P (Visual Studio ALM Glossary)

  • Article

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

  • partial
    A line of code that was partially executed by a test. See also: hit, miss

  • partition
    Classes used as proxies for gaining greater code coverage in unit testing.

  • Partner Test
    A test, written by a Microsoft partner, that uses the test framework's extensibility interfaces.

  • pending change
    A group of changes that have been made in one enlistment but have not yet been submitted to the database for publishing and permanent record.

  • pending test
    A test that has been selected to run but is not yet in progress. Pending tests can be viewed in the Test Results window.

  • performance test
    A test that ensures that the performance quality of service requirement is met. A performance test not only checks that the functionality works, but also the amount of time it takes for that functionality to complete.

  • persona
    A persona describes the typical skills, abilities, needs, desires, working habits, tasks ,and backgrounds of a particular set of users. A persona is fictional reality, collecting together real data describing the important characteristics of a particular user group in a fictional character.

  • phase
    A distinct division within a process model or product life cycle, typically a fundamental transition in the development of a product or service, culminating in a major or external milestone, or representing a fundamental transition in the development of a product or service.

  • physical design
    The third major stage in the design process, in which the project team determines how to specifically implement the logical design. Physical design addresses the technology that will be used by the end user. The goal is to apply real-world technology constraints to the logical design, such as implementation and performance considerations. Physical design corresponds to a contractor's blueprints for the physical elements of a structure-wiring, plumbing, heating, and ventilation. The contractor's plans add detail to the architect's plans and reflect real-world construction constraints.

  • physical environment
    An environment composed of physical or virtual machines.

  • physical machine
    A hardware-based computer, as opposed to a software-based virtual machine.

  • pilot
    The introduction of the solution into the production environment, and trial by installers, systems support staff, and end users. Pilots are aimed at minimizing the impact of the deployment and providing valuable feedback on the project's suitability for completion.

  • post-deployment scripts
    A set of zero or more user-specified database scripts that are executed in a specific order after the database deployment script is executed.

  • post-milestone review
    The review of work products associated with key milestones to confirm quality and effective project processes.

  • pre-deployment scripts
    A set of zero or more user-specified database scripts that are executed in a specific order before the database deployment script is executed.

  • principle
    Basic beliefs and assumptions that define a methodology or process. Key MSF principles include the iterative development process, the division of team responsibilities by role, and the phases of development.

  • prioritize
    To group by relative buckets. See rank.

  • probability and impact matrix
    A common way to determine whether a risk is considered low, moderate, or high by combining the two dimensions of a risk, its probability of occurrence, and its impact on objectives if it occurs.

  • process
    A collection of activities that yield a result, product, or service; usually a continuous operation. A series of actions or operations designed to achieve an end.

  • program
    A collective grouping of projects, usually including a common set of goals, plans and measurement of success, that is managed and delivered in a coordinated way.

  • project
    See team project.

  • project administrator
    Administrators allowed to make changes to work item tracking from the UI or the SDK.

  • project items
    The different types of objects that a database project comprises, including data generation plans, scripts, and the schema object definitions.

  • project life cycle
    A collection of generally sequential project phases whose name and number are determined by the needs of the organization or organizations involved in the project.

  • project plan
    A formal, approved document used to guide both project execution and project control. The primary uses of the project plan are to document planning assumptions and decisions, facilitate communication among stakeholders, and document approved scope, cost, and schedule baselines. A project plan may be summary or detailed.

  • project portal
    The Windows SharePoint Services site that is used to store and present non-code work products and reports for a team project.

  • project queries
    Queries that are saved for all users.

  • project scope
    The work agreed to and documented between the project sponsor and the project team in order to plan and deliver the solution scope.

  • project vision
    The purpose, motivation, and background for building the system. The goal of the project vision is to align the team around a central purpose.

  • proof of concept
    Verification that the selected technology performs according to pre-established criteria in a lab environment designed to simulate the production environment.

  • prototype
    A preliminary type, form, or instance of a product or product component that serves as a model for later stages or for the final, complete version of the product. This model (physical, electronic, digital, analytical, and so forth) can be used for the following, in addition to other, purposes: assessing the feasibility of a new or unfamiliar technology; assessing or mitigating technical risk; validating requirements; demonstrating critical features; qualifying a product; qualifying a process; characterizing performance or product features; elucidating physical principles.

  • publish test results
    To make test results available for reporting.