S (Visual Studio ALM Glossary)

This glossary defines key terms that are used in the Visual Studio Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Help.

  • sampling
    A profiling technique that involves taking snapshots of program execution at intervals. See also: instrumentation

  • scenario
    A type of work item that records a single path of user interaction through the system. As the persona attempts to reach a goal, the scenario records the specific steps that they take in attempting to reach that goal.

  • schema
    An object or collection of database objects that contain structural information, or metadata, about a database.

  • scope
    The parts of the vision for the solution that can be accomplished within the constraints of a given version. Negotiating the scope of a project balances customer needs and desires against technological and business constraints.

  • security group
    A collection of users, computers, contacts, and other groups that is used to grant access to resources.

  • security test
    A collection of users, computers, contacts, and other groups that is used to grant access to resources.

  • server administrator
    Administrators allowed to make changes to work item tracking from the server.

  • service level agreement (SLA)
    An agreement between two organizations detailing the level and nature of support that one team agrees to provide, and to which the other team agrees to reciprocal commitments. The SLA formalizes customer/user requirements for service levels and defines the responsibilities of all participating parties.

  • shared steps
    A group of test steps that can be reused between test cases.

  • shelve
    To group a set of changes into a shelveset.

  • shelveset
    A set of changes, not yet committed, that are now located in the server. The entire contents of the pending changes, including the changes to the modified files themselves, are included.

  • SLA
    See: service level agreement

  • smoke tests
    See: build verification tests.

  • solution
    The coordinated delivery of the elements (including technologies, documentation, training and support) needed to successfully respond to a unique customer's business problem or opportunity.

  • solution architecture
    The architecture of the software including its structure, entry points, trust areas, and class and component relationships.

  • solution concept
    A high-level description of how the solution will meet goals and requirements.

  • source
    The database in a particular operation that the operation does not modify. For example, if you compare your database project to the current deployment of that database with the intent of updating the deployment to match the project, the database project is considered the source for that operation.

  • Source Control Explorer
    Used to view and manage Team Foundation source control items, which can include team projects, folders, and files.

  • sponsors
    Individuals initiating and approving a project and its results.

  • stack rank
    An ordering of work items for prioritization.

  • stakeholders
    Individuals and organizations that are actively involved in the project, or whose interests may be positively or negatively affected as a result of project execution or project completion. They may also exert influence over the project and its results.

  • stored environment
    A virtual environment that is stored in the team project library and is used to create new virtual environments.

  • stress test
    (1) A test designed to determine the response of a system under load. (2) For MSF Agile: A test that determines an application's breaking points and pushes the application past its upper limits as resources are saturated.

  • STRIDE
    An acronym used to categorize different threat types. A method of categorizing threat types. These threat types include: Spoofing identity, Tampering with data, Repudiation, Information disclosure, Denial of service, and Elevation of privilege.

  • subsystem
    A smaller portion of a system.

  • suppress this instance
    An option for suppressing a particular instance of message, versus not doing the analysis for a particular rule.

  • swimlane
    A horizontal or vertical line or lines that appear in the Domain-Specific Language Designer and that separate the diagram for a domain-specific language into logical areas.

  • Sysprep
    A tool that prepares the hard disk on a source computer for duplication to destination computers. The tool a) removes system-specific settings and other data that should not be copied to a destination computer and b) resets the Windows installation to start with Windows Welcome or in audit mode.

  • system API calls
    A transition from user to kernel mode.

  • system diagram
    The depiction of a single composite system definition showing uses of either application definitions or a system definitions. Connections show the communication links configured between the applications/systems.