Visual Studio Team Foundation Server and Team Suite and Team System

The acronyms TFS and VSTS stand for Team Foundation Server and Visual Studio Team Suite or Visual Studio Team Server.

All of the above terms are regularly used to represent each other but this is incorrect. The terms are different, hears a brief explanaition below thanks to Dmytro Lapshyn :

People frequently say "VSTS" when they actually mean "TFS" and this creates some confusion. Use of VSTS to address both "Visual Studio Team Suite" and "Visual Studio Team System" also contributes to the confusion. To clear things up a bit:

  • TFS - the server part of the suite that provides source control, build management and enables teamwork/ALM management
  • Visual Studio Team Suite - the fullest edition of Visual Studio that includes team tools for developers, architects, testers, DB pros and a client license to TFS. Note that Team Explorer needs to be installed separately even though you have the CAL
  • Visual Studio Team System - a more generic term for TFS plus Team Explorer plus Team Editions of Visual Studio

 

Now, on to process templates. TFS on the server side + Team Explorer on the client side is usually all you need to run any process template (however the versions of both TFS and Team Explorer do matter). Theoretically, you might need to install custom work item controls on the client machines, but again, the only prerequisite for this is having Team Explorer on the client.

So, in other words, you need neither the full-blown VSTS, nor a specific Team Edition of Visual Studio to use custom process templates. However, as you've said you're currently using TFS 2005, you'll be limited to v1.0 of http://www.codeplex.com/VSTSScrum template and you definitely need to double-check if TFS 2005 is at all supported by the http://www.scrumforteamsystem.com/ template. If possible, I suggest you upgraded to TFS 2008 SP1, Visual Studio 2008 Pro (which BTW now includes unit tests) and Team Explorer 2008 SP1. Again, no need to upgrade to VS 2008 Team Suite, though.

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