Using Excel, the BDC, Dashboard Web Parts, and TFS

with Joel Semeniuk

Definitions

• BDC - Business Data Connection
• MOSS - Microsoft Office SharePoint Server
• OLAP Cube - a data structure that allows fast analysis of data

Team System Reports aren't always enough

• People are using Excel to do fun Excel stuff
• But this is using files
• How to we move this back into TFS?

TS has a very rich data architecture

• Stores source code and auditing information
• Has automated build engine and keeps statistics
• Work Item tracking (Bug, requirement, feature, etc.)
• Can embed rules and details in work items
• Stores change information
• 3rd Party can add additional data stores and tehy can link to each other
• Checkins can be associated with a bug, for example
• Each has its own data store and is aggregated into one database
• We can now build big picture analytics
• MS ships a number of reports that run on the OLAP cube
• OLAP cube can be exposed to external sources such as Excel

Excel can point to the VSTS data store

• Can do cross project reporting. TFS doesn't have these reports
• Excel reports aren't static
• Can display reports without Excel
• MOSS can handle data connections!

Getting data from Excel to SP

• EWA - Excel Web Access
• EWS - Excel Web Service
• ES - Excel Services
• Lot's of configuration options through SP
• Fine grain security
• You can publish your reports to SP
• You can name everything such as graphs
• Create a Dashboard
• Dashboards hold webparts
• Create a PMO dashboard to give a good perspective on your projects
• Can expose information to the Client
• Create Web Parts

The BDC

• Data brought into SP in an abstracted manor
• Allow your to search your data like a SP search
• Not part of the base MOSS. You need to pay more for this, of course.
• Difficult to set up
• Don't build this by hand!
• There are rough tools to do this
• Can set permissions
• You can then hook them up within a web part

Summary

• TFS maintains a lot of data about your projects
• You can expose that data through SP using Excel and BDC, etc.

Notes

• Web Parts can have relationships
• You can use BDC to import project name, etc from FTS into SP
• You can tag files with the same tags in SP as in TFS
• Add a new project to TFS, then you can tag the associated files in SP wit the same name

Tools

• Worldwide telescope