How to Enable Work Item Only View in Team Web Access 2010

WIOV (Work Item Only View) is a restricted version of TWA (Team Web Access), which provides only following operations without ever needing a Team Foundation Server CAL (Client Access License):

  • Create new work item
  • Edit the work item you have created
  • See the list of work items you have created

In version 2008, WIOV (its name was WIWA – Work Item Web Access) was a separate application and it was being installed as a virtual directory under TWA 2008 (https://tfshost:8090/wiwa).

We have made a change in version 2010 and WIOV is no more a separate application than TWA meaning that there is a single entry point for both TWA and WIOV (https://tfshost:8080/tfs/web). The new behavior is based on a new TFS application-level permission called “Use full Web Access features”. If the user connected to TWA is denied for this permission, the application switches automatically to the WIOV.

An empty “Work Item Only View” users group is created out-of-box as well, which is denied for this permission already. You can start  using WIOV by adding the users to this group. In order to do this, open TF Administration Console and click “Application Tier” under host name. On the right hand side under Application Tier Summary, click “Administer Group Membership”.

groups_2

Then, double click “Work Item Only View Users” and add necessary users here. You can also see the permission by clicking “Administer security”.

permission_2

When the restricted user connects to TWA, the following UI appears.

wiov_2

Please note that, the user can filter the list by click “Show Filters” and save the settings. This feature is especially useful when the number of work items grows up.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 04, 2010
    Thanks for the explanation. By the way, I like your project name, "izmir (turkey)" :)

  • Anonymous
    July 07, 2010
    Can the default filter for the Work Item Only View be modified to allow the user to also see work items assigned to them (not just those work items they create)?

  • Anonymous
    October 25, 2010
    Is it possible to remove fields or field values from the filter (e.g. i do not want the user to see all possible users that can be assigned to)

  • Anonymous
    February 06, 2011
    Following the instructions on this page I've tried adding an AD group to "Work Item Only View Users" but users in that group still didn't have access to viewing work items. Have I missed something?

  • Anonymous
    January 22, 2013
    I have a similar problem to what is reported by Taco. Please provide a solution to that. Thanks!

  • Anonymous
    November 06, 2013
    thank you for this information! It helped a lot.