TFS 2010: Test Manager Web Access

TFS 2010 has introduced many new features, and one of them is the Team System Web Access (TSWA) that is installed by default when you install TFS 2010 and is accessible through the URL: “http://servername:8080/tfs/web”. (This was available in previous versions of TFS, but you have to install it explicitly.)

Also Visual Studio 2010 offers an excellent tool for the testers for carrying out the testing activities: Microsoft Test Manager. It offers complete end to end testing of the application and managing the testing artifacts in Team Foundation Server. With Team Foundation Web Access (TSWA) all the data that is present in TFS can be viewed within the browser and there is no need to install Visual Studio Team Access or any other client in the machine. Thus, management people or people at remote locations can easily access the information related to project.

However, Team System Web Access provides feature to view the various artifacts, but it doesn’t provide the feature to view the artifacts created by using Microsoft Test Manager i.e. Test Plan and Test Suite. So, there is a gap between Team System Web Access and Test Manager, and again we are landed at the same point, if people want to view how testing is going-on or what approach is being followed, they have to get this data using Microsoft Test Manager and they will end up installing the client in their machines.

Solution to this problem is Test Manager Web Access. Test manager Web Access is a plugin to Team System Web Access that enables the users to view the artifacts created within Microsoft Test Manager. It gives exactly the same view of the Test Plan and Test Suite hierarchy as displayed in Microsoft Test Manager.

After adding this plugin to the Team System Web Access a new tab “Test Manager” (as shown in figure below) is displayed in the Team System Web Access site.

Clicking on the Test Manager tab, user is able to view the same Test Plan and Test Suite hierarchy as visible in Microsoft Test Manger. Here, if user clicks any node in the tree structure he/she will be able to view the test cases present under that particular Test Suite or Test Plan.

However, currently there are few limitations to this plugin. Users can only view the Test Plan or Test Suites and the test cases present in them but they cannot edit or modify it. This plugin is completely for viewing purpose.
It might help people who don’t have Microsoft Test Management client installed but interested in data present in it.