MSF: Microsoft Solutions Framework Past and present

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MSF Microsoft Solutions FrameworkPast and
present

• Peter Williams, Microsoft Ltd.

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Agenda

• A Brief History of MSF
• MSF Core
• MSF and Visual Studio Team system
• MSF for Agile Software Development
• MSF for CMMI Process Improvement
• Real World Experiences

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A Brief History of MSF
MSF Offering
1994 1995 1997 1999
2002 2005-06
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MSF Core What Its Not

• MSF Core is not a methodology
• Its a framework
• It requires instantiation for the specific
  solution domain
• Not a magic sauce
• Not specific to software development
• Although Visual Studio Team System provides two
  instantiations which are specific to software
  development
• MSF for Agile Software Development
• MSF for CMMI Process Improvement

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MSF Core

• A collection of best practices gathered from the
  product groups and the field
• Key elements
• Mindsets (key concepts)
• Foundational Principles
• Models
• Disciplines
• Proven practices
• Recommendations

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MSF Core Mindsets

• Team of Peers
• Quality is everyones business every day
• Pride of workmanship
• Deliver on your commitments
• Focus on business value
• Solution mindset
• Design for qualities of service
• Trusting mindset
• Continual learning mindset
• Reuse and extend

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MSF Core Foundational Principles

• Foster open communications
• Work towards a shared vision
• Empower team members
• Establish clear accountability and shared
  responsibility
• Incremental delivery of value
• Stay agile, expect and adapt to change
• Invest in quality
• Learn from all experiences
• Partner with customers
• Early and frequent deployments
• Design early with specific examples

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MSF Core Models

• Team model
• Based on advocacy creating natural checks and
  balances
• Governance Enactment (Process) model
• Appropriate level of governance
• Iterative, versioned releases, etc.
• Risk management model
• Proactive risk management

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MSF Core Team Model
Advocacy Groups Natural Checks and balances
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MSF Core Advocacy
Business Focus
Users
Operations Support
Customer
Project Team
Project Sponsor
Solutions Architects
Release / Operations
Operations
Architecture
Technology Architects
Technology Focus
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Scaling Down Combining Advocacy Groups
Possible Unlikely Not recommended
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Scaling Up Feature Teams
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MSF Version 3 Core Process Model
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MSF Version 4 Governance Enactment Model

• Enactment Tracks
• Envision
• Plan
• Build
• Stabilise
• Deploy
• Governance Track
• Checkpoint-based

Deploy
Stabilise
Enactment
Envision
Build
Plan
Governance
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Governance Examples

• MSF for Agile Software Development implements a
  very lightweight governance model

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Governance Examples

• MSF for CMMI Process Improvement implements a
  more rigorous governance model

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MSF Core Risk Management Model

• Proactive Management
• Identify
• Analyse and Prioritise
• Plan and Schedule
• Track and Report Status
• Control Risks
• Learn from Risks

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MSF and Visual Studio Team System
enacts
Visual Studio 2005 Team System
Microsoft Solutions Framework
guides
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Enacting MSF
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Enacting MSF
Infrastructure
CMMI
Agile
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Real World Usage

• Globally within Microsoft
• Used by Microsoft Services since 1994
• Used by Microsoft Internal operations
• Based on product group principles and best
  practices
• Closer to home within Microsoft
• Used by the UK Solution Development Group to
  deliver large-scale enterprise solutions
• Use by other external organisations

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UK Enterprise Solutions built with MSF
NBP
digital curriculum
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Personal Experiences

• Core principles and approach very similar to the
  product group approach. Some differences due to
  the nature of solution development.
• A very good success rate on very challenging
  projects.

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Favourite aspects of MSF

• Team model
• Common goal
• Two-way advocacy not just gathering
  requirements
• Platform for trade offs
• All disciplines represented from the start
• All disciplines participate in the design
• Small multi-disciplinary teams
• Co-location
• Motivational

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Favourite aspects of MSF

• Envisioning track
• Forming a vision
• Opening up possibilities never before imagined
• User experience as a first-class citizen
• An area often neglected in other approaches
• Base line early and freeze late
• Expecting change
• Iterative development
• Rehearsal for go-live

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Favourite Aspects of MSF

• Ship every day
• Build is not enough
• A team exercise
• Build hand-off
• Repeatable platform builds
• Triage
• One representative per discipline
• Quaker consensus

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Questions?