Azure Boards for tracking - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Azure Boards for tracking

📖 Scenario: You are part of a small software team starting a new project. To keep track of tasks and bugs, you want to use Azure Boards, a tool that helps teams organize and track work.

🎯 Goal: Create a simple Azure Boards setup with a project, a work item type, and a query to track open bugs.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create an Azure DevOps project named SampleProject

Add a work item type called Bug with a title and description

Create a query named OpenBugs that filters bugs with state Active

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Teams use Azure Boards to track work progress, bugs, and tasks in software projects.

💼 Career

Knowing how to configure and use Azure Boards is essential for project managers, developers, and DevOps engineers.

1

Create Azure DevOps project

Create an Azure DevOps project named SampleProject using the Azure CLI command az devops project create --name SampleProject --process Agile.

Azure

# Use Azure CLI to create the project
# Your code here

Hint

Use the Azure CLI command az devops project create with the --name and --process Agile parameters.

2

Add a Bug work item

Add a work item of type Bug with the title Sample Bug and description This is a test bug to the SampleProject using the Azure CLI command az boards work-item create.

Azure

az devops project create --name SampleProject --process Agile
# Create a Bug work item with title and description
# Your code here

Hint

Use az boards work-item create with --project, --type, --title, --description, and --fields parameters.

3

Create a query for open bugs

Create a query named OpenBugs in SampleProject that filters work items of type Bug with state Active using the Azure CLI command az boards query create and a query text.

Azure

az devops project create --name SampleProject --process Agile
az boards work-item create --project SampleProject --type Bug --title "Sample Bug" --description "This is a test bug" --fields "System.State=Active"
# Create a query named OpenBugs filtering active bugs
# Your code here

Hint

Use az boards query create with --project, --name, and --wiql parameters. The WIQL filters bugs with state Active.

4

Verify the query and work items

List the work items returned by the OpenBugs query in SampleProject using the Azure CLI command az boards query show and verify it includes the bug titled Sample Bug.

Azure

az devops project create --name SampleProject --process Agile
az boards work-item create --project SampleProject --type Bug --title "Sample Bug" --description "This is a test bug" --fields "System.State=Active"
az boards query create --project SampleProject --name OpenBugs --wiql "Select [System.Id], [System.Title], [System.State] From WorkItems Where [System.WorkItemType] = 'Bug' And [System.State] = 'Active'"
# Show the OpenBugs query results
# Your code here

Hint

Use az boards query show with --project and --id to display query results.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of Azure Boards in project management?

easy

A. To host websites and web applications

B. To help teams track work using cards and lists

C. To store large amounts of data securely

D. To manage virtual machines and networks

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand Azure Boards functionality

   Azure Boards is designed to help teams organize and track their work visually using cards and lists.

2. Step 2: Compare options with Azure Boards purpose

   Options A, B, and D describe other Azure services, not Azure Boards.

3. Final Answer:

   To help teams track work using cards and lists -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Azure Boards = Work tracking with cards and lists [OK]

Hint: Azure Boards = tracking work visually with cards [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing Azure Boards with Azure Storage
• Thinking Azure Boards manages infrastructure
• Mixing Azure Boards with Azure App Services

2. Which of the following is a valid work item type in Azure Boards?

easy

A. User Story

B. Virtual Machine

C. Blob Storage

D. SQL Database

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify work item types in Azure Boards

   Common work items include User Stories, Bugs, Tasks, and Features.

2. Step 2: Eliminate unrelated Azure services

   Virtual Machine, Blob Storage, and SQL Database are Azure infrastructure or service types, not work items.

3. Final Answer:

   User Story -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   User Story = valid work item type [OK]

Hint: Work items = User Story, Bug, Task, Feature [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing Azure services with work items
• Selecting infrastructure components as work items
• Not recognizing User Story as a work item

3. Given a team using Azure Boards, which view shows the prioritized list of work items to be done next?

medium

A. Backlog

B. Dashboard

C. Repository

D. Pipeline

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand Azure Boards views

   The Backlog view lists work items prioritized for upcoming work.

2. Step 2: Differentiate other views

   Dashboard shows summary widgets, Repository holds code, Pipeline manages builds and releases.

3. Final Answer:

   Backlog -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Backlog = prioritized work list [OK]

Hint: Backlog = prioritized work items list [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing Dashboard with Backlog
• Mixing code repository with work tracking
• Thinking Pipeline shows work priorities

4. A team member cannot see the Azure Board for their project. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. The Azure Board service is offline

B. They are using the wrong browser

C. Their internet connection is too slow

D. They do not have the correct project permissions

Solution

1. Step 1: Check common access issues in Azure Boards

   Access to Boards depends on project permissions assigned to users.

2. Step 2: Evaluate other options

   Azure Boards is a cloud service with high availability, so service offline is unlikely. Internet speed or browser issues usually cause loading delays, not complete invisibility.

3. Final Answer:

   They do not have the correct project permissions -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Permissions control Board visibility [OK]

Hint: Check user permissions first for Board access issues [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming service outage without checking permissions
• Blaming internet speed for access denial
• Ignoring permission settings

5. A team wants to track bugs and user stories separately but see both on one board. How can they configure Azure Boards to achieve this?

hard

A. Merge Bugs and User Stories into a single work item type

B. Create two separate projects, one for Bugs and one for User Stories

C. Create separate work item queries for Bugs and User Stories, then add both queries as cards on a single board

D. Use Azure Pipelines to automate bug tracking and user stories

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand Azure Boards customization

   Azure Boards allows adding multiple queries as card sources on one board to show different work item types together.

2. Step 2: Evaluate other options

   Creating separate projects splits work and complicates tracking. Azure Pipelines is for automation, not work item display. Merging work item types loses distinction.

3. Final Answer:

   Create separate work item queries for Bugs and User Stories, then add both queries as cards on a single board -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Use queries to combine work items on one board [OK]

Hint: Use queries to show multiple work types on one board [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Splitting work into separate projects unnecessarily
• Confusing Pipelines with Boards functionality
• Trying to merge distinct work item types