Note
Access to this page requires authorization. You can try signing in or changing directories.
Access to this page requires authorization. You can try changing directories.
Azure DevOps Services | Azure DevOps Server | Azure DevOps Server 2022 | Azure DevOps Server 2020
This Microsoft Agile glossary lists common terms you use when tracking work with Azure Boards. See these related glossaries for more terms and context:
- Kanban key concepts
- Sprints and Scrum key concepts
- Work item field index
- Project management and navigation glossary
Agile tools
A suite of web-based tools used to track work and support Agile methodologies. Agile tools support the core Agile methods—Scrum and Kanban—used by software development teams today. Learn more: About Agile tools and Agile project management.
Area path
Area paths are used to group work items by team, product, or feature area. Iteration paths are used to group work into sprints, milestones, or other event-specific or time-related periods. You can use area paths to define a hierarchy of paths. For more information, see About area and iteration paths.
Bugs
A type of work item that records a potential source of dissatisfaction with the product. The common name of a work item type for tracking code defects. Each team can choose how they want to manage bugs. Some teams like to track bugs along with requirements on the backlog. Other teams like to track bugs as tasks performed in support of a requirement. The bugs then appear on their Taskboard. Learn more: Manage bugs.
Categories
Categories group one or more work item types to support reporting, queries, and the web portal backlog and taskboard pages. For example, add custom work item types to the Requirements category to manage them using the product backlog and boards. For details, see Use categories to group work item types.
Collections
A collection is a container for a number of projects in Azure DevOps. A default collection is created when you sign up with Azure DevOps Services or install Team Foundation Server. Within Azure DevOps Services, a collection corresponds to an organization. For on-premises TFS deployments, you can add and manage collections to specify the logical and physical resources available to the projects within the collection.
Learn more: About projects and scaling your organization, Manage organizations or Manage project collections in Team Foundation Server.
Dashboards
Dashboards are user-configurable interactive signboards that provide real-time information. Dashboards are associated with a team and display configurable widgets to show information. For more information, see Add and manage dashboards.
Discussion
Area within a work item form that supports adding and reviewing comments made about the work being performed. This way, you capture all comments within the work item rather than maintaining a long email thread. Within the discussion section, you can use the @mention control to notify another team member about the discussion. Simply type @ and their name.
Favorites
Tagging an object as a favorite is a method used to support quick navigation by yourself or other team members. You can tag work item queries and build definitions as personal and team favorites. Other objects you can tag as a favorite for yourself only include code branches, delivery plans, test plans, and teams or projects. For more information, see Set personal or team favorites.
Fields
Fields capture specific pieces of information about work. You store field values in the work tracking data store and use them in queries and charts to report status and trends. Projects include many fields; to update a field, edit it within a work item. Each work item is associated with a work item type (WIT), and the available fields reflect that WIT. For definitions of predefined fields, see Work item field index.
Follow
Tagging specific work items or pull requests to follow them is a method used to receive email updates about changes that are made to them. For more information, see Follow a work item or pull request.
Global lists
Global lists define shared menu or picklist values across work item types (WITs) and projects in a collection. Use global lists to reduce maintenance when multiple WITs use the same values. Define global lists in a process template for Hosted XML or On-premises XML process models. See Manage global lists for work item types.
Global workflow
Global workflow defines fields and global lists that multiple projects and WITs can share. Administrators use it to standardize workflow across projects (On-premises XML process model only). See Manage global workflow.
Hidden types categories
Hidden types list work item types that you don't want people to create manually. By default this set includes:
- Code Review Request and Code Review Response
- Feedback Request and Feedback Response
- Shared Steps and Shared Parameter
- Test Plan and Test Suite
You can use the open-source Team Project Manager on GitHub to determine which WITs belong to the Hidden Types category.
Process models and templates
- Hosted XML process model—supports customizing work tracking objects by modifying and importing a process template (available for select Azure Boards cloud accounts). See Hosted process model.
- Inheritance process model—supports UI-based customization for Azure Boards cloud accounts; projects inherit process customizations. See Inheritance process model.
- On-premises XML process model—supports XML-based customization for on-premises Azure DevOps. See On-premises process model.
Issue
- Agile process: An Issue tracks items that might affect completing other work; it doesn't appear on backlogs or boards by default. See Manage issues and impediments.
- Basic process: An Issue tracks work or defects and appears on the product backlog and Issues board.
Iteration paths (aka sprints)
A time period, usually two to three weeks, used to group work items to be completed during that time period. Sprints are used in Scrum methods to support sprint planning, sprint burndown, and other Scrum processes. Iteration paths allow you to group work into sprints, milestones, or other event-specific or time-related period. Learn more: About area and iteration paths.
Kanban board
An interactive, electronic sign board that supports visualization of the flow of work from concept to completion and lean methods. Azure DevOps provides a board for each product and portfolio backlog. For more information, see Board overview and Board features and epics.
Links and link types
Links support defining relationships between work items and other objects—such as commits, branches, pull requests, and more—using different link types. For more information, see Link work items to other objects and Link types reference.
Pick lists
A picklist (drop-down menu) presents an enumerated set of values for a field. How you customize a picklist depends on the field and the process model. For details, see Customize work.
Plans (also known as delivery plans)
A plan is a configurable view that displays work from multiple teams and projects laid out within a calendar based on each team's iterations. Each row in the view represents the work from a team's product or portfolio backlog. Each card corresponds to a work item, such as user story, feature, or epic. For more information, see Review team delivery plans.
Portfolio backlog
An interactive list of work items, similar to the product backlog, that supports organizing or grouping work under features, epics, or scenarios. Portfolio backlogs work similarly to product backlogs in that you can prioritize work and view the tree hierarchy of work. Learn more: Define features and epics.
Process
A process defines the building blocks of a work-tracking system. To customize a process, you first create an inherited process from one of the default system processes, Agile, Scrum, or CMMI. All projects that use the process see the changes you make. For more information, see About process customization and inherited processes.
Product backlog
An interactive list of work items that corresponds to a team's project plan or roadmap for what the team plans to deliver. The product backlog supports prioritizing work, forecasting work by sprints, and quickly linking work to portfolio backlog items. You can define your backlog items and then manage their status using the board.
Each product backlog can be customized by a team. Learn more: Create your backlog.
Product backlog item (PBI)
A type of work item that defines the applications, requirements, and elements that teams plan to create. Product owners typically define and stack rank product backlog items which are defined with the Scrum process. Learn more: Scrum process work item types and workflow.
Projects
A project, which was previously known as a team project, provides a repository for source code. A project provides a place where a group of people can plan, track progress, and collaborate on building software solutions. A project is defined for an Azure DevOps Services organization or within a TFS project collection. You can use it to focus on those objects defined within the project. For more information, see About projects and scaling your organization.
Queries
Queries are used to find and list work items. Queries support managed searches, which are used to triage work, versus ad-hoc searches, which are used to find a specific work item. Flat-list queries also support status and trend charts. For more information, see About managed queries.
Remote linking
With remote linking, you can create link relationships between work items in one organization to work items or other objects defined in another organization. Organizations must be managed by the same Microsoft Entra ID. Learn more: Link work items, Link to a remote work item.
Rollup
Rollup refers to the sum of Remaining Work, Story Points, or other numeric field of child and descendent work items within a hierarchy. To add rollup columns to a product or portfolio backlog, see Display rollup progress or totals.
Sprints (also known as iterations)
A sprint is a time period of usually two to three weeks that's used to group work items to be completed during that time period. Sprints are used in Scrum methods to support sprint planning, sprint burndown, and other Scrum processes. Sprints are defined via iteration paths. For more information, see About area and iteration paths (aka sprints).
Sprint backlog
An interactive list of work items that have been assigned to the same sprint or iteration path for a team. The sprint backlog supports teams that use Scrum methodologies. Learn more: Sprint planning.
Taskboard
A taskboard is an interactive board of work items that you can use to review and update tasks defined for the sprint backlog. The taskboard supports teams that use Scrum methodologies. For more information, see Update and monitor your taskboard.
Teams
A team corresponds to a selected set of project members. With teams, organizations can subcategorize work to better focus on all the work they track within a project. Each team gets access to a suite of Agile tools. Teams can use these tools to work autonomously and collaborate with other teams across the enterprise. Each team can configure and customize each tool to meet their work requirements. For more information, see About teams and Agile tools.
User story
A type of work item that defines the applications, requirements, and elements that teams plan to create. Product owners typically define and stack rank user stories. User story is defined with the Agile process. Learn more: Agile process work item types and workflow.
Widgets
Widgets display information and charts on dashboards. Many of them can be configured. Many widgets display information available from one or more data stores or charts created by the system. For more information, see Widget catalog.
Work item types (WITs)
A WIT specifies the fields, workflow, and form used to track an item of work. Each WIT is associated with more than 30 system fields and several more type-specific fields. You use work items to plan and track the work required to develop your project. For an overview of predefined WITs provided with the default processes, see About processes and process templates.
Workflow
A workflow defines the allowed progression and regression of a work item as defined by its WIT. For example, the Agile workflow tracks status from New or Active to Closed or Completed. The Basic process uses To Do, Doing, and Done states. Workflow also controls which State and Reason values appear in drop-down menus. See Workflow states and state categories.