VSTS (Visual Studio Team Services), formerly known as Visual Studio Online, was rebranded to Azure DevOps in 2018. Azure DevOps is Microsoft’s cloud-based DevOps service that provides a complete suite of tools for managing software projects. It’s important to note that the transition from VSTS to Azure DevOps is not just a rebranding; it represented an evolution in functionality and an expansion of features to better accommodate the needs of modern DevOps practices. Here’s an overview of Azure DevOps and its features:

Azure DevOps Services

Azure DevOps consists of several services that work together or independently, providing flexibility depending on your project needs:

1. Azure Boards: Offers comprehensive tools for Agile planning, tracking work, and managing software projects. It includes features like Kanban boards, backlogs, team dashboards, and custom reporting.

2. Azure Repos: Provides Git repositories or Team Foundation Version Control (TFVC) for source control. It supports all the Git features and provides a web interface to manage repositories, pull requests, and code reviews.

3. Azure Pipelines: Allows you to create automated pipelines for Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Delivery (CD). It supports a vast array of languages and platforms, as well as containers and Kubernetes.

4. Azure Test Plans: Offers a suite of tools for test planning, manual and exploratory testing, and provides rich reporting for test results.

5. Azure Artifacts: Allows teams to create, host, and share packages with their team, and add artifacts to their CI/CD pipelines. It supports Maven, npm, NuGet, and Python packages.

Transition from VSTS to Azure DevOps

• Enhanced UI and Navigation: Azure DevOps introduced a more user-friendly interface with improved navigation and organization.
• Expanded Features: Beyond the capabilities of VSTS, Azure DevOps brought enhanced features, especially in Azure Pipelines, which now offer extensive support for CI/CD not just for Azure but across various platforms.
• Integration with Other Azure Services: As part of the Azure family, Azure DevOps offers seamless integration with other Azure services, enhancing cloud-based development and deployment capabilities.
• Marketplace Extensions: Access to a wide range of extensions from the Azure DevOps Marketplace, allowing teams to customize and extend their DevOps capabilities.

How to Use Azure DevOps

• Project Management: Utilize Azure Boards for agile project management.
• Version Control: Use Azure Repos for storing and managing your codebase.
• CI/CD Pipelines: Automate builds, tests, and deployments using Azure Pipelines.
• Testing: Manage your testing lifecycle with Azure Test Plans.
• Package Management: Leverage Azure Artifacts for package management.

Conclusion

The transition from VSTS to Azure DevOps marked Microsoft’s commitment to providing a more robust, comprehensive, and flexible suite of DevOps tools. Azure DevOps caters to a wide range of development needs, making it suitable for small teams to large enterprises. Whether you’re building software for the cloud, on-premises, or hybrid environments, Azure DevOps provides the tools necessary to streamline and enhance the software development lifecycle.