a·gen·tic a·gil·i·ty

Learn how to set up a Build vNext Agent for Visual Studio Online or TFS 2015, including prerequisites, VM setup, agent configuration, and pool …

Learn how to set up and manage nested team structures in Visual Studio ALM and TFS using Area Paths or Team Fields for flexible project organisation …

Explains the benefits of Visual Studio ALM over alternatives like Git and Jenkins, detailing its comprehensive features for managing the entire …

Learn how to connect a machine to an Azure-hosted domain controller by configuring virtual networks, DNS settings, and joining the domain through …

Explains key scenarios, challenges, and tools for migrating from on-premise TFS to Visual Studio Online, including project consolidation, splitting, …

Explains how to generate and capture log entries in Release Management by using PowerShell's Write-Verbose with the -verbose flag, ensuring deployment …

Overview of improvements in Team Foundation Server (TFS) and Visual Studio Online (VSO), including updated features, cloud integration, and …

Step-by-step guide to setting up a standard Azure environment for Release Management, including VMs, storage, networking, and Application Insights for …

Step-by-step guide to building an automated Release Management pipeline for professional developers, covering build, deployment, environment setup, …

Learn how to set up a DNS server with a static IP for an Azure Virtual Network, enabling domain joining and name resolution for all connected virtual …

Explains how to resolve Microsoft Surface 3 boot issues by renaming the USB drive to "BOOTME", a required but undocumented step for successful USB …

Learn how to move an Azure virtual machine to a virtual network by deleting the VM, preserving its disks, and recreating it within the desired network …

Step-by-step guide to setting up a Domain Controller in Azure for Active Directory integration, including VM creation, configuration, and syncing with …

Step-by-step guide to installing Visual Studio 2015 alongside 2013 on Windows 10, including tips for avoiding common errors and ensuring …

Explains how to resolve TFS 2013.3 errors caused by case-sensitive state names in custom Test Suite work items, affecting older clients and process …

Learn how to enable seamless single sign-on for Visual Studio Online by integrating corporate identities via Active Directory and Azure, ensuring …

Explains how mismatched component versions in licences.licx files can cause build errors on TFS servers, and offers solutions for consistent automated …

Learn how to scale Scrum across your organisation, drive cultural change, and measure agile maturity with evidence-based practices in this hands-on …

Learn how to transfer MSDN benefits from a personal Microsoft ID to an organisational account by cancelling existing subscriptions and reactivating …

Explains how uncommitted changes in Git can prevent syncing with the server in Visual Studio, and highlights key workflow differences from traditional …

Overview of a session at NDC London demonstrating new features in Team Foundation Server and Visual Studio Online, with end-to-end ALM demos for .NET …

Learn how to move a VHD blob between Azure storage accounts using PowerShell, including authentication steps and handling private containers for …

Explains a Visual Studio Git bug causing merge conflicts during pulls with local commits, its workaround, and best practices for managing branches to …

Step-by-step guide to uploading, configuring, and deploying multiple training virtual machines in Azure using PowerShell, including troubleshooting …

Explores how Bruce Lee’s philosophy applies to Scrum and Agile, emphasising adaptability, simplicity, and creating flexible, tailored processes for …

A first-hand account of upgrading a Surface Pro 2 to Windows 10 Technical Preview, exploring Microsoft’s shift to agile development and continuous …

Step-by-step guide to installing TFS 2013.3 with SharePoint 2013 on Windows Server 2012 R2, covering prerequisites, configuration, troubleshooting, …

A personal account of taking the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge to support Yorkhill Children's Charity, highlighting a family’s experience with childhood …

Step-by-step guide to migrating source code from Perforce to Git on VSO, covering repository setup, dependency management, build processes, and key …

Explains troubleshooting WITADMIN errors with TFS versions, highlighting the need for TFS 2010 SP1 or newer for compatibility with work item type …

Explains why treating bugs as tasks in Azure DevOps is an anti-pattern, its impact on transparency, quality, and planning, and offers guidance for …

Step-by-step guide to merging multiple TFS Team Projects into one, covering TFS Integration Tools setup, configuration, work item and source control …

Explains issues with Maven release perform in TFS workspaces, causes of build failures, and solutions for workspace mapping, concurrency, and label …

Explains the risks of the pick-n-mix branching anti-pattern in source control, its impact on code quality, and recommends feature branching and …

Personal reflections on Scottish independence, exploring self-determination, media bias, economic control, immigration, and the long-term value for …

Explains how to fix Maven release prepare failures in Jenkins with TFS by using .tfignore files to exclude generated files like release.properties …

A review of switching to the Dell Venue 8 Pro for frequent business travel, covering device performance, workflow changes, and practical pros and cons …

Explains how to permanently delete work items from TFS or VSO using witadmin or C# code, including safety tips and batch deletion for large numbers of …

Guide to running router firmware in a Hyper-V VM for reliable DHCP and internet access on restrictive networks, avoiding MAC/IP limits and external …

Learn how to use TFS Service Credential Viewer to generate service accounts for Visual Studio Online, enabling secure, automated access without …

Provides a step-by-step PowerShell script for migrating and updating TFS process templates, including customisations, work item types, categories, and …

Explains how to resolve "Access denied user needs label permission" errors in TFS by adjusting label permissions at the root folder to allow …

Step-by-step guide to importing Excel data into TFS with full history, using VBA to format records as HTML tables for the History field and ensuring …

Learn how to securely mask passwords in Jenkins logs when using Team Explorer Everywhere (TEE), preventing sensitive credentials from being exposed …

Guide to integrating Jenkins with TFS 2013 using the Team Foundation Server plugin, covering installation, configuration, and key differences from TF …

Step-by-step guide to migrating emails and data from Google Mail to Office 365, covering IMAP, POP, and PowerShell methods, plus challenges and …

Guide to upgrading to Windows Phone 8.1 Developer Preview, including key features, app recommendations, update steps, and known issues for early …

A personal account of blogging from the French Alps, discussing challenges of writing and publishing posts using OneNote, Word, and limited devices …

Learn how to add, manage, and switch multiple email aliases on a single Microsoft ID, simplifying account access and reducing the need for multiple …

Explores the challenges of having both Project Managers and Product Owners in teams, highlighting conflicts, reporting issues, and impacts on agile …

Guide to using Visual Studio 2013 for application lifecycle management, covering new ALM features, agile practices, Git integration, and …

Step-by-step guide to manually installing Windows Server 2012 R2 Update 1, including required update order, restart tips, and post-update checks for …

Covers new features and upgrade steps for Team Foundation Server 2013 Update 2, including improvements in backlog, test, release, and version …

Explores how evidence-based management uses data-driven practices to improve organisational agility, value delivery, and decision-making in both …

Explains how to use a single Team Project and Team Field in TFS to streamline cross-team work item tracking, reporting, and collaboration across …

Explains how evidence-based management uses reliable metrics and KPIs at team and organisational levels to drive better decisions, value delivery, and …

Learn about the free Microsoft-supported TFS 2013 Update 2 RC upgrade event, key new features like tag management, and how to register before the …

Explains how to set up a scalable release pipeline using Release Management in Visual Studio 2013, covering continuous release, feedback environments, …

Step-by-step guide to installing and configuring Release Management 2013, including Server, Client, and Deployment Agent for Visual Studio and Team …

Step-by-step guide to downloading, installing, and configuring Release Management Server for Team Foundation Server 2013, including offline setup and …