如何导出当前WITS及相关文件以创建TFS2015更新版流程模板

Got it, let’s walk through exactly how to extract all your customizations—WITs, categories.xml, and processconfiguration.xml—from your existing TFS 2015 project, then package them into a reusable process template. No more redoing 14 months of work for new projects or test environments!

Step 1: Export Your Customized Assets with TFS PowerShell #

First, you’ll use the TFS PowerShell cmdlets to pull all the modified files from your live project. Make sure you have the TFS PowerShell snap-in installed (it comes with TFS 2015 or the Team Explorer client).

Open PowerShell as an admin, then run these commands (replace placeholders with your server/project details):

# Load the TFS PowerShell snap-in
Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.TeamFoundation.PowerShell

# Connect to your TFS collection
$tfsCollection = "http://your-tfs-server:8080/tfs/DefaultCollection"
$targetProject = "Your14MonthOldProject"
$exportFolder = "C:\TFS_Custom_Template_Export"

# Create the export folder if it doesn't exist
New-Item -Path $exportFolder -ItemType Directory -Force

# Export all custom Work Item Types (WITs)
Get-TfsWorkItemType -Collection $tfsCollection -Project $targetProject | ForEach-Object {
    Export-TfsWorkItemType -WorkItemType $_ -Path "$exportFolder\$($_.Name).xml"
}

# Export the categories and process configuration files
Export-TfsProcessConfiguration -Collection $tfsCollection -Project $targetProject -Path "$exportFolder\processconfiguration.xml"
Export-TfsCategories -Collection $tfsCollection -Project $targetProject -Path "$exportFolder\categories.xml"

This will dump all your modified WIT definitions, plus the critical configuration files, into your chosen folder.

Step 2: Organize Files into a Standard Process Template Structure #

TFS expects process templates to follow a specific folder hierarchy. Create this structure under your export folder:

• WorkItem Tracking\TypeDefinitions → Move all your WIT .xml files here
• WorkItem Tracking\Process → Move categories.xml and processconfiguration.xml here
• Add a root-level Template.xml file (this defines your template’s metadata). Here’s a basic example:

<Template Name="Custom Agile 2015 (14mo Updates)" 
          Description="Agile template with all 14 months of custom WIT, category, and process tweaks" 
          Type="Agile">
    <Groups>
        <Group Id="WorkItem Tracking" />
        <!-- Add other groups like "Source Control" or "Build" if you want to include default settings from the base template -->
    </Groups>
</Template>

If you want to keep other parts of the original template (like security settings or reports), copy those folders from the default Agile/Scrum/CMMI template (usually found in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Team Foundation Server 14.0\Tools\Deploy\ProcessTemplates on your TFS server).

Step 3: Import the Custom Template to TFS #

Once your structure is set, import the template back into your TFS collection (or test environment) with this command:

Import-TfsProcessTemplate -Collection $tfsCollection -Path $exportFolder

You can also verify it’s available by checking the Process Templates section in the TFS Web UI or Administration Console.

Step 4: Test the Template #

Before using it for production projects, create a test project with your new template:

1. Go to TFS Web UI → New Project
2. Select your custom template from the dropdown
3. Validate that all WITs, workflows, board configurations, and category mappings match your original project exactly. Fix any gaps if something’s missing.

Pro Tips #

• Double-check WIT dependencies: Make sure any custom fields or global lists referenced in your WITs are included (you can export global lists with Export-TfsGlobalList if needed).
• Backup first: Always export a copy of the default template before overwriting or adding new ones, just in case.
• Admin rights: You’ll need TFS Collection Administrator permissions to export/import process templates.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者Pat Delaney