Microsoft Visual Studio Team System 2008 Team Suite

Hi All,

I was told by my manager to check after the options of different tools for maintaining source control and i found this new version of source control by Microsoft Visual Studio Team System 2008 Team Suite. I starter exploring the options of this particular tool and i have few basic questions and so i am posting them in this Getting Started forum expecting for a reply.


1.What is this package Microsoft Visual Studio Team System 2008 Team Suite?

2. Does this contains Visual Studio .net 2008 and framework 3.5 and any other softwares??

3. Can some one list down all the items/softwares that are included in this package???

4. I just want to use the version control part of this product, do i have a seperate package where i can purchase from Microsoft which helps me to maintain my version control for all the legacy applications that i use/develop??

5. Does this tool supports only Micrsoft developed applications in source control???


I have many more such questions on the tool and would like to understand this more clarly and learn something new in this.. Can anyone direct me for a right place where i can proceed further after getting answers to my above questions.



Thanks

Hi,

Team Suite is a collection of many role based edition of Visual Studio 2008:

VSTS 2008 Architect
VSTS 2008 Development
VSTS 2008 Test
VSTS 2008 Database
The above listed editions will have the features of Visual Studio 2008 Professional edition plus more role specific features.

In addition to the above, Team Suite also offers a copy of Team Foundation Server(TFS). TFS is the collaboration server and offers enterprise class version control and many other features including project management. I would strongly recommend you to go through the products page at:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vsts.../bb933734.aspx

Please note, TFS is a server and requires license to access the same. When you buy Team Suite, you get 5 licenses pre configured which cannot be increased at all. So it is ideal for a team of 5 or below members. For a team of more than 5 members, you should buy individual pieces on need basis(eg: one TFS, 10 Development Edition, 2 Database/Architect/Test editions)

And yes, .NET Framework 3.5 comes with any editions of Visual Studio 2008.

For your last point about version control of non-microsoft source file, any version control system mainly provides check-in/check-out features maintaining the version history of files. So ideally any files can be kept under version control. What you need consider here is the IDE integration. Please read the below link to know more about how TFS supports other files under version control;
http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/Sho...51222&SiteID=1

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A.Rajesh Khanna

Hi,

Thanks a lot for explaining this in detail. I will look in to all the support links provided by you in the above email but before that i have one question for Version Control.

I only for the version control part of this tool,

1. Can i purchase only version control part of this tool and get it installed on our servers and use it for version control. Reason i asked this question is none of our applications are still in 2008 and when we plan to migrate we will def purchase the licence for 2008. But at this moment i only want this newly featured version control so that i can maintain all my existing applications in this version control tool in Suite 2008.

Please suggest and your help is much appreciated.

Hi,

As mentioned already, version control is provided by Team Foundation Server. You can buy TFS alone(in that case, not Team Suite). TFS 2008 is designed for Visual Studio 2008. But you can use it with Visual Studio 2005 as well, though few features may not be available.

If you are using a Professional/Standard Edition(whether 2005 or 2008 release) to connect to TFS for version control, you will have to buy required number of Client Access Licenses(CAL). Buying CALs not needed if you are having Team Editions as listed in my previous post.

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A.Rajesh Khanna

Hi,

Thanks for your quick reply but i fear that i am still not clear when you again mentioned Visual ion Studio 2008 and Visual Studio 2005.

One last question :

Now i brought in a TFS 2008 for Visual Studio 2008 and get an enterprise edition licnece and i can use the same way i am currently using my Visual Source Safe??
Also can i map my Visual Studio 2003 project in to TFS 2008 version control?

Hi,

As far as I know there is no enterprise eidtion for TFS 2008. You get either work group edition that comes with Team Suite or Standard Edition which you buy separately. Work group edition, as I mentioned already, gives you 5 limited users access, while for standard edition you have to buy required number of CALs or Team Editions of Visual Studio(Architect/Development/Test/Database)

And yes, you can add VS 2003 files to TFS version control.

NOTE: According to the latest announcement from MS, you will get free VSTS Database edition when you buy VSTS Development edition.(this two editions will be combined into one edition in the next release of VSTS, ie, VSTS 10(code-named: Rosario)

Please visit VSTS products page to know more about the editions and pricing

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A.Rajesh Khanna

Hi all,

You might also want to look through the Visual Studio 2008 webcasts about VSTS to get a better idea about what it does.

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Shaalini.S
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