Agile ALM Release 2 Release Notes

This document describes What's New in Agile ALM Release 2, as well as the differences between the default Scrum process template that is provided with Rational Team Concert (RTC) and the Agile ALM Scrum process template.

What's New in Agile ALM Release 2

This document describes describes the differences between Agile ALM Release 2 and Agile ALM Release 1.

General:

• Ensured solution was consistent with the Scrum Guide 2013.
• Ensured the solution supports/is supported by RTC v4.0.3, v4.0.4 and v4.0.5.
• Provided a set of recorded YouTube demos that describe key aspects of the solution.

Template:

• Provided two options for the Agile ALM Scrum process templates -- one that links to locally hosted Scrum practices (for customers without an internet connection) and one that links to Jazz-hosted Scrum practices (for customers with an internet connection).
• Provided an updated process description (processContent.zip file) that redirects to the location of the published practices.
• Updated the Web client Jazz practice description to link to the published practices.
• Added "type description" links to work item editors that provide rich text mouseover guidance on the state machine/workflow for that work item type. This replaces the "Process guidance" custom attribute (now removed) that was in the previous version of the template.
• Added the Sprint Burndown and Team Velocity widgets to the Development Team Tab on the Team Dashboard.
• Loosened role permissions. Specifically: Added permission to save the project dashboard for the Product Owner; removed Context Aware Search from the Product Owner; removed Deploy Report Resource from everyone but the Project Admin; added Deploy Report to Project Admin; addeded Save Change Set Links and Comments to Development Team Member and Scrum Master.
• Refined to implement feedback received to date.
• Fixed the following defects:
  • Prevent Development Team members from add Categories to a project (Scrum master can add categories, Development Team members cannot).
  • Address team membership and plan ownership issues (team will own all plans).
  • Align end dates of sprints and releases.
  • Update work item templates to create a "retrospective" type of work item for the task Sprint retrospective.
  • Fix Defect State Binding. In the new template, the Defect ready for testing state stayed at resolved, but the Ready for testing state of implementation request was changed to "In Test". Defects also have an "In Test state" now.

Practices:

• Added tool mentors that describe how to perform key Scrum activities in RTC.
• Added guidance on how to "upgrade" existing process templates with the latest Agile ALM Scrum process template.
• Used a standard skin to publish the practices. Practice elements now include key links and their look and feel is consistent.

Tutorials:

• Simplified tutorial content and streamlined to enable use in a workshop environment.
• Updated tutorials to describe the use of the work item templates provided in the Agile ALM Scrum process template.

Differences Between Default Scrum Template and Agile ALM Template (Release 1)

Below is a high level list of the differences between the Agile ALM Scrum process template and the default Scrum process template that is included in RTC. For a more exhaustive list of the differences between the templates, see this document: http://www.islandtraining.com/pdfs/summary_RTC-Agile-ALM-Scrum-Template_Island-Training.pdf

Roles

• Renamed "Team Member" role to "Development Team Member".
• Added Project Area Administrator role.

Work items

• Modified story points scale to "T-shirt size": XS(1), S(2), M(3), L(5), XL(8), XXL(13), XXXL(21)
• Added Business Value attribute to Story.
• Added a Risk work item type.
• Added process guidance to work items (link to provided Scrum practices).
• Removed the Adoption work item type.

Queries

• Added predefined queries to support Agile Planning with Scrum (Stories Needing Business Value, Stories Needing Story Points, Open Risks, etc...).

Iterations

• Added a Trash iteration.
• Renamed Sprints for alphanumeric sorting (01, 02, 03... 10, 11...).

Dashboards

• Team Dashboard modified to include tabs for Scrum Master, Product, and Development Team.