1. MSF: Microsoft Solutions Framework Past and present
Peter Williams, Microsoft Ltd.

2. 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

3. A Brief History of MSF MSF Offering 1994 1995 1997 1999 2002 2005-06
21 Rules
‘Dynamics’
Solutions Dev Discipline (SDD)
MSF v2
Principles of … App Dev (PAD) Infra Deploy (PID) Ent Arch (PEA) Comp Des (PCD)
MSF v2.5
MSF v3
Essentials + Exam
Core Agile CMMI …
MSF v4
MSF Offering
MSF v1

4. MSF Core: What It’s Not MSF Core is not a methodology
It’s 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

5. 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

6. MSF Core Mindsets Team of Peers
Quality is everyone’s 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

7. 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

8. MSF Core Models Team model Governance & Enactment (Process) 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

9. Natural Checks and balances
MSF Core Team Model
Solution Construction / Verification
Solution Delivery
Solution Definition
Solution Usability and User readiness
Solution Deployment
Solution Validation
Development
Test
Release Management
User Experience
Product Management
Program Management
Solution Design
Architecture
Advocacy
Groups
Natural Checks and balances

10. MSF Core Advocacy Business Focus Technology Focus Users
Operations Support
User
Experience
Product
Management
Customer
Test
Project Team
Program
Management
Project Sponsor
Development
Solutions Architects
Operations
Release / Operations
Architecture
Technology Architects
Technology Focus

11. Scaling Down: Combining Advocacy Groups
Product Management
Program Management
Architecture
Development
Test
User Experience
Release / Operations N P U
Possible Unlikely Not recommended

12. Scaling Up: Feature Teams
User Experience
Fulfillment
Program Management
Development
Test
Release Management
Catalog
Program Management
Development
Test
User Experience
Site Engine & Design
Program Management
User Experience
Development
Test

13. MSF Version 3 Core Process Model

14. MSF Version 4 Governance & Enactment Model
Enactment Tracks
Envision
Plan
Build
Stabilise
Deploy
Governance Track
Checkpoint-based
Deploy
Stabilise
Enactment
Envision
Build
Plan
Governance

15. Governance Examples
MSF for Agile Software Development implements a very lightweight governance model

16. Governance Examples
MSF for CMMI® Process Improvement implements a more rigorous governance model

17. MSF Core Risk Management Model
Proactive Management
Identify
Analyse and Prioritise
Plan and Schedule
Track and Report Status
Control Risks
Learn from Risks

18. MSF and Visual Studio Team System
enacts
Visual Studio 2005 Team System
Microsoft Solutions Framework
guides

19. Enacting MSF Discipline Family Product MSFv4 ‘Core’ Infrastructure
MSF for Agile Software Development
MSF for CMMI® Process Improvement
Product
Application Development
Family

20. Enacting MSF
MSF v4
MSF v3
CMMI
Infrastructure
Agile

21. 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

22. UK Enterprise Solutions built with MSF
NBP
Tax Credits Online
digital curriculum

23. 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.

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. Questions?