the tools (VSTS) • Further, possible, integration with SDM and DSI

  22. Project Management in v4 • One of the most powerful features of Visual Studio Team System is its automation of project management • Workstreams, Work Items, and Roles concepts • Uses Team Foundation Server • Relies on Microsoft Project-style planning documents

  23. MSF Process Model v3 DeploymentComplete Release ReadinessApproved Vision/Scope Approved MSF Project Plans Approved Scope Complete

  24. Deploy Envision Release 1 Stabilize Plan Build

  25. Process Modelling in v4 • MSF v4 introduces a new model of Governance and Enactment which replace the traditional process model • This caters for different types of processes, which are now defined at the level of methodology, rather than the framework • This makes MSF v4 much more suited to work in teams both very small and very big, as opposed to what v3 could have ever catered for

  26. Iterations • Achievement of a pre-determined level of quality • Based on planning of feature-sets • Mechanism to correct project plan deviations

  27. Governance • Process mapped onto specific iterations

  28. Cycles • The foundation of every day’s co-ordinated work of the team

  29. Daily (Nightly) Build Building the product in a deployable form on a daily basis • A daily build is • A strong indicator that a team is functional • Guarantee against component integration problems • A way to make the product and its progress visible • The heartbeat of the development process • A key function of VSTF (see later)

  30. Quality CriteriaKnowing When You Can Ship • MSF v4 defines: • Minimum Acceptance Level (Scenarios) • Relates to “Core Functionality Set” • Test Thresholds • Code Coverage for Unit Tests • Other, context-driven (bugs per developer) • VSTS manages tracking and reporting of these quality criteria during all phases of the project

  31. Work Items • Activities and Workstreams manage the concept of a work item, which describes an assignable, individual piece of effort that needs to be done: • Bug • Quality of Service Requirement • Scenario • Risk (not yet in the beta of VSTS, but soon) • Task

  32. Process Model

  33. Team System • Ingenious: tool that implements MSF! • As soon as you create a new project in VSTS you get to chose which version of MSF v4 you want to use! • VS 2005 TS manages the flow of work items between team members, as well as overlooks their progress • Individual versions for • Developer • Architect • Tester • Reporting and management tools for project manager and other team members • Includes Outlook, Excel and Project Support

  34. Future

  35. MSF and Software Development • Without a doubt, the emphasis of MSF v4 is on software development • The MSF team is now firmly a part of the Visual Studio group within Microsoft • Tying the framework to the tools (VSTS) was the masterstroke that gave MSF a very prosperous future • And vice-versa: the method adds value to the tools, beyond what any Microsoft competitor could offer today

  36. MSF for Infrastructure Deployment • While initially there was a little confusion, it has now been confirmed that MSF v4 will cater for Infrastructure Deployment too • While the detail is being finalised, please consider using MSF v3 or MOF for purely infrastructure deployment oriented projects • Consider using the more flexible process approaches from v3 • Soft skills, whichever version, like all good ideas, age only like wine, anyway

  37. Summary • Projects fail for non-technical reasons • A framework such as MSF fixes those problem • You don’t have to use all of MSF at once • If you use some bits you increase your chance of succeeding • Visual Studio Team System is a marvellous implementation of MSF principles

  38. Resources • www.microsoft.com/msf • MSF for Agile Software Development: • lab.msdn.microsoft.com/teamsystem/workshop/msfagile/default.aspx • MSF for CMMI Process Improvement: • lab.msdn.microsoft.com/teamsystem/workshop/msfcmmi/default.aspx • MSF v3: • msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/enterprise/msf/ • MSF Forum: • forums.microsoft.com/msdn/ShowForum.aspx?ForumID=63 • MOF: • www.microsoft.com/mof

More Related