title | titleSuffix | ms.custom | description | ms.technology | ms.assetid | ms.author | author | ms.topic | monikerRange | ms.date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Get started as a project administrator or organization Owner |
Azure DevOps |
seodec18 |
Learn how to structure a project, manage users, and more to support your software development teams in Azure DevOps. |
devops-new-user |
chcomley |
chcomley |
conceptual |
<= azure-devops |
11/16/2020 |
[!INCLUDE version-vsts-tfs-all-versions]
With most Azure DevOps Services, you can start using the service and configure resources as you go. No up-front work is required. Most settings define defaults.
As an organization Owner or a Project Administrator, there are a few tasks you might want to do to ensure a smooth operational experience. If you need to manage an organization with a large user base, consider additional tasks to structure your projects to support multiple teams or software development applications.
::: moniker range="azure-devops"
Ensure that all members of your organization or group are added to your organization and projects. For small groups, using Microsoft Accounts to add users to your organization and projects works fine.
Larger enterprises may want to consider using Azure Active Directory to manage permissions and user access. To learn more, see About organization management.
::: moniker-end
::: moniker range="< azure-devops"
Ensure that all members of your organization or group are added to your organization and project. Larger organizations may want to consider using Azure Active Directory to keep the maintenance of managing permissions and user access. Typically, you should install Azure Active Directory before installing TFS. To learn more, see the following articles.
- Install Azure Active Directory Domain Services (Level 100)
- Step-By-Step: Setting up Azure Active Directory in Windows Server 2016
::: moniker-end
To delegate the task of managing user access, add a user with Stakeholder or higher access to the Project Collection Administrators group.
Access to features and functions is controlled by access-level assignments, permissions, and security groups. To quickly understand the defaults configured for your project, see Default permissions and access.
::: moniker range="azure-devops"
Note
If the Project-Scoped Users well known group to hide settings preview feature is enabled for the organization, users added to the Project-scoped Users group won't be able to access projects that they haven't been added to. To learn more, see About projects and scaling your organization, Project-scoped User group.
::: moniker-end
To delegate specific tasks to others, add them to a built-in or custom security group or add them to a specific role. To learn more, see the following articles.
- Grant or restrict access to select features and functions
- Set permissions at the project level or project collection level
To learn more about permissions and security, review the following articles:
::: moniker range=">= tfs-2015"
::: moniker-end
::: moniker range="azure-devops"
Each project has a summary page that's useful for sharing information through README files. Or, redirect users to a project Wiki. For users who are new to your project, we recommend that you set up your project summary page or provision a Wiki. Use these features to share established processes and procedures for your project.
::: moniker-end
::: moniker range=">= tfs-2015 < azure-devops"
Each project has a summary page that's useful for sharing information through README files. For users who are new to your project, we recommend that you set up your project summary page. Use this feature to share established processes and procedures for your project.
::: moniker-end
::: moniker range=">= azure-devops-2019"
To simplify the web portal user interface, you can disable select services. For example, if you use a project only to log bugs, then disable all services except for Boards.
This example shows that Test Plans is disabled:
::: moniker-end
::: moniker range=">= tfs-2015"
Set policies to support collaboration across your teams, secure your projects, and automatically remove obsolete files. To set policies, review the following articles:
::: moniker-end
::: moniker range=">= azure-devops-2019"
- Change application access policies for your organization
- Manage branch policies
- Add Team Foundation Version Control (TFVC) check-in policies
- Set build and release pipeline retention policies
- Set test retention policies ::: moniker-end
::: moniker range=">= tfs-2015 <= tfs-2018"
- Manage branch policies
- Add TFVC check-in policies
- Set build and release pipeline retention policies
- Set test retention policies ::: moniker-end
If you support several products, you can assign work items by feature area by defining area paths. To assign work items to specific time intervals, also known as sprints, you configure iteration paths. To use the Scrum tools—sprint backlogs, taskboards, and team capacity—you need to configure several sprints. For an overview, see About areas and iteration paths.
[!div class="mx-tdBreakAll"]
Iterations Areas
::: moniker range=">= azure-devops-2019"
All work-tracking tools are available immediately after you create a project. Often, one or more users may want to customize the experience to meet one or more business needs. Processes are easily customized through the user interface. However, you may want to establish a methodology for who manages the updates and evaluates requests.
To learn more, see the following articles:
::: moniker-end
::: moniker range="<= tfs-2018"
All work-tracking tools are available immediately after you create a project. Often, one or more users may want to customize the experience to meet one or more business needs. But, you may want to establish a methodology for who manages the updates and evaluates requests.
To learn more, see On-premises XML process model.
::: moniker-end
A number of notifications are predefined for each project you add. Notifications are based on subscription rules. Subscriptions arise from the following areas:
- Out-of-the-box or default subscriptions.
- Team, organization, and collection-level notifications, managed by a team administrator or member of the Project Collection Administrators group.
- Project notifications, managed by a member of the Project Administrators group.
If users believe they're getting too many notifications, direct them to opt out of a subscription.
::: moniker range="< azure-devops"
In order for team members to receive notifications, you must configure an SMTP server.
::: moniker-end
We recommend that you add teams as your organization grows. Each team gets access to their own set of customizable Agile tools.
To learn more, see the following articles:
- About projects and scaling your organization
- Add a team, move from one default team to several teams
- Add a team administrator
::: moniker range=">= tfs-2015"
An extension is an installable unit that adds new capabilities to your projects. Azure DevOps extensions support the following functions:
- Planning and tracking of work items, sprints, scrums, and so on
- Build and release flows
- Code testing and tracking
- Collaboration among team members
::: moniker-end
::: moniker range=">= tfs-2017"
For example, to support code search, install the Code Search extension.
::: moniker-end
::: moniker range=">= tfs-2015"
You want to tell your users about extensions and that they can request an extension. To install and manage extensions, you must be an organization Owner, a member of the Project Collection Administrators group. Or, you can get added to the Manager role for extensions.
::: moniker-end
::: moniker range="azure-devops"
All organizations can add up to five users with Basic access and unlimited users with Stakeholder access. If you need to add more users or pay for additional services or extensions, set up billing.
::: moniker-end
[!div class="nextstepaction"] Manage projects
::: moniker range="azure-devops"
- Project and team quick reference
- Security & identity
- Organization management
- About user, team, project, and organization-level settings
::: moniker-end
::: moniker range="< azure-devops"
- Project and team quick reference
- Security & identity
- Organization management
- About user, team, project, and organization-level settings
- TFS administration
::: moniker-end