CODEWITHSUNDEEP
tfsscrum
Anders Abel
Anders Abel

Reputation: 69280

When to use iterations and sprints in TFS?

I'm setting up a project using the Visual Studio SCRUM 1.0 template in TFS 2010. I get a bit confused about the concepts of iterations and the sprint work item type and when to use each. Assume that I have the following steps in my project plan:

  1. Sprint 0 (Project setup)
  2. Sprint 1
  3. Sprint 2
  4. Release A
  5. Sprint 3
  6. Sprint 4
  7. Release B

As far as I understand, I should set up each release as an iteration, with the sprints up to that release under them:

What I don't understand is if the sprints also should be set up as iterations, or if they should be work items of type "sprint", or if I should create both a work item as well as an iteration to group the work items? From what I can see there are more possibilities for entering information about a sprint if added as a work item than if added as an iteration. Having each sprint as an iteration looks like an easier way to assign tasks to sprints. Creating each sprint in both places gives both benefits, but are there any problems with that approach?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 2906

Answers (1)

Lars Truijens
Lars Truijens

Reputation: 43635

Sprints are both iterations and 'work items' in TFS. Iterations so you can assign PBIs and Bugs to a sprint, but they are work items so you can register when a print starts and stops and information like the sprint goal and retrospective. Reports like the Sprint burndown chart depends on the start and stop date you register with the work item sprint. The template is designed that way. I guess the main reason is that TFS iterations alone don't allow this information to be registered. There are no problems that I am aware of.

Upvotes: 5

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