TFS Reviews

1. SCM functionalities
2. ALM Features
3. Build capabilities
4. Deploy options
5. Web portal
6. Release management
7. Support for multiple languages
8. Plugins for open source tools, like Sonar and Jenkins
9. Very good user-friendly UI
10. Test management - capturing/creating defects
11. Reports
12. TFS community, APIs, and support

• We have set up a centralized TFS server.
• All the delivery projects are clients for this TFS.
• They are using it for code repository, ALMs, and for DevOps implementation.

1. Customization of build templates - better tools
2. Tracking
3. More friendly on test lab setup (TFS 2013, I did not verify on TFS 2017).
4. More user-friendly on SharePoint integration (TFS 2013, I did not verify on TFS 2017).

We having been using this product for more than three years.

All for my entire development project, the major SCM tool has only been TFS.

Nope. Installation was very easy. We set up a 'multi-node' installation:

• Application tier
• Build server
• Database server
• Reports server

No, stability is fine.

We encountered some issues with the report server part when the service user password changes, otherwise until today have not faced issues on the production environment.

Nope.

Very good.

Very good.

We used VSS and most of our projects are in Microsoft stack. I opted to choose TFS for incorporating DevOps with easy integration VS IDE as there are many advantages.

Setup is straightforward. As I mentioned earlier, we did a multi-node installation.

In-house.

Yes.

No idea on this one as it was done by different team.

Yes, VSS and Git.

Integration with Visual Studio (VS): I have used other software management solutions with VS, but TFS is the best at the moment. It offers easy integration with servers and full functionality.

Another very good feature of TFS is the build server. With it, I can quickly and easily generate binaries for testing and production environments.

• Local branching
• Move folders using drag & drop
• Better resolve for merging the conflicts tool.

Around eight years.

No. Nothing which I have noticed.

No, but I have never worked in a big company with many developers or projects.

I can't rate. I have never used technical support.

We were using Microsoft SourceSafe, but is unreliable and slow. These issues are enough for anyone decide to change to another software management tool. As we are a Microsoft partner, we naturally switched to TFS and are happy with this solution so far.

Very simple and straightforward, which makes for a very good, first impression.

This is the negative side of TFS; the price is expensive. Microsoft offers VSTS for free if you have a very small company and don't mind to keep your code in the cloud. But if this isn't the case, you have to pay too much for licenses (in the cloud or out of it), especially if your company just needs to track the changes in your code.

No, because we are a Microsoft Partner.

Use the free version of VSTS first, to just to have an idea of what it is. It's even possible to build binaries online.

• TFS is full software application lifecycle management tool, where you can use it to create DevOps enabled teams.
• It has the capability to track requirements to release, and the ability to enable automation into software delivery and the testing process, which is the main reason TFS is so powerful.
• It is a flexible tool which can be adopted to our own way of work, that allows us to enhance and continuously improve our ability to deliver great and quality software to our clients.
• Being a Microsoft product, it supports lot of other platforms with version control and builds systems, which is another value addition.

Test automation capabilities enhanced the testing processes in the software delivery, which allowed us to create more quality software in a shorter time. The capability to deliver rapidly with ever changing technology demands could be easily supported with the work process enhancements we have done based on TFS's capabilities.

Third party integrations could be improved to make it more flexible and easy to use with other platforms.

I have used TFS for eight years since TFS version 2008.

No.

No.

Superb. Microsoft support and the community support are always great.

No, we didn't use a different solution. TFS has been the solution from the beginning.

It was a well-documented, smooth installation process. Nothing complex.

If you do not want to have the burden of maintenance, go for Visual Studio Team Services (TFS in cloud) which is cheaper, flexible, and is always getting the latest features first.

JIRA.

Just go for it. Whether you develop on Microsoft platforms or otherwise, you will find it useful and enhancing to the way you work.

The ability to do everything outside of an IDE. I can do 99% of everything from a web browser.

1. Cross platform support is great.
2. Developing build definitions from within a web browser is fantastic.
3. Installing build agents from a command line makes maintenance easier to manage.

The security model could be more granular.

I have worked with almost every TFS version since TFS 2005.

Some of our build agents will go offline, but we believe this might be caused by the environment, not the product.

None.

Excellent!

We used Visual SourceSafe and it lacked the ability to branch code.

It was very easy to install and setup. TFS has come a long way and so has its installation wizard.

The pricing model has changed several times, even within the last several years, but, I believe, the model is cheaper than before.

We also use Bitbucket, but my focus is TFS, so I cannot comment on that. We also use StarTeam, but we are looking to sunset this product and focus on migrating all application development teams over to TFS 2015 and Bitbucket.

Before purchasing any hardware, you should review all the hardware requirements. Also, plan to scale if growth is expected. Build servers with more than one CPU, if you can have build agents assigned to each processor. For example, if you have a server with four CPUs, then you technically can have four build agents running on that server.

Complete integration with VS IDE and Office tools: This give us a possibility of high-level automation, thus minimizing human error.

The TFS is not just a source code repository, but a real and complete ALM solution. Among other things, we use it as a ticketing tool. It is a building mechanism, which is really polished and easy to use.

TFS on-premise does not support integration with SharePoint Online. If you integrate it with the SharePoint on-premise upgrade, it can be quite challenging.

We have been using this product more than 11 years, started with TFS 2005.

Fortunately, we did not have any stability problems. In some versions, we sometimes noticed missed alerts on some work items, but nothing else. Eventually those bugs were fixed.

We are using a single server deployment with more than 150 projects and never had any issues. Of course, some pre- and post-installation optimization has to be done like SQL Server, etc.

Since we never had any real issues, we did not need technical support. For advice how to “squeeze” as much as possible from TFS and how to optimize it, there are numerous forums, blogs, etc. The community contribution is very valuable.

Previously, we used VSS, which was nothing but a repository, so TFS was the logical step up. Since we develop almost exclusively on MS stack, TFS as a comprehensive ALM solution fitted perfectly.

We started with TFS 2005 beta and the setup was quite complex, especially because of all the requirements which had to be met. If you used integrated the SharePoint Services upgrade, it was a small nightmare. Along the way, the setup has become less complex and is now quite simplified .

We use a Visual Studio subscription for every team member and the TFS licenses are included. If running TFS on-premise is expensive, maybe you could consider moving to the Cloud and use the Visual Studio Team Services.

We were using VSS, and partially SVN, but both of the tools were just repository. We needed the ALM solution, which integrated into VS IDE, and TFS was the logical choice.

If you are on MS stack, I can only recommend TFS since it’s much more than just a source code repository. High level of out of box automation, integration with Visual Studio, and other tools will make your life much easier.

• Version control
• Project management
• Test management
• Release management

• Agile project management
• Enterprise level development
• Testing of large enterprise applications

Test case management could be improved.

For over 12 years now.

Nope. The product is very stable.

Nope. The product is absolutely scalable for use in large enterprise companies.

10 out of 10 is the technical support that I have received from Microsoft.

We used VSS earlier, then switched to the TFS product.

Setup has very specific documentation that needs to be followed 'exactly', and it's straight forward.

Microsoft changes licensing and pricing every year. Best thing to do is reach out to their licensing/sales folks for the latest info.

Yes, Perforce and Git were evaluated, but we wanted a single solution for the entire SDLC. This product fit the bill.

It's an outstanding product, but needs technically qualified people to administer this product.

1. SCM functionalities

2. ALM features

3. Build capabilities

4. Deploy options

5. Web portal

6. Release management

7. Support for multiple languages

8. Plug-ins for open source tools, like Sonar and Jenkins

9. Very good, user-friendly UI

10. Test management: capturing/creating defects

11. Reports

12. TFS community, APIs, and support

We have set up a centralized TFS server.

All delivery projects are clients for this TFS.

They are using it for code-repository, ALM, and for DevOps implementation.

1. Customization of build templates - better tools.

2. Tracking

3. More friendly Test Lab setup (in TFS 2013; I didn't verify in TFS 2017).

4. More user-friendly on SharePoint integration (in TFS 2013; I didn't verify in TFS 2017).

We have been using this for more than three years during all development projects. Major SCM and TFS only.

Nope. Installation is very easy. We have set up "Multi-node" installation:

• Application tier
• Build server
• Database server
• Reports server.

No, stability is fine.

We encountered some issues with the report server when the service user password changed. Otherwise, until today, we haven't faced issues in the production environment.

Nope.

Very good.

Very good.

We used VSS and most of our projects are in Microsoft Stack. Opted to choose TFS for incorporating DevOps and easy integration of VS IDE. There are many advantages.

Setup is straightforward. As I mentioned earlier, we did a multi-node installation.

In-house.

Yes.

Not idea on this one as it was done by a different team.

Yes. VSS and Git.

Source Code Management: TFS has both Git repository management as well as a TSVS Repository. It is the only source code management tool which supports both repository types and also supports on-premise installation. TFS also has ALM capabilities where business users can enter user stories, and the QA team can track test scripts and issues, where stakeholders can view project statuses effectively.

It is great product with capabilities for SCM, ALM and issue tracking.

Allowed project teams to communicate, collaborate and track tasks, stories, test cases, issues, and defects at a single location (using one tool).

Adding more canned reports to allow querying and reporting data export to Excel etc., which would help management with their reports.

Two years.

No issues have been noticed in stability.

No issues have been noticed in scalability.

Microsoft has good expertise in this product. Sometimes, it takes longer to get the correct resource.

Not applicable.

The TFS installation was easy. We had issues moving TFS from the development domain to the production domain. The domain has challenges as users from development domain have different signatures in production. Microsoft helped in resolving these issues.

Very straightforward pricing. We have an enterprise agreement with Microsoft, where the majority of the product is covered. One good thing is the stakeholder license, which is free for business users. Hence, the cost of the license for only the QA and Development team is around $5.

There is no single product that has both SCM and ALM integrated which can enable us to quickly onboard projects. We use JIRA for certain areas in our business, with GitHub. Great product as well, however we have had some difficulties in configuring workflows.

I suggest giving the product a try first. Reading too much on paper does not tell you the entire story of the product. It is really good to use it if you want to combine both SCM and ALM.