What's in the CollabNet Agile baseline template?

Default trackers for agile entities

  • Epics: Epics are just large user stories, at a lesser degree of specificity, that describe broad areas of user-requested functionality. Epics usually get split into multiple child user stories.
  • Stories: A user story is a high-level definition of a requirement, containing just enough information so that developers can produce a reasonable estimate of the effort required to implement it.
  • Tasks: Tasks are used to break down user stories into implementable pieces, are usually children of stories, and are typically assigned to a developers for estimation and completion.
  • Defects: A defect is an error, flaw, mistake, failure, or fault in software that produces an incorrect or unexpected result, or causes it to behave in unintended ways.
  • Tests: A test case is a set of conditions or variables under which a tester will determine whether an application or software system is working correctly. They can describe unit tests, functional tests, performance test, etc.

Default planning folder structure

  • Products:The product backlog is the highest level planning folder, and typically Epics & User Stories that will span several releases, or are not part of a particular release. To enable the burndown for each product, add start and end dates 
  • Releases: Each Product can have several release planning folders.  Each Release should contain the Epics & User Stories that will be worked on during the course of the release. Each release planning folder should be mapped to a software release in the File Releases tool. To enable the burndown for each release, add start and end dates.
  • Iterations: Each Release can have several iterations. Each Iteration should contain the User Stories & tasks that will be worked on during the course of the iteration. To enable the burndown for each iteration, add start and end dates.

Default file release packages

  • Product 1: This package is a folder in which the releases for Product 1 are published. Each file release within the Product 1 package is a group of one or more files that are published as a unit. The Product 1 package as well as the contained file releases should be kept in sync with the planning folders for Product 1 and the contained releases.
  • Product 2: This package is a folder in which the releases for Product 2 are published. Each file release within the Product 2 package is a group of one or more files that are published as a unit. The Product 2 package as well as the contained file releases should be kept in sync with the planning folders for Product 2 and the contained releases.

Default Agile project roles

  • Project Manager: Also known as "Scrum Masters" in scrum-speak, the people who oversee the execution of the development plan, ensure the backlogs are organized, and nag everyone to get their work done. They are the project admins.
  • Product Manager: Also known as "Product Owners" in scrum-speak, the one or more people who define & prioritize the product backlog, author epics & stories, and play the role of "user proxy" throughout the lifecycle.
  • Product Developer: People who develop the software application, taking story input from the product managers, breaking them down into story tasks, estimating them, and implementing them when backlogged to a release or an iteration.
  • Product Tester: People who conduct the majority of functional (and other types of testing on the product), preferably in cadence with the rest of the development team who works on an "always-shippable" iteration-based schedule.
  • Product Executive: People who sponsor the development of a software application, overseeing budget & staffing, reporting to other high-level executives, and generally getting in the way of overall development progress.