CODEWITHSUNDEEP
exceltfstfs-workitem
Phani Kumar PV
Phani Kumar PV

Reputation: 892

How to export work items from one TFS server to another TFS server using Excel

I need to migrate Work Items from one TFS server to another TFS server. I tried migrating them using the TFSMigration tool available in CodePlex.

The problem I am encountering is the schema for the work item on the source TFS is different from the schema of the work item type on destination. I don't want the destination TFS server schema for the work item to be modified. The change in schema is one new column only, but still don't want to take that change.

In one blog it was said that we can do that using Excel but not much details were available. I am not sure we can even use Excel to migrate the entire history related to Excel.

Upvotes: 2

Views: 8215

Answers (3)

jlo-gmail
jlo-gmail

Reputation: 5048

You can use the Excel editor to edit the source query All Items "Open Query in Microsoft Excel". Then open the destination query All Items "Open Query in Microsoft Excel". Copy and paste the contents from one excel window to the other. Certain fields like attachments will not transfer.

Upvotes: 0

Jason Williams
Jason Williams

Reputation: 57952

I did this a while back and, not finding an appropriate tool, resorted to copying the title and description etc across manually, as we only had a few active work items at the time, so it only took about an hour.

however, if I need to do it again, I'll use the TFS API to read fields of interest and write them to the new database. that way any schema differences don't matter, and the process is automated but under your control. Search for studying work items with the TFS API for details - it's really very easy.

Of course with both of these approaches (and all the migration tools AFAIK) you will only get a snapshot of the data - all history will be lost (or at best you can query using AsOf to get historical data, but all the entries you make will be timestamped at the moment you write them, not with the historical time that the event originally occurred.)

Upvotes: 0

DaveShaw
DaveShaw

Reputation: 52808

Have a look at the TFS Integration Tools on VS gallery. This supports custom field mappings as part of a migration, documentation here (direct download).

Upvotes: 1

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