1. Microsoft Solution Framework (MSF)
Najwa Al-Ghamdi
ID :

2. MSF Microsoft Solutions Framework
Established in 1991, last major revisions in 1998 and January 2003 (v3) [1].
Related to MOF, Microsoft Operational Framework [1,2,3]
Which concentrates on the management of IT infrastructure [1,2,3]

3. Lifecycle of IT Microsoft Solutions Framework Plan Operate Build
Deploy
Microsoft Operations Framework
[1]

4. MSF
MSF offers guidance in how to organize people and projects to plan, build, and deploy technology solutions successfully and effectively [1,3].
Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF) is an integrated system of process guidance that embraces both agile and formal methodologies and provides a framework to implement a customized solution for a wide variety of projects [10]

5. Does it Work?
Yes, as long as you chose the right bits of MSF for your project [1]
High-profile projects that used MSF [1]
and (Aris Corp, now Ciber, [1]
UK Government Gateway [1]
Visual Studio, Windows 2003, Windows XP [1]

6. Is It For Everyone? [1]
Some parts of MSF will work for every project, but in general, most of MSF works for larger projects
How small is large enough?
3-12 months (best of all 4-6) and with a team of at least 3 (best of all 7-11)

7. MSF Foundational Principles
Work toward a shared vision [5].
Focus on business values [5].
Stay agile, expect change [5].
Empower Team member [5].
Foster open communication [5].
Establish a clear accountability, Shared responsibility [5].

8. Key Concepts and Proven Practices
Team of peers.
Customer focus mindset.
Product mindset.
Zero-defect mindset.
Willingness to learn.
Proven Practices [5].
Use small, interdisciplinary teams.
Enable teams to work together at a single site.
Create a solution design through total team participation.

9. MSF Process Templates [10]
MSF for Agile Software Development
It makes iterative software development enterprise ready by providing features like
risk management
release management
design for operations.
MSF for CMMI Process Improvement
It provides rich connections to the CMMI process to help organizations quickly implement mature software development practices.
In this presentation, I’ll discuss the 1st template. 1
____________________________________________________
1: CMMI: Capability Maturity Model® Integration (CMMI®) , for more information click here. [11]

10. Key MSF Components [1] Models Disciplines Team Model Process Model
Risk Management Discipline
Process Model
Team Model
Project Management Discipline
Readiness Management Discipline
Models
Disciplines

11. Key MSF Components Models

12. 1.Team Model – Team of Peers
Delivering the solution within project constraints
Satisfied customers
Enhanced user effectiveness
Smooth deployment and ongoing operations
Approval for release only after all quality issues are identified and addressed
Building to specification
Development
Test
Release Management
User Experience
Product Management
Program Management
Communication
[1,5]

13. 1. Team Model- Scaling The Model
You can combine some roles to teams as small as 3 people [1].
Do not combine some (like Product and Program Manager, or anything with Developer) [1].
You can scale it to 10, 100s and 1000s by using two methods:
Functional Teams (many people for one role)[1,5]
Feature Teams (sub-teams for each feature) [1,5]

14. 1. Team Model- Scaling The Model
[1,3,5]

15. MSF 2. MSF Process Model Deployment Complete
Release Readiness Approved
Vision/Scope Approved
MSF
Milestone :
Used to plan and monitor project progress and schedule major deliverables
Scope Complete
Project Plans Approved
[1,5]

16. 2.MSF is an Iterative process
Force closure on project issues
Set clear and motivational goals with all team members
Manage the uncertainty and change in project scope
Encourage continuous and incremental feature delivery
Enable shorter time to market
Time
Functionality
Version 1
Version 2
Version 3
[1,5,6]

17. Iterations
[7]

18. MSF Envision phase [2] Envision Deliverables Goals
Vision/scope document [ Example , Template [12] ]
Project structure document [template [12] ]
Initial risk assessment document [ example , Template , Risk Assessment Tool [12]]
Core Team Organized
Envision
Vision/Scope Baselined
Vision/Scope Approved
Goals
Develop a clear understanding of what is needed within context of project constraints
Assemble necessary team to envisage solution with options and approaches that best meet those needs while optimally satisfying those constraints

19. MSF Plan Phase [2] Deliverables Plan Goal
Functional specifications [Template [12] ]
Master project plan [Template [12] ]
Master project schedule
Technology Validation Complete
Functional Specification Baselined
Plan
Master Project Plan Baselined
Master Project Schedule Baselined
Supporting Environments Set Up
Project Plans Approved
Goal
Evolve conceptual solution into tangible designs and plans so it can be build in the developing track
Find out as much information as possible, as early as possible
Know when you have enough information to move forward

20. Plan phase-Design Process Overview [5]
Logical Design
Conceptual Design
Scenarios
Physical Design
Components,
User Interface, and Physical Database
Objects and Services,
User Interface, and Logical Database
[conceptual Design Template] [12]
[ user scenarios template and
example] [12]
[ logic design template] [12]
[ physical Design Template] [12]

21. Plan Phase -Relationship to Planning [5]
Vision
Approved
Conceptual Design Baseline
Project Plan
Approved
Conceptual Design
Logical Design Baseline
Logical Design
Physical Design Baseline
Physical Design

22. MSF Developing Phase [2]
Deliverables
Completed Solution
Training materials
Documentation
Marketing materials
Updated master plan, schedule and risk document
Scope Complete
Proof of Concept Complete
Build
Internal Release 1
Internal Release 2
Internal Release n
Goal
Build various aspects of the solution in accordance with plan track deliverables (e.g., designs, plans, requirements)
Develop solution features and components, complete deliverables and other elements of the solution
Test the various aspects of the solution to assess the state of quality of the solution
The Build track, formerly the “Develop” phase, is conceptually the same.
However it now more explicitly includes activities that occur outside of the “developer” role. Such as marketing, training, etc.

23. MSF Stabilize phase [2] Deliverables Goals Pilot review
Release Readiness Approved
Deliverables
Pilot review
Release-ready versions of solution and accompanying collateral
Testing and bug reports
Project documents
Release Candidate n
Pilot Complete
User Acceptance Testing Complete
Release Candidate 1
Pre-Production Testing Complete
System Testing Complete
Stabilize
nth Functional Testing Pass Complete
Issue Log Cleared
User Interface Stabilized
Issue Convergence
Goals
Improve solution quality to meet release criteria for deployment to production
Validate solution meets stakeholder needs and expectations
Validate solution usability from a user perspective
Maximize success and minimize risks associated with solution deployment and operations in its target environment(s)
1st Functional Testing Pass Complete
The Stabilize track moves away from a focus on “test” and more towards a focus on “convergence”.
As one program manager at Microsoft likes to say, “Software doesn’t release… it escapes!”
Stabilization strives to create the conditions which allow the solution to escape into production.

24. MSF Deploy Phase [2] Deliverables Deploy Goals
Operations and support information systems
Revised processes and procedures
Repository of all solution collateral
Deployment Stabilized
Site Deployments Complete
Deployment Complete
Core Solution Components Deployed
Deploy
Goals
Place solution into production at designated environment(s)
Facilitate smooth transfer of solution from project team to operations team as soon as possible
The Deployment track, added in MSF 3.0, is conceptually the same.

25. Daily Build [2]
Building the product in an executable form on a daily basis
A public daily build is
A strong indicator that a team is functional
A way to make the product and its progress visible
The heartbeat of the development process

26. Tips for Daily Build [2]
Use source-code control system (such as Microsoft Visual Source Safe, Rational ClearCase etc.)
Each developer works locally, i.e. all code and executables on every station
Every day code is collected, built and published and every morning developers download the newest build
Automate it all (batch files etc.)
Developing them is an ongoing activity that will be complete when your first project completes
Use Visual Studio.NET 2003 with MSDN Universal – there is new automation for daily build in it!

27. Key MSF Components Disciplines

28. 1. Project Management discipline [4]
Project Management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activates to meet project requirements.
Dose not equate to “being the boss”

29. 2.Risk Management Discipline [1,4]
Project Risk
Distinguish risk form existing problems
Define a risk management process for identifying, analyzing and addressing the risk
Increase the likelihood of success in the project By minimizing the potential of failure.

30. 2.Risk Management Process [4]

31. 3. MSF Readiness Management [4]
It address the need for team readiness that spans the entire project.
It focus on the area of knowledge, skills, and the abilities required at individual and solution level.
How to optimize team readiness?
Measure proficiencies (self and skill assessment)
Analyze gaps.
Create learning plans.
Execute learning plans

32. XP vs. MSF [6] Extreme Programming (XP) came after MSF.
Similarities regarding the Zero Defect Mindset and Daily Builds
But they are different in
XP doesn’t define a development cycle like MSF. That development cycle is replaced by a set of practices that reduce the development quantum’s, notably short releases and continuous integration.
MSF as a traditional approach is geared to large teams performing long development cycles, XP is geared to small teams performing many short development iterations.

33. XP vs. MSF – Testing [7]
MSF defines test both as a team role and as a set of tasks to implement during implementation. While XP refers test as code that verifies the correctness of implementation code. The team members have the responsibility of writing test code and implementation code.
MSF includes on its development cycle a task for stabilizing. XP dispenses the need for such stage by continuously running tests.
MSF does not define any testing tools, the test team is responsible for choosing and/or developing them. XP, uses Junit and Xunit.

34. Visual Studio 2005 Team System [8]
Recently announced by Microsoft
Team development tools based on MSF
MSF itself is about to be updated to support new development techniques
MSF “v 4”
[10]

35. Team Collaboration Tools [9]
List of things to do

36. Team Collaboration Tools [9]
List of things to do
Guidance on what to do

37. Team Collaboration Tools [9]
List of things to do
Guidance on what to do
Status reports

38. Team Collaboration Tools[9]
List of things to do
Guidance on what to do
Status reports
Planning
MS Project
MS Excel

39. Team Collaboration Tools [9]
List of things to do
Guidance on what to do
Status reports
Planning
MS Project
MS Excel
Source control

40. Team Collaboration Tools [9]
List of things to do
Guidance on what to do
Status reports
Planning
MS Project
MS Excel
Team
builds
Source control

41. Team Collaboration Tools [9]
List of things to do
Guidance on what to do
Status reports
Rules
Planning
MS Project
MS Excel
Team
builds
Source control

42. Team Collaboration Tools [9]
List of things to do
Guidance on what to do
Status reports
Rules
Planning
MS Project
MS Excel
Team
builds
Source control

43. Team Foundation [9] Facilitates team collaboration
Work Item Management & progress monitoring
Bugs
Development Tasks
Issues …
Source control
Team Build & Test
Document management
SharePoint
Guidance
Team Foundation Server 43

44. Using Metrics in Team System
Through MSF, Team System uses metrics to measure the project progress [example]. [13]

45. Conclusion
MSF provides productive, integrated, and extensible process guidance and a flexible toolset for software development by presenting the right process to the right person at the right time. [10]

46. Appendix
CMMI
Risk Assessment Example

47. CMMI [12]
Capability Maturity Model® Integration (CMMI®) is a process improvement approach that provides organizations with the essential elements of effective processes.
It contains 22 process areas that describe the aspects of product development that are to be covered by organizational processes. They are :
Causal Analysis and Resolution
Configuration Management
Decision Analysis and Resolution
Integrated Project Management
Measurement and Analysis
Organizational Innovation and Deployment
Organizational Process Definition
Organizational Process Focus
Organizational Process Performance
Organizational Training Product Integration
Project Monitoring and Control
CMMI Project Planning
Process and Product
Quality Assurance
Quantitative Project Management
Requirements Development
Requirements Management
Risk Management
Supplier Agreement Management
Technical Solution
Validation
Verification
Back To Previous Slide

48. Risk Assessment Example [3]
condition
Consequence
Mitigation
Contingency
Trigger
Owner
Developers will work on new technology
Developer time will be longer due to need for learning
Provide technical training to developer
Reverse back to previous version
Developer have not passed related technology exam by project plan approval
Branda Diaz

49. Risk Assessment Metrics [3]
To analyze and prioritize risk, MSF uses “Risk Exposure” to measure the overall threat of the project as a result of the risk .
Risk Exposure = Risk Probability × Risk Impact
Where
Risk Probability : The likelihood that the risk consequence will occur.
Risk Impact : An estimate of the severity of effect if risk consequences occur.
Back to previous slide

50. Refrences
[1]: Rafal Lukawiecki, Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF) v3 , download.microsoft.com/download/0/c/8/0c8cea70-f35d-4e13-87b8-47f81068c793/MSF%20v3.ppt
[2] Quent Herschelman, MSF 4.0 in 60-minutes, conferences.codegear.com/article/images/32205/32205_ _S.PPT
[3] Microsoft Training and certification , MSF Workbook.
[4] Granville Miller, The Microsoft Solutions Framework ,
[5] Thomas Lee, MSF & MOF , download.microsoft.com/documents/uk/msdn/events/Team_System_and_Microsoft_Solutions_Framework_Part_1.ppt
[6] Rafal Lukawiecki , MSF core and its families,
[7] Luís Miguel Reis, Test engineering: Microsoft Solutions Framework vs Extreme Programming,
[8]
[9] Alan Cameron Wills, Team System and Microsoft Solutions Framework,
download.microsoft.com/documents/uk/msdn/events/Team_System_and_Microsoft_Solutions_Framework_Part_1.ppt
[10]
[11]
[12]
[13] Sam Guckenheimer, Team Foundation: Using Metrics to Manage and Troubleshoot Your Projects, download.microsoft.com/download/7/8/4/784fb86b-b95c-4b b5b9dd1/dev233_guckenheimer.ppt -