Using Microsoft Test Manager to create test cases instead of TFS web access

0
votes

I use Visual Studio Community edition at the moment. I want to create some test cases in a customer's on-prem TFS and they havn't bought the Test Manager extension. When I open web access I cannot add any test plans, test suites nor test cases.

I installed Microsoft Test Manager 2017 and from there I can create everthing I need and also run the test cases. After creating the test cases I can run them from web access.

I would be glad to buy some license for myself but wouldn't want to bother the customer with buying the Test Manager extension.

Question 1: I can't see what license Test Manager is using at the moment, e.g. could I be using a trial license that would expire and thus the above will stop working?

Question 2: Since the above is working, i.e. I can add test cases without paying for anything, is there a chance Microsoft will be plugging this in a future tfs update, i.e. Test Manager will stop working?

2
tfsmicrosoft-test-manager

2 Answers

1
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The desktop client for Microsoft Test Manager will be retired and only web access will be able to work with test cases.

If you look at https://www.visualstudio.com/vs/pricing/, you see that VSTS Test Manager is included with a Visual Studio Enterprise license. That's one way of purchasing Test.

Another way is to add the Test package to your account through the Marketplace: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms.vss-testmanager-web#pricing. This will cost you $52 per month.

0
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Visual Studio Team Services (VSTS) and Team Foundation Server (TFS) offer both web-based and client-based solutions for manual testing:

  • The Test Center in Microsoft Test Manager (MTM) client is a desktop-based manual testing solution, which has traditionally been used by testers for their Manual testing needs.
  • The Test hub in VSTS and TFS is a web-based manual testing solution, which works across all platforms and with all browsers. We have invested in Test hub over past two years to provide you better experiences across Plan, Author, Execute and Track phases of Manual testing.

Because the Test hub is a fully featured Test management solution which works across all platforms and with all browsers, we recommend you use the Test hub over Microsoft Test Manager for all your test management requirements. You can use Microsoft Test Manager to test your desktop applications by launching the Microsoft Test Runner (client) from the Test hub.

This answered your second question Test Manager will stop working? For now, even it's not strongly deprecated by Microsoft, but also not been a recommend test management solution in TFS/VSTS. More details you could refer this link.

For question one, there are no trail license for MTM. You need to have Test Manager license. This license will be included in below subscriptions. Otherwise you have to buy this license separately.

  • Visual Studio Enterprise - monthly
  • Visual Studio Enterprise - annual
  • Visual Studio Enterprise with MSDN
  • MSDN Platforms
  • Visual Studio Test Professional with MSDN

Source Link: pricing

In your case, there's a strong possibility that you have a Visual Studio Enterprise license, so MTM work properly.