Need help understanding TFS and VS configuration for testing

Question

I am testing web based products, and I am new to Microsoft tools. I am trying to figure out how test plan creation works, or can work depending on what configuration of Visual Studio tools I am using. I find a lot of conflicting info online.

I have the three tools below installed right now, but I can request something different if I need it. (Feel free to suggest). Any advice from pros more experienced with this tool set would be GREAT.

• I access Team Foundation Server 2012 via my browser, where I can view and add product backlog items, bugs, sprints, the board etc. I cannot add test plans here, but I can add test cases to them.
• I have Visual Studio 2013 installed on my PC. This seems like pretty much the same thing as the browser accessible tool, and I don't use it much because I find it easier to work from the browser for testing web.
• I have Microsoft Test Manager 2012 installed on my PC. This appears to be the only place where I can create test plans, cases, and can create and utilize shared test case steps.

Questions:

1. How can I create test plans using the browser tool?
2. Is it possible to update the TFS 2012 Browser Tool to 2013, and how is that done?

Answer 1

Team Foundation Server 2012 update 2 adds Web Based test Case Management to TFS 2012, this is a smaller step than an upgrade to TFS 2013 all the way. You cannot just upgrade the Web Access part of a TFS installation, it would require a complete upgrade of the cluster. You also cannot just install this to your machine, it has to be installed on all the TFS servers in the cluster.

Traditionally Test Manager is the place to go to to do Test Suite Management and to view the results of a test run. Microsoft has started to move the functionality traditionally found in Test manager to the Web portal, It seems you're not the only person who found that easier to use. This transition started with TFS 2012 update 3 and was further expanded with TFS 2013.

So your options are:

• Use Test Manager (you'll have to use it to manage certain things you cannot yet do on the web anyway).
• Ask your Server Administrator to upgrade TFS 2012 to at least Update 2 (I'd recommend he upgrades to TFS 2012 update 4 or TFS 2013 in any case).
• Ask your Server Administrator to upgrade TFS 2012 to TFS 2013.

The following resources can be very helpful in understandign how to use the tools to their fullest potential:

• Visual Studio ALM Rangers' Test Guidance
• Patterns & Practices' Testing for Continuous Delivery with Visual Studio 2012 (as mentioned by @Elena)
• Microsoft Virtual Academy Software Testing with Visual Studio 2012 (exam 70-497 jump start)

Answer 2

Additionally to the @jessehouwing answer I would highly recommend you this free ebook:Testing for Continuous Delivery with Visual Studio 2012