Process Dashboard Version 1.12

Process Dashboard Version 1.12 has been released, containing many significant new features.

  • Since version 1.7, the dashboard has included a team metrics collection framework called “Software Systems Development.” To avoid any potential copyright violations, that metrics framework has used a different set of process phases than the TSP(SM). Beginning with version 1.12, we are happy to announce that the Software Engineering Institute has granted us permission to distribute a TSP-compatible metrics framework. This new framework will reduce the learning curve for TSP teams as they first begin to use the Process Dashboard.
  • Process Dashboard installers are now provided to support the assignment sequence of the PSP(SM) Fundamentals and Advanced courses.
  • It is now possible to attach HTTP URLs to the elements in a Common Team Workflow. This can be used to associate organizational process scripts or wiki pages that describe the steps in a workflow. (Note: this feature is only available for team projects that are created using Process Dashboard 1.12 or later.)
  • Data from earned value schedules can now be exported to Microsoft Project in the new MS Office XML format.
  • The “Status of Team Member Metrics” page has always displayed the date when each team member last exported their metrics. Now, it also displays the date they last performed a “Sync to WBS” operation.
  • In the past, the components and tasks in a rolled-up team EV schedule would sometimes not appear in the same order that they appear in the WBS. The reporting logic has been enhanced so the EV schedule will follow the WBS element ordering more closely.
  • Charts have been added to the PSP project plan summary forms to display time, defects, and PQI.
  • In the WBS Editor Team Member List, the column headers now display dates in a locale-sensitive manner for non-US teams.
  • Teams can optionally choose to have the WBS Editor prompt for read-only mode on startup. (This option can be controlled on a project-by-project basis, and is enabled by choosing “Edit > Preferences” from the WBS Editor menu bar.)
  • In the WBS Editor and in the EV reports, when a percent complete number is greater than 99.5% but less than 100%, it will be rounded down to 99%. This helps to avoid confusion, since 100% will now only appear for tasks that are truly complete.
  • The EV Report will now display a warning message if tasks have been marked complete in the future, or if time has been logged in the future. This can help in the troubleshooting of problems caused by data entry typos.
  • On the Weekly EV Report, the “Tasks Completed Last Week” table now displays a total row.
  • Some international dashboard users have seen problems with corruption of accented characters in the Team Dashboard. A new feature is provided in the Preferences dialog to help those teams.
  • In the personal dashboard, the Team Project Tools and Settings page has previously included a checkbox to “Include all WBS components and documents in sync operations.” This checkbox represented obsolete functionality, and now only causes problems when individuals enable it out of curiosity. To avoid those problems, the feature has been removed.
  • Teams that have upgraded to a recent version of the Code Collaborator server were finding that defect types were no longer being transferred by the “Import from Code Collaborator” feature. This problem has been corrected.
  • A bug was affecting the date-based filtering of entries in the Time Log (for example, when you request to view time log entries for “Today”). This bug has been corrected.
  • The Perforce LOC counter can now count LOC in integration changelists. This functionality is designed to support the workflow where an individual makes changes in a personal sandbox, then integrates those changes back to the main line of development. In that case, the individual can point the LOC counter at the changelist where the files were integrated back to the mainline, and receive a LOC count of the effective changes.
  • Installers are now available in EXE format for use on Windows systems. These EXEs can simplify the installation process for users who previously encountered problems with filesystem permissions in Windows Vista.
  • Fixes for several bugs: #2962084, #2962101, #2962103, #2864333, #2869453, #2962395, #2974603, and #2951738.

Upgrade Considerations

  • Existing project teams are encouraged to upgrade together.
  • The functionality to attach scripts to custom team workflows will only appear if a team has upgraded to version 1.12, and created a new Team Project after upgrading.
  • Please take note of the following upgrade constraint: if you use version 1.12 to create a brand new dashboard dataset (either for a team or for an individual), that new dashboard dataset (and its backups) can only be opened with version 1.12 or higher. This constraint does not apply when people upgrade an existing team/personal dashboard to version 1.12.