TFS 2015 Update 2 RC2: Web Project Management, Release Pipelines, and New Plugins

After a period of silence, the author notes that TFS 2015 Update 2 RC2 has been released, bringing a collection of useful new features.

Using TFS Web to Create and Delete Team Projects

Previously, creating a TFS project required installing a matching version of Visual Studio, which was bulky and time‑consuming; now the entire process can be completed directly in a browser, as shown in the screenshot.

Proper permissions are required, and projects can also be deleted via the web UI.

Using TFS Web to Create Release Pipelines

Since TFS 2013, Release Management has allowed the definition of development‑test‑production pipelines, but the original WPF‑based interface was slow and required a separate server deployment. The new web interface, available since November 2015, enables full release pipeline creation without extra cost.

After navigating to the newly added RELEASE page, users can define pipelines and achieve one‑click deployments, effectively bringing DevOps capabilities to the project.

Plugins Are Now Installable

The VSTS online marketplace, which has been available for six months, now supports plugin installation on the enterprise edition with Update 2, allowing custom dashboards, complex reports, calendars, and integration with other enterprise systems.

Package Management

Especially useful for developers behind restrictive firewalls, this extension provides a private package feed to avoid the need for external sources.

Link: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms.feed

Work Item Visualization

Visualizes parent‑child and predecessor‑successor relationships of work items, including code commit links, making project tracking clearer.

Link: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-devlabs.WorkItemVisualization

TFS TimeTracker

Provides automatic work‑hour calculation and tracking, useful for managers to monitor team effort.

Link: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=Berichthaus.TfsTimetracker

Estimate (Planning Poker)

An electronic version of planning poker for agile estimation, allowing teams to quickly assign story points.

Link: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-devlabs.estimate

For a complete list of plugins and download links, see the provided Visual Studio pages.

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