A TFS 2010 Power Tools “Must Get” Update - September 2010 Release (Think the “zomg TFS server backup/restore help and more” release)

bharry's WebLog - Sept 2010 TFS Power Tools Release Available

“You find the download for the latest version of the Power Tools here:

• TFS Power Tools
• Cross Platform Build Extensions
• MSSCCI Provider (no updates this release)

As with the previous release, these require a TFS 2010 client.  If you want Power Tools with a previous TFS client, you will need the 2005 or 2008 Power Tools.

There are 3 “new features” in this Power Tools release:

Admin Console Backup/Restore Wizard

I blogged about this in detail recently here: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/bharry/archive/2010/08/18/backing-up-and-restoring-your-tfs-server.aspx and here: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/bharry/archive/2010/08/19/backing-up-your-tfs-server-with-sharepoint-and-reporting.aspx.  This Power Tool addition is a huge help for those responsible for administering a TFS server.  Here’s a teaser about what a configured backup plan looks like.  Check out the posts above for more details.  This backup tool only works with TFS 2010 servers.  …

…

Team Explorer Enhancements

They are small but they provide some handy conveniences.  There are 3 new capabilities:

• View With – Would you like to be able to open a workflow from SourceControl explorer in an XML editor rather than the designer? …
• Clone Build Definition – Ever had to set up a new branch and make it VERY similar to an existing branch.  Recreating all of the build definitions can be a real pain. …
• Copy Work Item Shortcut – Say you want to send a link to a work item to your buddy.  You can actually do that today by right clicking on the tab of the open work item and clicking “Copy Full Path” but no one ever figures that out :)  Now suppose you want to send a link to 3 or 4 work items – kind of a pain doing it one at a time.  With the new Power Tool, there is now a right click menu item both in the results view and in the work item form called “Copy Work Item Shortcut” …

…

TFPT Branches

Last, but not least, we’ve added a "branches” command to the tfpt command line for manipulating branches.  This can all be done in one form or another in the VS interface but now you can script it too. …

…

…”

The Admin Console Backup/Restore Wizard is worth the price of admission alone (well it’s all free, but you get the idea). If you’ve ever had to backup a TFS server or direct someone on how to, you’ll know just HOW awesome this Console is…

(via Martin Woodward - 2010 TFS Power Tools Release Available)

 

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